United Benefit Advisors Insight and Analysis Blog

How to Train and Develop Your Employees — the Right Way

The Treasury Releases 2019-2020 Priority Guidance Plan

Balancing Food and Fitness this Holiday Season

A Recession in 2020? Here’s What the Experts Say, and How You Can Prep for It

District Court Vacates Parts of ACA Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rule

It’s Time to Give Your Performance Review … a Performance Review

DOL, HHS, and Treasury Release Final FAQs on Mental Health / Substance Use Disorder Parity

How to Handle Pay-History Inquiries —The Right Way

IRS Releases Information Letter on Employer Shared Responsibility Penalties under the ACA

What is Emotional Agility, and How Can You Manage Your Emotions in the Workplace?

It’s Time to Stop Age Discrimination in the Workplace

IRS Announces Health Insurance Providers Fee to Resume in 2020

4 Steps to a Pet-Friendly Workplace

IRS Publishes Proposed Rules on Affordability Safe Harbors and Nondiscrimination for ICHRAs

What is Perfectionism, and Is It Affecting Your Work Life?

How to Take your 2020 Benefit Change Rollout to the Next Level

DOL Issues Updated Medicaid / CHIP Model Notice

Ensuring Accurate Skill Matching

CMS Requires Prescription Drug Coverage Reporting under Section 111 MSP Reporting

Millennials and Gen Z will Drive Employee Perks in 2020

Incentivizing Corporate Wellness

IRS Releases Private Letter Ruling Regarding Section 213(d) Medical Care Expenses

Expansion of the Remote Workforce

Hold on to Those Shades

DOL Issues Advisory Opinion on Intermittent FMLA Leave

Addressing Marijuana Usage and Testing in the Workplace

Treasury, DOL, and HHS Issue FAQs on Enforcement of Final 2020 Benefit and Parameters Rule

Fighting Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

IRS Releases the Indexed 2020 Affordability Percentage

Going Beyond Rainbows

IRS Expands Benefits That Can Be Provided Before HDHP Annual Minimum Deductible Is Met

All About Bravery

USPSTF Issues a Final Recommendation Giving PrEP an “A” Rating

The “Official” Lowdown on Physical Activity

Offboarding is Important

DOL, HHS, and Treasury Publish Final Rules on Health Reimbursement Arrangements

Preventing and Beating Burnout

IRS Releases Memo on 2-percent Shareholders’ Health Coverage Deductions

Get Ready for the Class of 2019

Health Savings Accounts: At the Intersection of Health Care and Wealth Care

Sabbaticals Can Benefit Employees and Employers

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

Update on Nondiscrimination Regulations Relating to Sex, Gender, Age, and More

What Eyewear Means in the 21st Century

Mentorship Matters

CMS Publishes 2020 Benefit Payment and Parameters Final Rule

Tips and tricks to help you stress less

CMS Releases 2020 Parameters for Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit

Kids and Body Image

Protect your pet, protect yourself

Outside-the-box ways to spend time outdoors

Exercise and Health: The Mind-Body Connection

May is Mental Health Month

10 Reasons to Quit Tobacco

Bringing Design Thinking to HR

Is it Time for Unlimited Time off?

District Court Vacates Portions of the Association Health Plans Final Rule

Money Talks

HHS Releases Bulletin that Extends Grandmothered Plans Through 2020

Five key facts about blue light in the workplace

Ready to Spark Joy in Your Office?

Status of Court Case Challenging ACA Constitutionality

8 Ways to Better Manage Your Time

Changing marijuana laws impact HR

The future is freelancing

Easy food swaps to healthy-up your diet

Playing in the workplace

Weight Loss: Myths vs. Facts

More companies flirt with the idea of the four-day work week

IRS Releases Information Letter on Returning HSA Contributions to an Employer

Sharpen Those Soft Skills

Hot tips for winter driving

Who’s Ghosting Who?

DOL’s Annually Adjusted Federal Penalties

In Pursuit of a Better Meeting

Tackling Workplace Bullying

Seeds of Change

The Ins and Outs of Warming up and Cooling Down

Proposed 2020 Benefit Payment and Parameters Rule

Advance Informational Copies of 2018 Form 5500 Annual Return/Report

4 Ways to Help Employees Keep Their Resolution

IRS Releases 2019 Inflation-Adjusted Limits

Gen Z is Coming. Is Your Workplace Ready?

IRS Releases Indexed PCORI Fee

Some Companies Going Above and Beyond to Support Mothers and Fathers

Top 5 Blogs of 2018

Treasury, DOL, and HHS Release Two Final Rules on Contraceptive Coverage Exemptions

IRS Issues Specifications for Employer-Provided Substitute ACA Forms

Are Employers Smart to Deal with Student Debt?

