If a possible unknown medical bill in the mail from your healthcare visit stirs up more fear in you than the effects of untreated injury and illness, this article is for you. The Healthcare Price Transparency Rule, effective January 1, 2021, brings patients closer to knowing what care will cost before a visit to the doctor even happens. This historic ruling empowers healthcare consumers, such as yourself, to shop around for the most affordable and quality healthcare services. Not only will you know what to expect for a visit or procedure cost but can accurately prepare financially in advance.

"...the (hospital) Price Transparency Rule (the “Rule”) requires all hospitals operating within the United States to make public a list of their standard charges for items and services via the Internet in a machine-readable format. Hospitals must also provide prices for a list of 300 shoppable services that must be made publicly available in a searchable, consumer-friendly format..." - Healthcarelawinsights.com 

In years past, healthcare consumers being in the dark regarding prices of healthcare services has brought about anxiety over surprise medical bills. Several reputable surveyors (including the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll and NORC at the University of Chicago) have reported that while the vast majority of Americans, over 90%, believe that physical exams are important, less than half of the population schedules this crucial, annual visit to their doctor. 

Retiring before 65? Hopefully finding the right health care coverage for you and your family has been at the top of mind. Roughly 90 days prior to your becoming Medicare eligible, chances are many of the health coverage options will present themselves to you in the mail. Each carefully crafted message surely tells you all the reasons {insert plan} is the best option for you. Unfortunately, no piece of mail, internet article or neighbor knows your unique individual or family situation, health history, current medications, retirement plans, or budget and each of these items play a huge role in deciding which retirement health insurance makes the most sense for you. 

The following webinar session was hosted by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce featuring speakers from workplace wellness experts Motion Connected and Forsite Benefits.

AUDIENCE: HR professionals, Management, Operations, and others in positions of leadership. 

CONTENT:  If 2020 taught us anything, it is that the workplace is changing. How can organizations adapt to these changing needs, build a more employee-friendly workplace, and achieve long-term business success?  In this session, we discuss ways to increase engagement, boost retention, and create a positive employee experience. 

• Learn best-practice communication methods to reach a diverse workforce.
• Discover engagement strategies to attract and retain employees.
• Better understand the role of well-being in the time of COVID; is worksite wellness a solution?

A Legal Perspective on Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

AUDIENCE: HR professionals, business owners, and other members of leadership.

CONTENT: This webinar addresses frequently asked questions and other potential pitfalls one could face in complying with the new, complex FFCRA. Whether you're a seasoned HR professional or a small business owner, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act has brought questions and uncertainty for businesses with less than 500 employees, including those with less than 50.

GUEST PRESENTER: Tony Steffek, Labor and Employment Attorney with Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.

Have you ever been in a business meeting and heard a co-worker unenthusiastically explain the reasoning behind a specific policy, process, or procedure with “we have always done it this way”?  These seven infamous words that, when wielded in a professional conversation, have been viewed as an acceptable answer that allows the path of least resistance: doing nothing. Instead of the amygdala triggering the hormones for fight or flight when the threat of change is identified, it unfortunately relies on the 3^rd f: freeze.

Today’s business climate is dynamic and continually morphing, and if your organization and team members are not following suit, it won’t take long to fall behind or worse.  2020 has been a year overflowing with strong resistance to forced flexibility (one of my favorite COVID Era terms), so you can understand the frustration many business leaders face when entertaining the idea of evolving their organization on a voluntary basis. 

With the talent market as tight as it is, and the knowledge that your workforce would rather get a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it than transition to online timecards, the struggle for employers to avoid upsetting the apple cart is real, but is it necessary?  With proper planning and guidance, we’d argue that it is not, and we’ll attempt to unpack that. 

What Causes Resistance to Change?

Humans are creatures of habit, so it is in our nature to fear change.  The uncertainty that change brings registers almost like an error in the brain and the ensuing involuntary threat to neurobiological needs like personal security, autonomy and control set the alarm bells ringing like the robot in Lost In Space (Danger, Will Robinson!!).  

To add to that, people consciously feel that the ways they have been thinking and going about their tasks for quite some time are actually the best way to operate, and the time invested in honing these skills has led to strides in quality, time, and economical efficiencies (or has it?). 

Overcoming Resistance to Change: The 3 F’s.

