One of the best ways to improve the overall health and well-being of your employees is to introduce different opportunities to exercise into the workplace. As covered in the last blog, regular exercise provides many benefits including health improvement, combating diseases and elevating mood and energy.  Its perhaps one of life’s most un...

Twenty percent of employers, of all sizes, increased their health-related benefits over the last 12 months according to the SHRM 2019 Employee Benefits Survey. And, no surprise here: healthcare benefits and their rising costs remain top of mind. But, while SHRM talks about more and more employers shifting healthcare costs to employees, fortunate...

Over 20 years ago, the catchphrase in the tech sector was “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.” The idea was IBM was the safe bet. If anything went wrong, you’d be shielded from repercussions based on their reputation for quality and service. I’ve been thinking about how that applies to the HR tech stack. For good reaso...

In my typical role, I talk a lot about the employee experience in general terms. But today, I’m writing a (very) personal story as a mom, not as Lumity’s benefits communication strategist. I'm sharing my experience because I want to show appreciation for the caring and support my son and I received from my co-workers and t...

By now, you know the basics of beginning a wellness program and have an understanding of the methods available to gather employee information. After you have assessed your needs and available resources it’s time to decide the type of program that best suits your organization.  Workplace wellness programs can be so diverse and include suc...

Most fully-insured employers are flying blind into their annual health plan renewals. Without claims data, finance and HR professionals have no way of knowing what to expect. So, if you’ve ever gotten a steep renewal rate, or you’re facing one now, read on. First, we’ll explain how your insurance carrier determines your health pla...

As mentioned in our previous blog, finding out the health status and interests of your employees is paramount to the success of your wellness program.  Choosing the right way to gather information could be a huge factor in how suitable your program is for your employees and your internal culture. Keep in mind that not everyone will be ope...

For most U.S. employers, providing employee health care coverage is a cost of doing business, not your core business. And it's the second largest operational expense after wages. Yet HR and finance professionals have little—or no—visibility into this expense. How bad is it? If you're wondering what you're up against, i...

In this 30-minute “ask me anything” open forum, Tariq Hilaly, Lumity CEO, sheds light on a very opaque and frustrating process: the annual health plan renewal. If you feel like your company is flying blind, you’re not alone. During the forum, employers cited little, or zero visibility into this operational expense as their top...

Today, most employers make health plan and benefits decisions blindly. Employees know how much they're spending on health care, but they have little say in deciding which plans a company will offer them. Yet you share a common goal: lowering healthcare costs. If you're like most employers, the rising cost of healthcare has created a ha...

When it comes to benefits, it’s vital that your solution provider is 100% laser-focused on delivering a delightful employee experience. The Rub Until now, employers have typically gone one of two ways: All-in-One: while all-in-one HR solutions may solve employer workflow issues, they lack a good employee benefits experie...

  Happy and healthy employees are found in happy and healthy workplaces. Employees are more productive and gain the confidence to be more innovative—ultimately adding value to not only your bottom line but your internal culture. If you're the type of leader who gains inspiration from others, take a look at how these highly su...

In our previous post about driving Health Savings Account (HSA) adoption, we covered how to mitigate employee risk with your health plan design. In this final post in our series, we’ll focus on employee HSA education. HSA survey respondents who cited a “lack of employee understanding” (51%) had lower HSA adoption rates....

In preparation for 2020, Lumity surveyed CEOs, finance, and HR professionals at U.S.-based companies to understand their biggest benefits challenges. We received 1,648 responses from employers in the 50 - 1,000 employee size. Below, I’ve shared our findings. In this presidential election year, it’s no surprise that the rising cost of...

Back in April, I had the chance to network with hundreds of HR professionals at the Health & Benefits Leadership Conference in Las Vegas. Several weeks have passed, but I’m still referencing my notes and digesting my top three takeaways. Maybe these themes are still on your mind, too. In an effort to keep the insights and knowledge sharin...

It’s an interesting time to be a player in the burgeoning HR tech ecosystem. Every day, it seems like another company pops up with a new game-changing feature. For HR and People teams trying to identify the best vendor to meet their needs, it’s important to dive into the nuts and bolts and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each...

San Francisco's Paid Parental Leave Ordinance requires employers to provide up to 6 weeks of supplemental compensation to employees who receive California Paid Family Leave benefits to bond with a new child. Employers with 20 or more employees are covered by the law. PPLO On-Demand Webinar San Francisco's Office of Labor Standard...

In the competition for talent, salary and benefits consistently remain the top two swaying factors. In fact, a Glassdoor survey showed that 4 out of 5 employees would prefer better benefits over a raise (79%). And the numbers spike (89%) for younger employees in the 18-34 age range. Business growth is built on a strong recruitment strate...

In a company’s early days, engaging a professional employer organization (think TriNet, Sequoia One, or ADP PEO, etc.) is practical. Outsourcing employee management tasks such as employee benefits and payroll allow a small employer to focus on building its core business. But there’s a tipping point when using a professional employer org...