Make Your Employer Brand More Purposeful

IRS Extends Due Date to Furnish ACA Forms to Participants and Provides Good Faith Penalty Relief

Your Voluntary Benefits Plan May Lead To A Tragic Result

Culture Questions

HHS Releases Inflation-Adjusted Federal Civil Penalty Amounts

Happier Holidays, the HR Way

It’s Flu Season...Again

IRS Releases Final Forms and Instructions for 2018 ACA Reporting

Giving Thanks in the Office

All Three Generations Need Income Protection

8 Ways to Relate to Time as a Realist

Tri-Agency Proposed Rule on Health Reimbursement Arrangements

Be the Boss You Want to See in the World

Choosing the Right Flexible Benefit for Employees

Making a Remote Team Work

Do you have a choice of where you will be taken care of?

Shrinking Talent Pools Mean Shifting Hiring Strategies

5 Social Media Tips For Insurance Brokers

Moments of Clarity: Being Transparent

Use Caution When Operating a Car or Dangerous Machinery

Yes, Boss/HR/Your Honor, That's My Email

IRS Releases Draft Forms and Instructions for 2018 ACA Reporting

Dear Brain, Please Let Me Sleep

DOL and IRS Release Additional Information on Association Health Plans

Facing Bias in the Workplace

Final Rule on Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance

Leveraging Generational Factors for Overall Success

Get Moving...To Live!

Managing Robots in the Work Force

UBA and Symetra to Host Plan Sponsor Webinar: "What's Driving Claim Costs and Employer Solutions"

Managing Employees in the Gig Economy

Final Rule on Short-Term Limited-Duration Insurance

Tools to Support Working Parents

6 Reasons Self-Funded Plans Are Gaining Popularity

Leveraging Generational Factors for Overall Success

Cobra Liability in Mergers and Acquisitions

A Real-Time Action Plan for Increased Revenue

Habit-Forming Tech

Solving Problems - While Increasing Employee Satisfaction

Question of the Month

Everyone Wins When Growth is the Goal

DOL Issues Final Regulations Regarding Association Health Plans

Addressing Mental Health Care at Work

Question of the Month: Penalties for failing to comply with Section 125 requirements

How Well do Your Employees Evaluate Risk?

What About Them?

To Identify the Best Candidate, Ask the Right Questions

Disability Income Protection is an Employee Benefits Rising Star

Let Data Deliver for You

5 Ways AI Is Revolutionizing Health Care

Leadership, Now with More Humility

Using Your Health Savings Account

The Future of the Office

The Hidden Liability in Group LTCi Plans

Can You Handle the Truth?

IRS Issues Transition Relief Notice for Plans with Male Sterilization or Contraceptive Benefits

Perk Up Your Benefits Packages

Inclusive Workplaces Benefit Everyone

IRS Issues Updated Employers Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits

Redefining Retirement

IRS Changes HSA Limit for 2018

Your Workplace May Want to Get Moving

U.S. Department of Labor Updates CHIP Notice

Why Work? For More than the Money

Understanding Clients’ IRS Play-or-Pay Penalty Assessment Letter

Eat to Live Well: Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

Notifying Participants of a Plan Change

Beware of Tech Overload

Ribbon Cutting for New UBA Chicago Office

Higher Satisfaction Through Higher Education

Understanding W-2 Reporting under the ACA

New Guidance from CMS on Accommodation Revocation Notices under the Contraception Mandate Exemption

Advance Informational Copies of 2017 Form 5500 Annual Return/Report

Agencies Provide Relief for Group Plans and Donation Programs Affected by Hurricanes/Wildfires

With Below Average Cost, Increasing Enrollment, CDHPs Have Big Impact

IRS Updates Guidance on Play-or-Pay Penalty Assessments

Climate Leave: PTO for when the Wind Blows

Employee Benefit Plans and the House Republican Tax Reform Bill

Top 3 Frequently Asked Questions about Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements

UBA Survey: Weary Families Get a Break While Singles See Out-of-Pocket Cost Increases

Latest IRS ACA Round Up (Including 2018 Cost-of-Living Adjustments)

Agencies Issue Proposed Rules and Plans

Build It and They Will Come? Group Health Plan Prevalence Doesn’t Always Drive Enrollment (Well, Except in CA)

PPOs Dominate Despite Savings with HMOs and CDHPs

Top 7 Trends from 2017 UBA Health Plan Survey

2017 Health Plan Survey Shows Sharp Rise in Group Healthcare Premiums

Benefit Plan Design: Charging Employees Different Premiums

IRS Releases Final Forms and Instructions for 2017 ACA Reporting

Contraception Mandate Rolled Back for Employers

President Trump Ends ACA Cost Sharing Reductions

October 2017 Executive Order on Healthcare

The Perk of Pets

Shhhhhh!

IRS Releases Draft Forms and Instructions for 2017 ACA Reporting

Are you addressing your employee’s financial health?