Now that we have addressed some of the factors that cause resistance to change, and we have conversely identified that evolution is imperative for a business to sustain, what do we do now? 

Through researching this topic, I came across an equation called Gleicher’s Formula, which simply explains how to overcome (R)esistance to change by identifying (D)issatisfaction, creating a (V)ision for the future, and implementing (F)irst concrete steps to turn vision into reality or D x V x F > R. To simplify things, I’ve modified this a bit into:

(F)rustration x (F)uture Vision x (F)irst Steps > (R)esistance or F x F x F > R

Here is a common example of what we see in our business. Considering the yearly increased costs of healthcare and the complexity of our industry, it is always beneficial for business leaders to keep a pulse on market trends and test the waters for opportunities they may be missing.  Yet, many companies continue to operate their health benefits program the same year after year and expect different results.  They claim there is nothing they can do to change the annual cycle, but I would argue the real hesitation stems from their own aversion to change that is deep rooted in their fear of disruption in their workforce. Let’s look at an example of how to navigate considering this change.

Frustration: Why change?

If your team members feel they are completely satisfied with their current benefits situation, there will be zero chance of participation in change. A few of the pain points you will have to drive home are:

·  Inflated healthcare and pharmacy costs

·  Lack of understanding of benefits

·  Confusion in navigating the system (along with limited providers)

·  Price transparency

·  And complex, paper-driven processes

Many employees have become so numb to this being normal, that they don’t even realize they should be frustrated.  Therefore, it is imperative for leadership teams to circumvent learned behavior and build awareness that there is a problem to create a catalyst for obtaining a brighter future and a picture of what that looks like.

Future Vision: What are you changing for?

In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey’s 2^nd habit of “beginning with the end in mind” is a great starting point for successfully navigating change.  Your team members will need a clear picture of how a transition will benefit them to get their attention and engagement. 

In this case, you can help your employees see themselves as educated consumers with easy access to appropriate paths of preferred healthcare in a streamlined method to obtain and utilize their benefits. 

All of this is well and good, but money talks.  When you let them know that all these things will put more money back in their pockets and allow their employer to grow and offer them more opportunity, they will be on their way to ignoring their involuntary responses and yearning to learn how to get there.

First Concrete Steps: How do we change?

It is said that the easiest way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. For your changes to take place, your employees will need guidance on what bite to take first, then second and so on. 

1.  Start with something easy, such as communicating low-cost options for care, procedures, and prescriptions.

2.  Second, move onto more education-intensive topics including levels of care, and simple technology-driven access to benefit information and online enrollment. 

The key is to have a sequential process of realistic steps to take on a daily and weekly basis resulting in an employee population who envisions their future state as realistic and sees a leadership driven path to turn that vision into their new reality.

Understanding Change

We understand that contemplating change can be daunting, actually changing can be unthinkable, and leading a change can be downright horrifying, but it doesn’t have to be.  What we have found (and research supports) is that it is not the actual change that people are afraid of.  It is a misunderstanding and skewed perception between the thought of modifying an engrained mindset (or activity), the reality of reward (incentive) delivered when modifications are implemented, and a path of digestible steps on making your vision come to fruition.

Most companies are frustrated with their current healthcare landscape, but sometimes long-standing relationships with traditional benefits brokers and a perceived aversion to change still outweigh strategic business decisions. If you are interested in making the future of your benefits program look different but are held back by the thought of where to start, our team at Forsite would love to chat.

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Supporting Employee Financial Well-being in the New Year.

2020 has not only effected the way Americans live on a daily basis, but has also posed significant economic threats that could have a lasting effect on their financial well-being. For purposes of this article, financial well-being refers to the state in which a person is able to meet their current and ongoing financial obligations, feel secure in their financial future and make choices that allow them to thrive.

Why Should Employers Care About the Financial Well-being of Their Employees?

Finances are a leading cause of stress for employees and can be a major distraction at work. As a result of financial strain, the workforce could experience reductions in engagement and productivity, increased absences, and poor overall health and well-being, ultimately impacting the businesses bottom line.

How Employers Can Help Employees Decrease or Avoid Financial Strain.