In our previous post, we learned the first step to increase Health Savings Account (HSA) adoption is "just get started with an employer contribution.” As you continue to build your HSA adoption momentum, we'll move on to step 2: Step 1: Seed Early Adopters Step 2: Find Your Employer Contribution Sweet Spot Step 3: Miti...

We're launching this "How to Drive HSA Adoption" series to share insights derived from Lumity's 2018 State of the HSA Survey. More than 350 professionals in HR and finance responded to our survey, and over 97 professionals participated in our HSA market research calls. Companies ranged in size from 15 to 15,000 employees...

Let’s face it. Open enrollment is the season of frustration and worry. Employees struggle to determine which plan is best for them, and HR professionals shoulder the burden of making sure they find it. And each season seems to bring a new curve ball, prompting yet another call to your broker or benefits consultant. It’s time to do be...

Lumity is pleased to announce our platform integration with Okta, a leading security and identity management service provider. Okta integration syncs identities and devices. The integration delivers single-sign on, secure access to the Lumity healthcare benefits enrollment platform. For our customers who already benefit from Okta’s service, t...

Lumity is excited to announce Amit Ahluwalia has joined our executive team as National Employee Benefits Practice Leader. Amit is an industry veteran having built and scaled successful cross-functional teams in the benefits and HR tech space. Amit’s Background Amit began his benefits career at CBIZ MHM Resources and rose through various...

Trinet. Zenefits. Namely. Gusto. Now Rippling. The all-in-one HR tech space keeps heating up, with a seemingly insatiable appetite for platforms that take care of everything HR—from onboarding and payroll to benefits administration. So when does all-in-one make sense as a company, and who ultimately benefits? The last few years have seen a hu...

Traditional PPO plans saddle both employers and their employees with high monthly premiums. For this reason, many employers offer High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) with lower premium costs—and then offer Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to help employees reduce their current out-of-pocket expenses and self-fund future health care expenses....

By Tariq Hilaly, Co-Founder and CEO For many Americans the healthcare system is a disaster. The cost continues its steady march upward. Insurance premiums are skyrocketing 3x faster than inflation1 - often for reasons few understand. There’s a general feeling of helplessness, with many employers and employees simply trying to manage the ch...

Compliance with the employer mandate in the ACA isn’t hard with the right reporting system and technology. In this post, we’ll shine a light on what you need to know and do to comply. When you're done, get in touch with us and see how our solution can help. At Lumity, we’re all about helping you create a benefits program to me...

Big things are happening here at Lumity. Our core belief, that people should be able to easily access the information they need to make the right health insurance decisions no matter the size of their employer, drives us. Today we are happy to announce that three funding partners have echoed their belief in this principle, investing...

Data drives decisions. No matter the size or relative impact of the decision, data is necessary. When the decision is as impactful as the kind of health insurance to choose for your employees, it becomes even more critical. Small and medium-sized businesses in particular are in the eye of the storm. The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Communit...

The Affordable Care Act has caused a fundamental shift in the way employers think about offering healthcare and health plans to employees. Starting in 2016, the onset of the Employer Mandate and the expansion of Community Rating for more businesses (depending on state) are forcing employers to explore other option...

How data insights and one-on-one benefits counseling creates the best open enrollment experience for employers and employees. Open enrollment meetings can evoke memories of an hour spent in a cold conference room with coworkers, getting confused to frustration and just selecting one of two plans that, for many, don't seem significantly diffe...

We at Lumity tend to hail the existence and use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) more often than not, partially because our customers tend to have younger, relatively healthy individuals and families in their group that benefit from the selection of High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) - but also because HSAs provide individuals with a means to se...

Insurance as an industry calculates probabilities of pooled risk. Insurance companies are betting that we (as individuals and on a larger scale, employment groups) will pay more in premiums than they will in medical care costs. As they make this bet, they are benefiting from our fear-based “what-if” mentality. Without any way to assess...

Claim A formal request to an insurance company asking for a payment based on the terms of a certain health insurance policy – usually made by the healthcare provider based on services you use. Co-insurance A percentage of costs for services you agree to pay when a claim is made. Consumer-Driven Health Care These h...

Having already beaten the drum of HSAs in a previous post, it’s also prudent to identify the negative aspects that can be associated with the use of these accounts. After you’ve decided that an HSA-qualifying HDHP is for you and you’re ready to spend the year relaxing because you made an excellent decision for you and your family,...

Yes, it's the end of the year and tax season seems far away, but as many may have switched to an HSA-qualified HDHP during open enrollment, it's important to know how year end eligibility in 2015 could affect your taxes in April of 2016 and beyond. In order to remain compliant with maximum contribution limits, first know that HSA contrib...

Hopefully our Spotlight Series on Health Savings Accounts(HSA) has provided you the information necessary to understand what these accounts are and how they work. But you might be wondering why this information matters in the first place. Short answer - your people want HSAs. Now take that with a grain of salt - your group health profile has...

When you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) and you know that for 2016 you can only contribute a maximum of $3,550 and $6,650 for individual and family coverage respectively, somewhere along the way it's possible that you contributed more than the maximums for a variety of reasons. When this happen, what do you do about it? You mi...