IRS Roundup: What Employers Need to Know about the Latest ACA Notices

VR for HR

Court Remands Wellness Regulations to EEOC for Reconsideration

Don't Put Up with the Bull of Bullying

The Killjoy of Office Culture

DOL Issues Compliance Guidance for Employee Benefit Plans Impacted by Hurricane Harvey

What You Need to Know about Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

Understanding EAP Confidentiality

Small Businesses Healthcare Competitive, But Faces Two Big Challenges

What You Need to Know about Health Flexible Spending Accounts

Survey: Small Businesses Keeping Pace with Health Benefits Offered by Employers Nationwide

The COBRA Payment Process

Strategic benefits communication: Five key steps to success this open enrollment season

Wellness Programs – Getting Started and Remaining Compliant

Biting the Hand that Pays Them

When Grief Comes to Work

ERISA's "Church Plan" Exception

Determining COBRA Premiums for Fully Insured and Self-Funded Health Plans

Government and Education Employers Offer Richest HSA Plans

Best Practices for Initial COBRA Notices

Employer Strategies for Managing Prescription Drug Costs

Small Employers Ask about Form 5500

Extension of Maximum COBRA Coverage Period

How to Be a Magnetic Organization

Strategic Benefits Communication: Leverage Technology, But Keep It Personal – Part Four of a Five-Part Series

Top Misconceptions about Long Term Care Insurance

DOL Asks for MHPAEA Related Comments; Clarifies Eating Disorder Benefit Requirements

What Employers Need to Know about the Senate Proposed Healthcare Bill

A Country Polarized? Make Sure Your Office Isn’t

What Qualifying Events Trigger COBRA?

Small Employers Lead the Way in Funding HSAs

What Happens to Coverage When Employees Reduce Their Hours?

2018 Amounts for HSAs; Retroactive Medicare Coverage Effect on Contributions

Answers to the Top 4 Questions about Section 105(h) Nondiscrimination Testing

Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements and ERISA

Well-Being Strategies for a Diverse Workforce, Building Value at an Individual Level

HSAs and Employer Responsibilities

Factor Emerging Trends, Generational Needs Into Wellness Programs

Why some companies offer an HRA

Strategic Benefits Communication: Integrating Voluntary Products Into Benefit Planning – Part Three of a Five-Part Series

HSAs vs. HRAs: Things Employers Should Consider

Is Your Wellness Program Compliant with the ACA, GINA and EEOC?

House Passes AHCA Bill in First Step to Repeal and Replace the ACA

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks on ePHI, HIPAA Enforcement in the News

The Pitfalls of Online Enrollment Systems

ACA Market Stabilization Final Rule

Why Private Exchanges Haven't Taken Off As Predicted

SBC Template and Required Addendums for Covered Entities under ACA Section 1557

Discovery for Health and Welfare Benefit Plans: Required ERISA Reporting—Form 5500

An Employer’s Guide to Navigating the ACA’s Strong Headwinds

The Future of Corporate Wellness – Where will we go from here?

Getting the Most Out of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The Best Ways to Minimize Your Risk When Selecting a Stop Loss Carrier – Part 2

Self-Funding Dental: Leave No Stone Unturned

Automatic for the People

Strategic Benefits Communication: The Power of Knowing your Audience—Part Two of a Five-Part Series

CMS Allows States to Extend Life of "Grandmothered" or Transitional Health Insurance Policies

The Best Ways to Minimize Your Risk When Selecting a Stop Loss Carrier – Part 1

Workplace Cybersecurity Begins with Employees

Tax Treatment of Fixed Indemnity Health Plans

Emails Never Sleep: Employers Consider Email Expectations

Medicare Part D: Creditable Coverage Disclosures

The Changing Landscape of Employee Benefits

The “Line 22” Question: Which Box(es) Do I Check?

Are you about to run aground in calm waters?

Top Five Compliance Assessment Surprises

IRS Q&A About Employer Information Reporting on Form 1094-C and Form 1095-C

Strategic Benefits Communication: How Do You Measure Success?

Keeping Pace with the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act

Best and Worst States for Group Health Care Costs

Stemming the Tide of Opioid Abuse: A Brief Guide for Employers

Benchmarking Your Cost-Shifting Strategy

FAQ on HIPAA Special Enrollment; QSE HRAs Released

Cafeteria Plans: Qualifying Events and Changing Employee Elections

Good Sense Guide to Minimum Essential Coverage Forms 1094-C and 1095-C

Implications of the 21st Century Cures Act

EEOC Guidance on National Origin Discrimination

Who Are You Benchmarking Your Health Plan Against?

Long-Term Care: A Threat to Retirement Security

Solving the Prescription Puzzle

All That Glitters Is Not Gold in Employee Benefits

2017 Annual Limits Card Back by Popular Demand

Ouch! Department of Labor Form 5500’s Time-Intensive and Expensive Reporting Requirements Painful for Small Employers

Making Sense of Form 1095 Minimum Essential Coverage Reporting

Handling of Retaliation Complaints under Section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act

Identify and Evaluate the Impact of Your Wellness Program

Emphasis on Consumerism in Health Care Expected Post 2016 Elections

Interim Final Regulation on Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties

Regulations Regarding Short-Term Limited-Duration Insurance, Excepted Benefits, and Lifetime/Annual Limits

FAQs on Tobacco Cessation Coverage and Mental Health / Substance Use Disorder Parity

Wellness Wearables: Novelty or an Impact to the Health Care Industry?