Employers can play a key role in supporting the financial well-being of their employees, and should consider the following ways to improve employees’ financial literacy:

• Educate employees about financial well-being through workshops and educational content, addressing topics such as:
• Student loans
• Debt
• Credit
• Financial goals
• HSAs
• Emergency funds
• and retirement
• Promote financial resources, including employee assistance programs (EAPs).
• Remind employees about all available benefits, and highlight perks that can offer financial relief or savings, and as Forsite's Life Stage Support Program.
  
• Send them off into the new year, empowered to take control of their healthcare needs with this employee checklist: Gathering and Organizing Your Resources >>>

Financial well-being is a challenging topic that directly impacts the workforce, but employers can offer support and help their employees make educated decisions. In general, employers should continue their due diligence in reviewing and adjusting benefits offerings so they align with employees’ evolving needs. 

Encouraging Employees to Use Telehealth Services.

As COVID-19 is still present across the country amid flu season, telehealth services offer access to quick, convenient and affordable care. In 2020, there was a significant increase nationally in telehealth utilization. Now, many providers and hospitals are encouraging patients to utilize telehealth services instead of coming to the office or hospital for non-life-threatening care.

What are the Benefits of Telehealth?

Although it’s a newer type of health care service, the modern telehealth platforms are generally user-friendly and operate similarly to other video call platforms. There are many benefits of telehealth services, which include, but are not limited to:

• Minimized risk to health care workers and patients by limiting exposure to the coronavirus and other diseases
• Improved health care outcomes due to increased access to care
• Greater ability for patients to follow shelter-in-place restrictions or suggestions
• Increased convenience due to receiving care in the comfort of one’s home
• Potentially increased cost savings, depending on the health plan

Educating Employees on Telehealth Services.

Once telehealth services are explained to employees, they may be more willing to embrace the offering. Using these services can help them stay healthy and access convenient care during these uncertain times. Be sure to provide easy-to-understand educational resources to explain what telehealth is, what it should and shouldn’t be used for, and how your health plan treats telehealth services.

What Employee Skills Will Be Desired in the Workplace in 2021.

The workplace in 2021 will require employers to rethink how to prioritize and develop necessary skill sets. In response, organizations should embrace a dynamic approach to reskilling talent in order to shift vital employee skills and help develop skills as they become relevant and necessary. Consider pursuing and supporting the following proficiencies for potential and current employees:

• Adaptability: Just as an organization may have quickly adapted to new ways of working and communicating, the willingness and capability to adapt will become a highly desired employee skill.
• Communication: Communication is not a new in-demand skill, but is now more important than ever. With many employees working remotely, communication skills are critical for emails and virtual meetings.
• Digital Capabilities: As the world and workplace rely more on digital assets and platforms, digital skills will be even more vital to success. Ideally, an employee should be proficient in learning and using new communication and project management platforms, and even programming and coding.
• Emotional Intelligence (EI): EI is the capacity to differentiate, evaluate and respond while recognizing both one’s emotions and the emotions of others. EI is often a sought-after skill for leadership roles, but it is relevant in today’s workplace for all roles.
• Considerations for Employers: Organizations can seek out and hire candidates who strongly demonstrate these skills, but can also develop these skills within their workforce. Consider developing current employees and incentivizing them to demonstrate these skills within your organization. 

Watch this video to learn 10 key employee retention resolutions for 2021 >>>

The content herein is provided for general information purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or other advice or opinions on any matters. This information has been taken from sources which we believe to be reliable, but there is no guarantee as to its accuracy.

Copyright © 2020 HR 360, Inc. All rights reserved.

Medicare Part D Notices Are Due Before Oct. 15, 2020

Each year, Medicare Part D requires group health plan sponsors to disclose to individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part D and to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) whether the health plan's prescription drug coverage is creditable.

Plan sponsors must provide the annual disclosure notice to Medicare eligible individuals before Oct. 15, 2020 -- the start date of the annual enrollment period for Medicare part D. CMS has provided model disclosure notices for employers to use.

This notice is important because Medicare beneficiaries who are not covered by creditable prescription drug coverage and do not enroll in Medicare Part D when first eligible will likely pay higher premiums if they enroll at a later date. Although there are no specific penalties associated with this notice requirement, failing to provide the notice may be detrimental to employees.

Employers should confirm whether their health plans' prescription drug coverage is creditable or non-creditable and prepare to send their Medicare Part D disclosure notices before Oct. 15, 2020. To make the process easier, employers often include medicare Part D notices in open enrollment packets they send out prior to Oct. 15.