There are many benefits of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for people who find that High Deductible Health Plans are a good choice for their coverage needs. One of those benefits is the ability to pay yourself back on medical expenses from the money you contribute. This provides what is essentially a discount on the costs because of the tax-preferred...

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) can help offset the costs of your employees’ medical care when they are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). Many employers find that the premium savings with HDHPs can be used to encourage their people to choose HDHP’s by contributing some or all of the savings to their groups HSAs. When...

You can find the original post on Linkedin The news is out and everyone is now reacting to the departure of Parker Conrad, former CEO of Zenefits. For such a high-flying company, literally one of the fastest growing enterprise SaaS companies in history, they finally ran afoul of regulators and compliance - showing that a mix of playing fast a...

Open enrollment season is upon us! For employers that offer an HSA-eligible plan, we've put together a slideshow you can use to educate your employees about Health Savings Accounts.   Our #1 tip?  It's helpful to explain HSAs like a "health 401(k)"—with a key difference. You can dip into&n...

In MetLife’s 2019 Employee Benefit Trends Study, 6 in 10 employees said benefits were an important reason why they joined their company. Benefits rank second to salary. So, whether you’re focused on hiring or retaining talent (or both!), your benefits package is fundamental to being a great place to work. A culture of caring The M...

Remote workforces have become an everyday reality for U.S. businesses. According to Lumity’s organizational design survey, 93% of companies have remote workers. And some companies even operate with 100% remote staff, without a brick-and-mortar office at all. What does it take to have a successful remote workforce? How do organizations main...

Helping employees navigate health plans, insurance claims, and various benefit options is a full-time task that requires the expertise of benefit industry professionals. HR professionals and People leaders already have a lot on their plate without getting pulled into the rabbit hole of benefits.  Ideally, the company providing your brokerag...

Small Group vs Large Group Insurance High growth companies, especially those in the tech startup world, often race past the large group health insurance milestone without much fanfare. It’s understandable. Until you hit 50 or 100 employees (see table; the number varies by state), you don’t have any negotiating power when it comes to...

Today, we're proud to announce the launch of our real-time Health Plan Analytics. We're empowering HR with the insights to assess health plan usage throughout the year, including employer-provided HSAs and FSAs, and enabling them to drive employee engagement throughout the year. We're empowering Finance to do a real...

Today's modern, tech-enabled workforce compounds the challenge of employee communications. Everyone—you, me, and our employees—is more distracted than ever. While solving the problems of employee communication won’t be easy, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. NOTE: This post is a summary of the talk I gave at the...

Allowing health plan changes outside of open enrollment without a permitted mid-year election change is risky. Doing so may lead to the following: 1. Cancellation of your group health insurance plan, 2. Disqualification of your cafeteria plan, and/or 3. Opening the door for litigation or claims of discrimination. For these reasons, Lumity s...

Employee wellness is a trending topic for good reason. According to workforce sustainability expert, Bob Merberg, a mentally and physically healthy workforce translates to increased productivity. In this fourth and final post in the Beyond Health Habits series, we turn our attention to job crafting. Replace Stress Management with Be...

In the previous post in this 4-part series, workforce sustainability expert Bob Merberg tackled job design and its impact on employee well-being. In this post, we delve into what drives employees and factors that contribute to burnout. Because today's employees are experiencing job burnout in epidemic proportions. A First-Hand Account o...

2020 Employer Annual Reporting Canceled! On May 4, 2021, the City of San Francisco waived the employer reporting requirement for the Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) and Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO) for calendar year 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.  Even though the 2020 HCSO reporting deadline has bee...

Last week, benefits compliance attorney Marilyn Monahan presented a webinar on “COBRA in the time of COVID-19.” And one topic came up that deserves more attention regarding employer COBRA subsidies. Layoffs, unfortunately, have become part of the pandemic reality. And, for impacted employees, the health implications of COVID-19 paire...

Health insurance carriers are already covering COVID-19 tests, and many are covering telehealth costs associated with COVID-19 screening. These carriers have recently announced they're waiving coronavirus treatment costs. Aetna Waives Coronavirus Treatment Costs Aetna is covering inpatient hospital admissions for COVID-19 treatment and re...

This infographic shows the current state of financial wellness programs including the biggest barriers, the most popular benefits, opportunities to stand out, and best practices. Employers are also exploring implementing financial wellness benefits to attract and retain talent—such as student loan repayment. Many employers weren't awar...

Money worries negatively impact employee productivity, health, and well-being in the workplace. And, according to Bank of America's 2018 Workplace Benefits Report, nearly 2 in 5 employees feel less than financially well. Because of this, employers of all sizes are prioritizing the rollout of new or expanded financial wellness progr...

Where we left off in the 4-part Beyond Health Habits series, workforce sustainability expert Bob Merberg tackled job stress and its impact on employee health. Next up, we address job design and its role in employee well-being. This topic also happens to be our HR community’s highest rated topic and a subject Merberg is passionate...

A company’s health isn’t measured on profit and ROI alone. Employee health also determines how well the business will perform. But traditional wellness programs are falling flat when it comes to alleviating job-induced stressors.A company’s health isn’t measured on profit and ROI alone. Employee health also determines how we...