Employer Exchange Subsidy Notices: Should You Appeal?

The Impact of Wearable Devices in the Healthcare Industry

IRS Delay in 6055 and 6056 Reporting for 2017

VOI vs. ROI: A Business Case for Wellness

Long-Term Care Insurance: Employee Education Makes the Difference

The Shift Away from Health Risk Assessments

State Guide to COBRA Supplemental Requirements

Employers and Employees Teeter on Healthcare Cost and Coverage Tightrope

UBA Special Report: 2016 Trends in Employer Wellness Programs

Frequently Asked Questions about the Transitional Reinsurance Fee (TRF)

Final Marital Status Definitions and Spouse/Partner Coverage Trends

2016 Election Results: The Potential Impact on Health and Welfare Benefits

UBA Survey: Grandmothering Protects Many Small Employers from Rate Increases

Employer FYI: Individual Mandate Requirements and Proposed Regulations

Going Where Others Fear to Tread: When COBRA and the FMLA Cross Paths

Employer Considerations When Offering Health Coverage under the SCA or DBA

2016 Health Plan Survey: Topline Trends at a Glance

Are Opt-Outs on the Way Out?

What to Expect in 2016 – Clarifying Some of the Confusion of the ACA

Survey: Enrollment in Consumer-Directed Health Plans Jumps 22 Percent Despite Increase in Plan Costs

Controlled Groups and Affiliated Service Groups: How They Apply to the ACA

Nondiscrimination Rules for Cafeteria Plans

Employment Eligibility: How to Handle Questions about Worker Identity

Reporting Minimum Essential Coverage

HIPAA Phase 2 Audits

Engagement Key to the Future of Private Exchanges

Why Care About Diabetes and What You Can Do as an Employer

Top Wellness Program Components

Educating Employees on Wellness Program Options

Cost Effective Wellness Strategies for Small Business Employers

Striving for a Culture Change in Your Wellness Program (Part 2)

Striving for a Culture Change in Your Wellness Program (Part 1)

IRS Proposes New Section 6055 Reporting Requirements for Self-Insured Employers

How to Realize the Full Potential of a Private Exchange

Do You Know Who Your Primary Care Physician Is? Well, You Should.

HIPAA Phase 1 Audits

Initial 2016 Health Plan Survey Results Are Out: PPO Deductibles Increase Fifty Percent, Employer Costs Remain Steady

Salary Considerations under the New DOL Standards

Prescription Drug Copay Trends: Five-Tier Plan Benchmarks Emerge, Large Employers Hike Rates in Three-Tier Plans

The Real Promise of Private Exchanges Is Still Ahead

What is Essential? The Madness of Maintaining Job Descriptions Under the DOL

Which Employers Are Incentivizing Generic Drugs Over Brand Name?

It's not that simple!

Mail Order or Not?

How to Complete the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Match Report

See Which Employers Are Aggressively Increasing Rx Tiers for Cost Savings

Avoid Increased Penalties by Filing Annual Benefit Plan Reports on Time

New Benefits Target Employee Debt

ALE Employers Ask: Should Benefits Be Offered to Variable Hour Employees?

Industry Trends Emerge in Mail Order Drug Benefits

Affordability Safe Harbors May Not Be As Safe with New Overtime Exemption Rules

Employers Split on Whether to Self-Fund Prescription Drug Plans

Soaring Specialty Pharmacy Drug Prices Leave Consumers Feeling Rather Ill

IRS Reporting: Now What?

OSHA Reporting Changes: Employer Checklist

OSHA's Final Rule on Electronic Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

What Employers Need to Know about the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match Program

Extra, Extra! ACA Tax News, Read All About It!

Shining a Light on HIPAA Compliance for Health and Welfare Plans

Nondiscrimination Regulations Relating to Sex, Gender, Age, and More Finalized

Overtime Exemption Rules Arrive

In Focus: Digital Eye Strain and Vision Benefits

Same-Sex Marriages and Group Health Benefits

When It Comes to Employees' Financial Wellness, Face Time Matters

DOL Issues 31st FAQ on ACA Implementation

Don’t Let Terrorism Strike Your Disaster and Business Continuity Plans

Employers Ask: What Prevents Me from Reimbursing Individual Health Insurance Policies?

ACA Regulations Roundup (and Free Resources)

As Dragnet's Joe Friday Would Say, "Just the Facts, Ma'am." Get the Facts on COBRA Coverage – Who, When and How Long?

Moving from Employee Wellness to Employee Well-Being

Taxation of Identity Protection Services

What the DOL Wants During an Audit

Seven Common Mistakes That Could Trigger a DOL Audit

Don't Neglect Written Policies and Procedures

Group Healthcare Premiums by State: How does your plan stack up?