My background in fintech combined with an awful experience navigating health insurance for a chronically ill loved one is where the Lumity story starts. As a co-founder of Motif Investing, making employee benefits decisions fell on my shoulders. And the lack of visibility drove me bananas. Then, in 2014, when my wife became seriously ill, one sm...

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the future of healthcare will remain a story to watch into 2019. And, in addition to staying apprised of what’s going on at the federal level, HR professionals will need to keep an eye on benefits legislation at the state level. Because states continue to have a lot to say about the insurance marketplaces as...

3 Things You Need to Know The IRS has extended the due date for employers to provide 2018 health coverage information forms to individuals. Employers have until March 4, 2019. The extension means your employees may not receive Forms 1095-B or 1095-C by the time they are ready to file their 2018 individual income tax returns. While the inf...

It’s the waning days of 2018, which means it’s an ideal time for HR pros to remind eligible employees about the approaching deadline to contribute to their Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Plus, there are at least 10 reasons to consider maxing out an HSA. Sending a reminder is especially helpful if your company’s annual health p...

(It kind of sucks right now, but it’ll get better) This month has been a great opportunity for meeting new companies, benefits and people specialists, and technologists at HRTech, the EBN Benefits Forum, and other meetups. One thing is certain: there’s A LOT to digest!     #EcosystemDivergence—Disruption S...

It’s death by 1,000 cuts If you go with an all-in-one HR solution or a traditional broker for your company’s health benefits, it’s nearly impossible to get a clear picture of your ROI. Here’s why: With all-in-one solutions/PEO: You’re charged for the platform. On top of the platform fees, you’re als...

Where we last left off in this series, the key takeaway was “money talks”: finding your employer contribution sweet spot incentivizes further employee Health Savings Account (HSA) uptake. But after the right employer contribution is in place, there’s a third step you can take to boost adoption. Let's look at what you can...

Emotional and mental health care has an enormous access problem. Traditional solutions, like EAP, only support about 1-3% of most employee populations, while the rest are left without a pathway to care. To overcome this hurdle, benefits teams at companies like Pinterest are thinking outside of the box to get their employees the emotional healt...

With employer healthcare costs rising 2-3x faster than wages, blindly hoping for a good “trend” renewal isn’t sustainable. Join us for a 15-min 'skim'-inar to learn how your company can regain control and.

With constantly shifting legislation, technology platforms, and rising healthcare costs, the benefits industry remains an antiquated system held together by duct-tape. Since Lumity's start in 2014 to unbundle benefits, we've learned a few insights that have informed our approach to building a modern benefits solution that makes sense for th...

Lumity’s mission to deliver a superior benefits experience by clarifying benefits for employers and employees started out with our founder’s frustration with purchasing and using employee benefits, both at a corporate level and at an individual level when his wife came down with an illness. When it came to choosing the right plan dur...

Benefits of Workplace Exercise: Spotlight on Japan One of the best ways to improve the overall health and well-being of your employees is to introduce different opportunities to exercise into the workplace. Exercise is one of life’s miracle cures, however as more people adopt a sedentary lifestyle, the culture of exercise is being lost alo...

San Francisco's Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) Annual Employer Reporting Form is due April 30, 2018. Does it apply to you? If you have even 1 employee working in SF, it likely does. This 15-minute webinar provides a rundown for employers.    

With rising healthcare costs, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are on the uptake. 67% of professionals agree that HSAs are key to a successful healthcare strategy. View the 2018 HSA Survey Insights to benchmark your company. Download the infographic here.  

Tax and Coverage Rules When it comes to health benefits for domestic partners, employers often struggle with the tax and coverage rules. Multiple factors compound the complexity, so if you’re not an expert, it’s easy to spin in circles. This blog is intended to provide employers with a simple overview of the landscape, so you can...

Lumity is excited to announce Suzi Harstrick, a fintech industry veteran, as our Vice President of Client Services. Suzi and her team will be responsible for client-facing accounts and employee-level support. In her career, Suzi has delivered client services for Charles Schwab and E-trade. At E-trade, she scaled the customer service di...

We may be in the 20th year of the “new” millennium, but employee benefits has been left behind in the 20th century. Despite HR tech innovations, the quality of customer service remains lower than almost every other industry. This year, consider these 6 ways to improve your employee benefits enrollment experience—from personalized...

A modern and thoughtfully designed Parental Leave policy sends a strong signal that a company values its employees and is committed to equity and diversity in the workplace. Respondents included companies ranging from 50 to 30,000 employees across industries and states, including Tesla Motors, Electronic Arts, Adobe, Philz Coffee and others. Dow...

So many acronyms! It's easy to get lost in the land of healthcare plan options. For this post, we'll tackle a frequent question: what's the difference between a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan and a high-deductible health plan (HDHP)? If you're moving from an HMO plan to a high-deductible plan (or the other way around)...

“Care” is defined as physicians and dentists, but also specialists like anesthesiologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. The services provided by hospitals, labs, radiology facilities, and pharmacies are also deemed care. If you are getting a complex procedure like a surgery, check to make sure all members of the tea...