Top Five Best and Worst States for Group Health Plans

Weeding Out Low Performers

IRS Reporting Tip: Check the Right Boxes on Your Cover Sheet

What Is COBRA, and Does It Apply to My Business?

2017 Benefit and Payment Parameters Rule and HIP FAQ

When it comes to the "Cadillac" tax, there's no escaping death and taxes

Top Talent Prefers Being Recruited Via Their Mobile Device

Case Study: Using Data to Identify Healthcare Savings for a Mid-size Manufacturer

UBA Survey Reveals Industry Differences in Health Savings Accounts

Employers Ask: What happens to benefits eligibility during an unpaid leave of absence?

Proposed Summary of Benefits and Coverage Template and Updates

Best and Worst Health Savings Accounts for Singles, Families

The Team That Eats Together Performs Better

HRAs, HSAs, and Health FSAs – What's the Difference?

Post-PACE, UBA Conducts State-By-State Survey of Small Group Definitions

Top 10 Questions about the Minimum Value Penalty

Designing Your HRA or Flex Contributions to Meet Affordability Requirements

Minimum Value: HRA Contributions and Flex Credits

IRS Updates FAQs Related to 6055/6056 Reporting

How Do Your Copays and Deductibles Stack Up? Benchmark Your Employees' Out-of-Pocket Costs

ACA Penalties and Taxes and Fees — Oh My!

Being Hyper Aware of Hypertension

Should Employers Opt Out of Their Coverage Opt-Out Program?

How to Benchmark Your Health Plan

IRS Provides Major Delay in 6055 and 6056 Reporting

Top 8 Free (!) UBA Healthcare Cost and Compliance Resources for Employers

Top 10 UBA Blogs from 2015 Reveal Hot Button Healthcare Issues for Employers

COBRA and the Affordable Care Act

Gift for Employers: Cadillac Tax Delayed

Agencies Issue Final Rule on Grandfathered Health Plans and Other Initiatives

Proposed Benefit Payment and Parameters Rule Released

Small Businesses No Longer Going for the Gold in Medical Insurance

Negotiating over COBRA Coverage – Use EXTREME CAUTION!

Cadillac Tax – Should employers be making changes now?

Template Letter to Employees about IRS Forms 1095-B and 1095-C

2016 Annual Limits Card Back by Popular Demand

Can Employers Access Current or Prospective Employee Social Media Accounts?

When the C-Suite Gets Seriously Sick

Who’s Eligible for Coverage? UBA Survey Looks at Dependents, Spouses, Hours Worked

UBA Health Plan Survey: Plans Popular with Employers Aren’t Always Tops with Employees

Healthcare Cost Reduction: Community Paramedicine as a New Primary Care Delivery Model

CMS Provides Clarity on PACE Act Implications for States

DOL Issues FAQ on Mental Health Parity and ACA Market Reform Provisions

2015 UBA Health Plan Survey Executive Summary Now Available!

Reporting and Plan Documents Under ERISA and Cafeteria Plan Rules

IRS Proposed Regulations Recognize Same Sex Marriage

Transitional Reinsurance Fee for Self-funded Group Health Plans

Cafeteria Plans: How to Handle Participant Contributions

UBA Partners Awarded Top Industry Award

IRS Notice on Minimum Essential Coverage Reporting

Perfect Attendance! How to Handle Leaves of Absence under the ACA

How to Get Employees' Attention during Open Enrollment

Temporary Safe Harbor for Online Posting of SBCs

IRS Proposes Minimum Value Rule Change to Mesh IRS and HHS Rules

HHS Proposes First of Anticipated Nondiscrimination Regulations

2015 UBA Health Plan Survey: Preliminary Findings Are Out!

Affordable Care Act Information Returns

IRS Releases Draft 2015 Instructions for 6055/6056 Reporting

UBA Survey Finds Self-Funded Pharmacy Plans Have Increased Nearly 30 Percent in Five Years

The Vision in Health Plan Wellness

DOL Issues Guidance on Classification of Independent Contractors

IRS Issues Second Notice to Assist in Developing Cadillac Tax Regulations

Medicare Costs Explained

New Drugs for Some ... Will They Ultimately Cost Everyone an Arm and a Leg?

How to Motivate Employee Participation in Your Wellness Program

Trade Bill Increases ACA Reporting Penalties; Reinstates Tax Credit

Pharmacy Copays in Upper Tiers on the Rise, Coinsurance on the Rise

Preventive Services Final Rules

Employers Use of Multi-Tier Pharmacy Benefits Continues to Rise

IRS Provides Expatriate Plan Guidance

ACA’S ALE AIR – A Case for Outsourcing

Upcoming ERISA-related Supreme Court Cases to Watch

New ACA Implications for Cafeteria Plans: Change in Status and Changing Employee Elections

IRS Releases Draft 2015 Forms for 6055/6056 Reporting

Understanding Captive Insurance Arrangements

U.S. Supreme Court Finds Same Sex Marriage Is Protected by the 14th Amendment

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds ACA Subsidy Eligibility on Federal Exchanges

Mid-Size Employers and Transition Relief: How to Delay Offering Health Benefits until January 2016

Are Electronic Plan Documents ACA-Compliant?