Health benefits for parties in a domestic partnership or civil union can be an effective recruiting tool. Domestic partnerships and civil unions historically provided coverage to same-sex couples. Yet health benefits for such parties can cost a company. Policies can extend coverage to unmarried parties who may not be romantically linked to one anot...

How Lumity helped Gametime transition seamlessly off Zenefits, get better benefits and realize savings at the same time. PAIN POINT 100-person Gametime was rapidly adding headcount and looking to move off their current Zenefits HRIS platform. They knew they needed a system that could provide better benefits administration, but they also wante...

Investment from DFJ, Social+Capital Partnership and True Ventures caps off banner year that included 800% YOY revenue growth with zero customer churn. August 23, 2017, San Mateo, CA – Lumity, a technology-driven benefits solution for growing companies, today announced $19M in Series B funding led by DFJ, with participation from current inv...

Workplace Wellness programs save $3 in medical costs for every $1 spent. This 82-page guide will help you build an operational plan, get employees engaged and deliver value to your organization. Not sure where to start or how to prove ROI? Download the complete 82-page guide now at http://benefits.lumity.com/lumity-workplace-wellness-how-to-guide.h...

Bitly, a 70-person technology company with offices in New York, Denver and San Francisco, was exploring an alternative to their current PEO platform. Knowing the ability to recruit and retain employees was critical to the company’s growth prospects, the company wanted a better employee benefits experience that educated and helped their employ...

On December 16, 2014, Congress passed the Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA) and on January 1st of this year it formally took effect. After IRS delays, the law is now in full effect for employers. If you’re an employer this law affects you if you’re partnered with or considering a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The Forme...

The handcuffs are off. Previously, companies faced FICA/FUTA tax penalties if they wanted to leave their PEO “off-cycle”, or mid-way through a plan year. But, this is no longer the case. So what does it take to get off a PEO and regain control of your payroll and benefits? Payroll Key questions: Do you want something that...

This benchmark survey was taken by 947 employers from across the country. The majority respondents were from organizations employing fewer than 500 employees. The trends seem to indicate that employers continue to use benefits as a tool to attract top talent and to improve the lives of their employees, but that employers are handing off the acti...

At around 250 employees, your company should be getting your medical claims from your broker or carrier. This claims visibility is a good start to understanding your healthcare costs, but this is just the first step. The real key to managing costs lies in what your broker does with your data.  A Data-Driven Benefits Program  Th...

Owning the entire employee benefits experience end-to-end is critical in successfully integrating benefits expertise, technology, and employee support. Because Lumity is the service and technology platform, we feel the same pain. The difference is we can do something about it. We can build features that make people's lives easier....

When a significant even happens in your life, you may be able to make changes to your employer-sponsored health insurance to add or drop coverage for you or dependents. When this happens, the insurance company requires certain documentation to confirm that your life event qualifies. Here is a list of the documents required to confirm the most co...

If your organization is in San Francisco, you may have certain obligations to your employees under the Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO). The HCSO can apply to an employer even if only one employee performs work in San Francisco. Employers are bound by the HCSO based on the total number of employees in all locations throughout...

30Workplace Wellness: The importance of Workplace Ergonomics in the Prevention of Injury Implementing workplace wellness programs can be a significant task.  However, as covered in the latest posts in this series, the benefits of a healthy workforce can more than justify the effort. While healthy workers are certainly less of a drain on you...

Workplace Wellness: The importance of Workplace Ergonomics in the Prevention of Injury Implementing workplace wellness programs can be a fairly significant task.  However, as covered in the last two blogs, the benefits of a healthy workforce can more than justify the outlay. While healthy workers are certainly less of a drain on your busine...

Do you view FMLA leave after the birth of a child as a privilege exclusive to the mother? Perhaps you view a father’s paternity leave as an afterthought- a secondary concern that should cause as little disruption to your company as possible. In reality- when it comes to FMLA and paternity leave it's important to act in a non-discrimina...

One of the most problematic areas for you when it comes to determining an employee’s FMLA leave eligibility are hours of service.  It's important to note that the burden of proving that an employee has not met the hours of service lies with you.  This is even the case if you are not required to maintain time records for that emp...

A good starting point when it comes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is determining whether or not you are a “covered” employer.  A covered employer is typically a business with more than 50 staff members.  This applies to private sector employers, public agencies or schools. Seems fairly straightforward- right?...

Keeping lines of communication open and your supervisors educated is critical when employees request any leave- especially since they don’t need to specifically request FMLA leave in order to be entitled to it. Whether an employee requests FMLA leave or whether their request turns out to be FMLA-qualifying, it's your responsibil...

On December 16, 2014, Congress passed the Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA) and on January 1 of this year it formally took effect. Delays by the IRS have halted the new law but employers across the nation are expecting to see implementation just around the corner on July 1. If you're an employer this law affects you if you're p...

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) should demand your serious consideration as an eligible employer.  With lawsuits on the rise and requirements as stringent as ever it is an area of employment law you should know inside out.  Whether you're an owner, HR professional or manager, any slip-ups when it comes to FMLA could prove extr...

Providing a quality benefits plan is of critical for attracting and retaining talent. If you've begin thinking that your current plan isn't isn’t quite all you need it to be and you’re looking for a change, it's important to know that plan design changes aren't to be taken lightly.  You have to consider ho...

As the saying goes, there's strength in numbers. Getting employees to enroll in your company health plan has never been more important. Many insurers require a large percentage of eligible employees participate in your company-sponsored health plan to lock in the best rates. This is known as the minimum participation requirement and typically s...

One thing that is sure to have employers and employees singing the same tune is a mutual disdain for the open enrollment period. It's a confusing process for workers and a laborious task for even the most efficient companies. If you're one of those HR professionals reluctantly preparing to be knee-deep in documents, perhaps it’s...

If implemented correctly, wellness programs clearly provide excellent benefits to all employees.  Lifestyle management incentives can positively impact a workers physical and mental health- leading to increased productivity and decreased sick days. Changing the culture of your company to better manage diet, exercise and lifestyle will certainl...

Health care costs are at an all time high.  As premiums and employee medical claims continue to rise you may be considering an alternative to traditional health insurance plans. Many employers are turning to consumer driven health plans to soften the blow of bloated health care costs. These plans typically combine high deductible health insura...

Substance abuse is the unhealthy use of alcohol, drugs or other substances that negatively interfere with a person’s functioning or well-being. People abuse substances such as drugs, alcohol, and tobacco for varied and complicated reasons. More than 90% of people with a substance problem began smoking, drinking or using other drugs befor...

Stress in the workplace is a serious issue.  Many of us exist in a culture where the line between work and life is becoming increasingly blurred.  Often, stresses from the day spill into the evening until all our pressures compound into a singular mass of negative energy. According to a study published in Prevention Magazine, 73% of Ameri...

Every year that short window of time opens up when employees are allowed to revisit their benefits. Open enrollment can be an extremely stressful and overwhelming time for everyone involved since it's typically the only time during the year when employees can make changes to their benefits choices. The decisions made during open enrol...

We have all been there on a Monday morning. Feverishly hitting snooze on the alarm as it rudely awakens us from a blissful sleep. Going through our morning routine in autopilot until we find ourselves at a work station rubbing the sleep from our eyes. The days where no amount of caffeine can lift us from the fog. Being below par from time to time i...

Budgeting for benefits. Every year during FP&A, finance professionals gather around spreadsheets trying to read the tea leaves on expected company benefit costs for the coming quarter or year. CFOs need to budget cash reserves (for self funding) or benefits budgets based on headcount. Often, there's simply no way to gain insight. Smaller...

New workplace laws have come into effect that could prove expensive if ignored. Failing to comply with the new laws could earn you civil fines and criminal penalties, not to mention irreversible damage to your company's reputation. Take these five insights into consideration if you want to stay on the right side of the law. Social Media Poli...

Implementing a wellness program in the workplace could be one of the most prudent decisions you ever make as an employer.  There are several obvious benefits as a healthy team is more motivated to stay at work, recovers from sickness quicker and has less risk of long term illness.  If you succeed in creating a safe, positive and...

If you are an employer with 50 or more workers, you’re probably aware of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). You might be fairly confident that your practices and procedures comply with current federal laws and regulations; or perhaps it’s an area of compliance that has slipped under your radar due to happy employees and zero...

When it comes to compliance with the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you are responsible for ensuring that you not only provide coverage to your full-time employees if you're an applicable large employer, but also that your plans are affordable and provide minimum value. Because the law went into full effect in 2016,...

Today, I reached out to compliance and benefits attorney, Marilyn Monahan, to ask how COVID-19 might interact with leave laws. I’m sharing what I learned with the broader community. Employers should review their sick leave policies to determine whether employees who take time off if they have the COVID-19 virus, or to care for a family mem...

A core premise of tech is the promise of scalability and automation. But in the HR and benefits technology landscape, this promise can feel hollow when it comes to all-in-one HR tech players. The magic and fulfillment just isn’t there yet, and buyers need to be aware of this. To illustrate my point, let’s look at where most services...

If the marketing messages surrounding health insurance captive trusts sound too good to be true, you’re right to be skeptical.  I understand why the over-simplified messaging resonates. Insurance underwriting is dry stuff. Health plan mechanics are excruciatingly complex. So there’s a temptation for employers to hand off the tan...

It’s health plan renewal season, and some employers are in for a sticker shock. But, before you swallow a double-digit rate hike that will cost you and your employees, it’s critical to find out whether the rate is, indeed, a fair reflection of your group’s risk profile. While the timeline for taking proactive action is tight, y...

There’s a narrow window when using a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) makes good business sense. They’re especially suited for small companies that are just getting off the ground because the co-employment relationship means they take on the employer responsibilities so you can focus on your core business in your early startup d...

Once a year, your employees are asked to make a complicated decision—one that could significantly affect their health and finances. And employees are looking to HR for guidance as they make their health plan choices. So, today, I don’t just want to just share open enrollment tips and insights I’ve learned as an employee benefit...