Cost-Sharing Limits; Provider Discrimination FAQ Released

Preparing for a DOL Audit with a Mock Interview

Employers Procrastinating?

PCORI Fees Due July 31 for Many Health Plans. How Much Do You Owe?

So you’re being audited by the DOL. Are you ready?

Economic Trends and Human Resources

Preventive Service Requirement FAQ

It’s Not a Matter of “If,” But “When” You Get Audited By the U.S. Department of Labor

Stop-loss Contract Periods Explained

The Different Types of Stop-Loss Explained

Question of the Month: How is PPACA's "IRS Form W-2 safe harbor" regarding affordability calculated?

The Key to Reducing Health Care Costs – Have We Found It?

"Technology Doesn’t Always Beat Labor"

Two PPACA Taxes Might Get the Ax

Potential Employer Penalties under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Proposed Rule on Wellness Programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Region Matters When It Comes to HSA Funding, CDHP Adoption

Top 5 Questions about Medicare Secondary Payer Rules

Wraparound Excepted Benefits to Launch with Two Pilot Programs

Industry Differences Among Health Savings Accounts

SCOTUS and the Future of U.S. Health Care

Congress Taking (Small) Steps for Employee Wellness Programs

Cost Sharing Limits Changing for 2016

Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in Subsidy Eligibility Battle

PPACA’s Impact on How CDHPs and HSAs Work Together

Definition of "Spouse" Updated for FMLA

Final Rule Issues Standards for Insurers and Marketplaces in 2016

Growing Pains: Why Adolescence Is About To Get That Much Harder

IRS Provides Details on Reimbursing Premiums for Individual Health Coverage or Medicare Part B, Part D, or Medigap for Active Employees

Agencies Provide Guidance on Single Benefit Products and Excepted Benefits

IRS Requests Input on the Cadillac Tax

Think 2014 tax forms are bad? Here come the 1094 and 1095 for 2015!

Highlights of Employer and Insurer Reporting Requirements

The RFP vs. the Two Step Process — Choosing Group Health Insurance

Why Buy Group Health Insurance through a Broker?

3 Tips for Developing a Charitable Giving Strategy for Your Company

The State of Healthcare Insurance – The Top Five Highest and Lowest Costs of Health Insurance

2015 Federal Poverty Guidelines

Will Health Insurance Soon Become Health Memberships?

IRS Releases Information and Forms for Satisfying the Individual Mandate and Claiming 2014 Premium Tax Credits

IRS Provides 2015 Mileage Rates and Guidance on Retroactive Transit Benefit Increase

Top 5 Questions About The “Cadillac” Tax

Proposed Changes to Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)

Workers can expect to take on more of the burden of health care costs

The Impact of PPACA - Changing Times

Harvard Professors Fall Out Of the Ivory Tower with Health Care Hikes

Top 10 Blogs of 2014

Wellness Programs Feeling the Heat as the EEOC Increases Its Efforts - Part 3

Top 2014 UBA Publications for Employers

Are You Benchmarking Your Health Plan Correctly?

Wellness Programs Feeling the Heat as the EEOC Increases Its Efforts - Part 2, Federal Regulations

Proposed 2016 Benefit and Payment Parameters

Determining Minimum Value and Affordability

Wellness Programs Feeling the Heat as the EEOC Increases Its Efforts - Part 1

2015 Cost-of-Living Adjustments

2014 UBA Health Plan Survey Shows Rate Reprieve for Small Employers

Supreme Court Agrees to Rule on Availability of Premium Tax Credits

The “Play or Pay” Package

UBA 2014 Health Plan Survey Executive Summary Now Available

Group Health Plans That Do Not Cover Inpatient Hospital or Physician Services

Transitional Reinsurance Fee Filing Date Extended to December 5

Independent Contractor vs Employee

Can Employers Assist Employees with Premiums for Individual Plans?

Reference-Based Pricing and Cost-Sharing Limits

Requirement to Obtain a Health Plan Identifier (HPID) Delayed

Self-Funded Plans Must File Transitional Reinsurance Fee Form by November 15

Top Health Care Statistics

The Story Behind Minimal Changes in Plan Designs and Premium Rates

How Wellness Programs Affect Affordability and Minimum Value Calculations

Deadline Approaching for Larger Self-Funded Health Plans To Obtain a Health Plan Identifier Number

Determining If Dental and Vision Plans Are “Excepted Benefits”

Navigating Narrow or Focused Provider Networks (Part 2)

Skinny Plans and Minimum Value: Do these plans really pass the test?

A To-Do List for Sponsors of Self-Funded Group Health Plans

IRS Allows Additional Section 125 Change in Status Events

Is it Time to Revisit [or Review?] Your PEO Arrangement?

Can "Focused" Provider Networks really maintain lower premiums? (Part 1)

Universities Get Educated about PPACA

Four Simple Tips for Streamlining Open Enrollment

What to Include in an SBC

EEOC Files Suit Over Wellness Program

Religious Objections to Covering Contraceptives

How The Marketing of Health Benefits Has Changed

Highlights of the SBC Requirement

Overcoming Employee Disengagement

Dependent Eligibility: Top Three Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Audit

Part 3: The Affordable Care Act: Affordable ... or just an Act?

Part 2: The Affordable Care Act: Affordable ... or just an Act?

The Affordable Care Act: Affordable... or just an Act?

IRS Issues Drafts of Individual and Employer Responsibility Reporting Forms

The Road to Better Absence Management

Small Group Insured Plans and PPACA

Buyer Beware: Federal and State Law Issues with the FF-SHOP

Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Rebate Deadline Approaching

Frequently Asked Questions about Grandfathered Health Plans

Courts Issue Opposite Rulings in PPACA Subsidies Cases

Why HSAs Linked to HDHPs are Making a Comeback

5500 Due Date Approaching

FMLA and Same-Sex Spouses

Top 10 FMLA Employer Mistakes

What Employers Need to Know about SCOTUS Hobby Lobby Ruling

PPACA Update: Highlights of the PCORI Fee

Pediatric Dental Benefits: Duplication of Coverage?

Top 5 Questions Large Employers Ask about PPACA Compliance

Feeling Sick about PPACA Penalties?

Delaying Use of the Federally Facilitated SHOP (FF-SHOP) Exchange May Save You Money

Getting Employees to Save More for Retirement

How Benefits Communication Boosts the Bottom Line

PPACA and COBRA Updates

Top 5 Questions about SHOP (Small Business Health Options Program)

Self-Funded Health Plans Must Obtain a Health Plan Identifier Number

How Long Commutes Impact Workplace Productivity

Help Employees Watch for Hidden Medical Fees

Employers Need to Prepare for Play or Pay Requirements

IRS Releases 2015 HSA Figures

Manage Benefit Costs Before They Manage You

How to Survive a DOL Audit

Do You Need to Amend Your Health and Section 125 Plans?

What Makes Wellness Work?

Small Businesses Received a Reprieve

IRS Releases Final Reporting Regulations

Play or Pay: The Facts about Paying the Penalties

New Out-of-Pocket Maximum Rules Explained

Waste in Health Care: Does Wastefulness Contribute to Excess Cost and Poor Quality?

Your “Dependents” Could be Costing You

Was another delay necessary?

Wellness Programs: Incentives for Non-Use of Tobacco, Activity-Based Alternatives

Why Generic Drugs Can Be The Better Choice

Out-of-Pocket Limits: Inclusions/Exclusions, Multiple Out-of-Pocket Limits, EHBs for Large Group/Self-Insured Plans

The Rise of Four-Tier Drug Plans and Prescription Copays

Amazon-ize Benefits, Control “Leakage” and Heal “Over Insured Syndrome”

BREAKING NEWS - IRS, HHS RELEASE ADDITIONAL FINAL REGULATIONS

The Latest Information on Preventive Care: First Dollar Coverage, Frequency Guidelines

With Tectonic Shifts in Health Care, Employer Opinions Count Big-Time

Summary of Eligibility Waiting Period Requirements

New PPACA Fees Strike Employers

Who’s Walking and Who’s Just Talking?

More on Skinny Plans: No Minimum Value Plans Continue to Be an Option

2014 Federal Poverty Guidelines

IRS Issues Final Regulations on Employer Shared Responsibility (Play or Pay)

Open Enrollment Issues for the Marketplace Over? Not Hardly!

Frequently Asked Compliance Questions

Funding Concierge Medicine Costs with HSAs/FSAs

What You Need to Know About the New Eligibility Waiting Period Provisions

Why Your Disability Insurance Audit is So Important

What “Play or Pay” Means in 2014

Attracting and Retaining Employees with Vision Benefits

UBA's Most Popular Tools to Alleviate PPACA Stress

Regulatory Agencies Propose Expansion of “Excepted Benefits”

Individual Insurance – What are my choices (California)?

Health Care Reform Compliance Roundup

Public Employees Feel Less Pinch from PPACA

Leadership is Leading the Way

Evaluating Private Exchanges

Private Exchange vs. Traditional Large Employer Coverage

Why? Because!

If PPACA Were the Joneses, “Keeping Up” Would Be Hard to Do

The Transit Parity Roller Coaster

Insurers Given Permission to Renew Policies That Don't Meet PPACA Requirements

How Voluntary Benefits Are Rising to the Top

Is the Advent of the Marketplace a Change-Of-Status Event Under Section 125 Plans?

Today’s Top 5 Health Insurance Options for Small Group Employers

The New FSA Carryover Rule…Pros and Cons…

Making Sense of the New Guidance Around HRAs

Explaining Health Care Reform to Your Employees

How Health Benefits Differ Across the Country

Three Strategic Steps to Getting Your Business Ready for 2014

Boiling Down PPACA

What's My State Doing with Exchanges and Medicaid?