If you're wondering how IRS Notice 2019-45 ("HSA Expansion") affects your employer-sponsored High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), you're not alone. This was the most asked question in a recent "2020 Employer Benefits Legislative Update" webinar with attorney Marilyn Monahan of the Monahan Law Office. [Slides from...

Not understanding the basics of how a plan works can significantly drive up healthcare costs for your employees. If you or a loved one has faced unexpected medical bills, you’ve felt the stress and limbic system response. There are a ton of health insurance gotchas, but I’ve narrowed this down to 10 things every employee should know...

The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that a substantial number of employers, insurers, and other providers of minimum essential coverage (MEC) need additional time beyond January 31, 2021, to gather and analyze the information and prepare the 2020 Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to be furnished to individuals....

If you’re contemplating a reduction in force (RIF) to cut your operational costs, it’s critical to avoid this all-too-common mistake. Large vs Small Group Health Plan Costs If the RIF will drop you down from large group to small group health insurance rates, you risk paying significantly more at your upcoming health plan contract...

What I’m about to share is probably not what you would expect. In a pandemic year, you could very well get a favorable (or even negative) health plan renewal rate. Especially if you’re a tech employer. Seems incredulous, on the surface, so I’ll dive in and provide some background. As a benefits advisor, my team and I negotiate...

As HR professionals lean in and lead their people through a time of racial reckoning on top of a global pandemic, the urgency for securing funds for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), anti-racist programs, and mental health initiatives is front and center. Yet, this need also comes at a time when companies are already reeling...

Lumity is excited to announce benefits industry veteran Nicholas Beckman has joined Lumity as a Benefits Consultant. Nick will be responsible for defining and implementing the benefits strategy for several of the country's leading technology companies. Nick has experience managing a wide variety of benefit plans that he gained in his ca...

Remote work during a pandemic is an unprecedented situation. As employers extend their work from home plans through the end of 2020 (or beyond), HR teams are seeking ways to support their new remote workforce above and beyond health care, EAPs, and 401(k)s. According to the 2020 Impact of Behavioral Drives in a Remote Workplace report issue...

The public health national emergency has officially been extended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through April 20, 2021. HHS must renew public health emergencies every 90 days. The Implication for Group Health Plans ------------------------ UPDATE (2/26/21): Government Clarifies End of Benefit P...

On Friday, February 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance regarding the suspension of benefit plan deadlines during the "outbreak period". (See EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01). This new guidance was necessary due to a provision of ERISA that states that the DOL and Treasury may “prescribe (by notice or...

In most companies, the first international new hires are salespeople. Typically, the head of sales comes to HR and says something like, “Hey, we’re going to expand” or “I just hired someone in Ireland.” (Or Bolivia, or The Netherlands, or ________ ). Now it’s in your lap to figure out benefits for Ireland....

Back in March 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, the Lumity team began planning to deliver a 100% virtual open enrollment to our clients with remote employees in mind. Asynchronous Approach Employers expressed a need for more flexibility around work schedules, so we took an asynchronous mindset to our product and service developmen...

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-84 to increase the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee amount for plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2020, and before Oct. 1, 2021. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurers and self-funded health plans are subject to this fee. Key Highlights For em...

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).  The ARPA brings two big benefits changes. 100% COBRA subsidies: from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 for individuals and family members who lost health plan coverage due to involuntary employment termination or reduction of work hours...

As employees embrace the ability to “work from anywhere”, it’s critical to point out a common mistake. Before relocating, it’s essential employees let you know before they make the move. If they move first, then notify you, these are common issues we've seen employers encounter. Health plan coverage If an employ...

Administrators of employee benefits plans that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) are required to provide a summary plan description (SPD) to plan participants and beneficiaries. Below are the general distribution timing rules, as outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Adminis...

On May 18, 2021, the IRS issued the COBRA subsidy guidance we’ve all been waiting for. Notice 2021-31 provides guidance on employer tax breaks under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for continuation health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). The guidance includes: Informatio...

It's peak open enrollment season at Lumity, and I wanted to share one of my favorite PowerPoint presentations. It's an employee education deck around spending accounts.  During open enrollment, employees look to HR for benefits election guidance. It's important that you’re the one to provide information and answer employee...

After being waived in 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic, the San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) annual employer reporting is back in effect. Employers must report on their 2021 HCSO compliance by May 2, 2022. If your organization is in San Francisco, you may have certain obligations to your employees under the Health C...

The ideal for anyone managing a group health plan is to enhance the organization’s employee benefits program while somehow also lowering healthcare costs. Alera Group can show you how that’s done through actuarial analysis of health-related data.  Join us on June 20 for a one-hour webinar designed to help you eliminate...

At the peak of the pandemic in 2020, Alera Group recognized an urgent need among its business clients: a way to assist employees who were struggling with the physical, financial and mental health challenges COVID-19 had created. Our response was to host the first Alera Group Employee Wellbeing Fair, a series of webinar sessions designed to assist e...

Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2024, deadline for paying fees that fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) via Form 720, which was recently updated and released by the IRS.  As background, the PCOR...