COBRA POST-PPACA

Back to School! The ABCs of SBCs

Taxing Wellness Incentives

The Basics of Premium Subsidies

IRS Issues Proposed PPACA Reporting Rules

I'm Proceeding with Exchange Notices, but How Do I Complete the Form?

Stand Out from the Crowd with Voluntary Benefits

To Issue the Exchange Notice or Not To? That Is the Question.

ACA Driving Self-Funding to the Smaller Market

How Large Employers are Responding to Health Care Reform

DOL Announces Non-Enforcement of Marketplace/Exchange Notice

Delay in Out-of-Pocket Caps - Will It Hurt?

Brushing Up On Your Employee Benefits Communication Skills

Your Incredible Shrinking Health Plan

Frequently Asked Questions about Grandfathered Plans

An Uptick in Obesity Disability Claims

Health Care Reform and the Balloonist

Happy and Well: Employee Wellness Under Obamacare

Happy and Well: Employee Wellness Under Obamacare

The Real Story on Out-of-Pocket Maximums

Help Your Employees Understand the Individual Mandate

Real Health Care Reform

UBA News in the News

A PPACA To-Do List

Smoking Attestation is on the Honor System, Like Income Reporting

A Simple Solution for Intermittent Leave and FMLA

Updated Analysis on the Employer Mandate Delay

UBA Rolls Out the Red Carpet at Annual Ubbie Awards

The Part-Timer Vs. Contractor Dilemma

Employer Mandate Delayed But Not Going Away…

Keys to Managing FMLA

Health Care Reform and DOMA – Never a Dull Moment

Four Things You Should Know About the Employer Mandate Delay

“Hey! You can’t ask me that!”

Five Ways to Get Employees Engaged

How to “Survive” the Future of Health Care

Developing a New Approach to Disability Management

Help Employees Make Health Care Reform Decisions

A Lesson from Hamlet on Small Group Early Renewals

Don’t Be Penny Wise and Pound Foolish: Top 6 Benefits Services You Shouldn’t Overlook

PPACA: The Next Steps - Part II

Skinny Plans: A Viable Option for Some Large Employers?

Grow Your Business by Being Pro-Social

Helping Employees During Their Darkest Hours

The Tomato Paradox Part 2: What’s Left on the Vine

PPACA: The Next Steps

Your Weight Is Everyone’s Business

Decoding Three of PPACA’s Confusing Terms

Disasters Happen – Are Your Employees Prepared?

States Starting to See Premium Rate Increases

The Tomato Paradox of Health Care Reform

“Everybody’s Talking At Me… I Don’t Hear A Word They’re Saying,”

PPACA: Tax Credits vs. Subsidies – Do You Know The Difference?

Counting Hours and the Public School Substitute

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Staying Compliant with PPACA Just Got Easier

Employee Benefits Cost Management Lessons from the Public Sector

2013: The Year of Ancillary Benefits

Four PPACA Support Tools For Employers

Is Your HRIS Platform Ready for Health Care Reform?

CDHPs: Not Yet Cost Savers Nationally

Containing Health Care Costs with CDHPs

New PPACA Fees Will Strike Employers

Employee Benefits Benchmarking and Health Care Reform

Self Funding and PPACA

Leadership and Effective Teams

The Check is NOT in the Mail

Smart Employee Benefit Strategies Used by 10 Best Companies

Blank Check

Health Care Reform and the Benefits Renewal Process

Self-Funding More and More of an Option for Small Employers

Five Tools to Manage Employee Benefit Costs

Trends in Consumer-Driven Health Plans

Top 8 Questions Employers Should Ask their Employee Benefits Advisor

Do Employees Understand the Value of Your Benefit Offerings?

Leadership and Employee Engagement

Avoid the PPACA Riptide with Sound Advice

Tune Up Your Leadership Skills in 2013

"Insurance Sales People": Wheat or Chaff?

Need Quick Summaries on the Five PPACA Proposed Rules?

Employee Engagement Drives Happiness

Private Exchanges: A Win or a Wash?

Payroll Tax Issues Remain in Limbo with Many Due to Sunset

Why Hire a Retirement Plan Advisor?

Changes to Group Medical Coverage Costs in 2014

Will PPACA Drive Wellness?

HHS Issues Proposed Rule on Essential Health Benefits and Actuarial Value

If Employers are Ready for Exchanges, Will Exchanges Be Ready for Employers?

Healthy Employees Lead to Wealthy Employees

How Does Your Company’s Benefit Program Stack Up Against Your Competitors’?

Top Mistake with Health Plan Design: Benchmarking Solely with National Data

Briefing - How Election Outcome Affects PPACA Implementation

In this Election, Health Care Takes Center Stage

Are You Ready for PPACA Compliance?

United Benefit Advisors Launches National Blog

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