Open Enrollment, the fourth-quarter period when employees enroll in employer-sponsored group benefit programs, is “crunch time” for human resource managers and their staff. At a time when HR professionals’ plates are full of end-of-the-year tasks, anxious coworkers pile on with 11th-hour questions about benefit offerings and how t...

This alert is of interest to all applicable large employers (ALEs) – generally, those with at least 50 full-time equivalent employees. ​The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Rev. Proc. 2023-29, which contains the inflation adjusted amounts for 2024 used to determine whether employer-sponsored coverage is “affordable&rd...

On November 9, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2023-34, which increases the health flexible spending account (FSA) salary reduction contribution limit to $3,200 for plan years beginning in 2024, an increase of $150 from 2023.  Thus, for health FSAs with a carryover feature, the maximum carryov...

On April 26, 2024, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a Final Rule amending the HIPAA Privacy Rule to protect the ability of individuals to receive reproductive healthcare when the care is provided lawfully under the circumstances without risk of an individual&r...

Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2023 deadline for paying fees that fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) via Form 720, which was recently updated and released by the IRS. As background, the PCORI was...

In Rev. Proc. 2024-25, the IRS released the inflation-adjusted amounts for 2025 relevant to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs). The table below summarizes those adjustments and other applicable limits. The ACA’s out-of-pocket limits for in-network essential health benefits have also been announ...

On July 25, 2023, the agencies released an extensive proposed rule related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the “Proposed Rule”) as well as a Technical Release requesting comments on certain proposed data requirements for nonquantitative treatment limitations (“NQTLs”) and the potenti...

This alert is of interest to all employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). Note that the PCORI fee does not apply to most health FSAs. The IRS has released Notice 2023-70, which sets the applicable PCORI fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024...

Women’s Health Month 2024 coincides with jarring controversy and growing concern over challenges and inequities regarding women’s health in general and one area in particular: maternal health.   Maternal health will be among the primary topics when Alera Group hosts the May event in its Engage series of webinars, “Sup...

On November 28, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Health and Human Services (HHS), collectively known as the Tri-Agencies, issued Part 63 of their FAQ series regarding implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.  The FAQs provide information regar...

On the eve of the 2024 Boston Marathon in mid-April, a reporter for one of Boston’s NPR stations shared a theme she’d seized on while covering the previous year’s event: “Run your own race.” Approaching May and Mental Health Awareness Month, that struck me as a simple yet impactful approach to our own mental health and...

Sponsors of self-funded ERISA plans have fiduciary obligations to plan participants, which includes the obligation to provide a full and fair review of claims and effectively and meaningfully communicate or engage with plan participants regarding claims denials. One district court recently clarified that this obligation may include the need for the...

Faced with one of contemporary business’s most prominent dilemmas – allow work from home or insist on return to work? – employers and employees alike must come to terms with an axiom: Life is a series of tradeoffs. With this not only in mind but also analyzed in depth, Alera Group is hosting a timely and important webinar on on...

Under the ACA, Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) are required to offer “affordable” medical coverage to full-time employees or be subject to a fine. In September 2023, the IRS announced that the 2024 affordability percentage would reduce from the 2023 rate of 9.12% to 8.39% as of January 1, 2024. The U.S. Department of Health and Human...

Early in the year is the time for employers who are approaching or over 50 employees to document and update the “key components” of being a larger employer, to ensure that no compliance obligation is missed. The world of human resources is fast-paced, and it’s easy to overlook compliance requirements, especially if they are new to...

CMS Redesigns the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program Beginning in 2025 As a result of the changes to Medicare Part D under §11201 of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, on April 1, 2024, CMS released Final Redesign Program Instructions (“Final Program Instructions”) for the Medicare Part D prescription drug pro...

Is your organization funding GLP-1 drugs and other specialty medications as part of your group health insurance plan? Are you personally paying for a GLP-1 used as weight-loss medication? If your answer to either or both of these questions is yes, you may be throwing money away.  Rising pharmacy costs are among the chief drivers of healthca...

Many employers supplement their core employee benefits with voluntary benefit offerings, but do they do a good enough job of communicating those benefits’ availability and value? If you’re a business owner or benefits manager asking that question regarding your own organization, you won’t want to miss Alera Group’s March 21...

Reminder: RxDC Reporting Due June 1 With the 2023 reference year RxDC reporting deadline approaching soon, plan sponsors should familiarize themselves with recent updates to the RxDC Reporting Instructions.    As a reminder, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, includes a provision that requires group health plans and hea...

Providing employees with a robust benefits program is vital to attracting and retaining staff while growing an organization, but many small and medium-sized businesses lack the resources and time necessary to manage such a program. Professional employer organizations (PEOs) offer a solution. Whether your business is considering joining a PEO or...

Agencies Release Final Regulations on Fixed Indemnity Insurance, Refrain from Addressing Level-Funded Plans On March 29, 2024, the IRS, DOL and HHS (collectively, “the Agencies”) released final regulations implementing new notice requirements for group hospital or other fixed indemnity plans that begin on or after...