Preparing For an Unprecedented Open Enrollment Period

Open enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic will be unlike any other in recent memory. Many organizations are still trying to recover from extended closures and maintain safe working environments -- open enrollment is the last thing on their minds. Yet, procrastinating on enrollment planning can actually cause more issues than it solves.

Read this article on how to execute a safe & educational open enrollment >>>

Preparation will be a key factor for a successful open enrollment this year. Employers should talk to stakeholders early and prepare to answer any employee questions Employees will need to know exactly how they will be enrolling, when enrollment is happening and where they can find help. Solidifying this information early will keep everyone on the same page.

DOL Issues Guidance on Tracking Hours of Work for Remote Employees

On Aug. 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-5 to remind employers of their obligation to accurately account for the number of hours their employees work away from the employer's facilities. While the bulletin was issued in response to the high number of employees working remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOL is also reminding employers that the underlying principles apply to other telework or remote work arrangements.

Compensable Time

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), requires employers to compensate their employees for all hours of work. Compensable time includes any hours an employee is requested or allowed to work, including telework or remote work.

For remote work situations, the bulletin clarifies that compensable time includes any time during which the employer knows or has reason to believe work is being performed, regardless of whether the work was authorized or requested.

Employer Obligations

As a result, under the FLSA employers have an obligation to track the number of hours their employees work. For this reason, employers must provide reasonable procedures for employees to report any scheduled and unscheduled hours of work. However, the DOL is of the opinion that "if an employee fails to report unscheduled hours of work through a reasonable process, the employer is not required to undergo impractical efforts to uncover unreported hours of work."

Finally, the bulletin emphasized that employers bear the burden of preventing an employee from completing unauthorized or unwanted work.

How to Make Your Job Posting Stand Out

Filling a job vacancy is a big task. Unfortunately, you get only one chance to make a first impression, and the job posting is often your very first contact with the potential employee. But how do you make your job posting stand out above the rest? 

Watch this video and learn five fast tips to make your job posting stand out.

The content herein is provided by HR360.com for general information purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or other advice or opinions on any matters. This information has been taken from sources which we believe to be reliable, but there is no guarantee as to its accuracy.

Even as things start returning to some sort of normalcy in day to day operations, societal indications show that the impact of COVID-19 on “business as usual” will be seen well into 2021.  With the ripples of the Coronavirus continuing to form, Employers are faced with challenges of managing the on-going fluctuation and frustration of their workforce.

Now more than ever, employers are struggling with employee recruitment and retention, and employees are looking to their HR and Leadership teams for organizational evolution that has their best interest at heart.  Businesses who continue with the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality of employee engagement are going to be left scratching their heads wondering why their biggest assets are funneling out the door and they can’t recover from this pandemic.

Why is an employee benefits consulting company talking about employee acquisition and retention challenges?

The answer’s quite simple and straightforward, but often overlooked by organizations: Employee Benefits play a key role in whether people decide to come to work for, or leave, a specific business.  In support, annual data from recruiting experts like Glassdoor and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) continue to show that 60%+ of job seekers report Employee Benefits (Health Benefits ranking #1) and Perks as major factors in considering a job offer.

Check out this article by Jennifer Jones, 'Why Employee Experience Shouldn't Stop Short of Health Benefits'.

Whether we like it or not, times have changed, and the COVID-19 landscape has brought many of the gaps in structure and understanding of traditional employee benefit programs to the surface.  Strategic organizations understand that their team members are the biggest driver of their future growth and success.  Along with that, these businesses understand that the way they assemble and promote their Employee Benefits programs will impact the quality of their Associates.  When correctly aligned, Employee Benefits and recruitment can solidify a company’s position as an Employer of Choice on the cutting edge of the talent war. 

How can your employee benefits program tie into employee engagement and your sustainable growth strategy moving forward? 

To keep it simple, we’ve narrowed our solution down into the 3 pillars for benefit evolution that will improve employee engagement and overall employee experience:

1.  Educate: Let’s face it, the world of employee benefits can be complex and confusing.  As costly as insurance benefits are, it is imperative to ensure your employees understand what they are receiving and have streamlined access to the information they need to be intelligent healthcare consumers whenever they need it and wherever they are. Companies must ensure their employees are educated healthcare consumers and that important information reaches all employees in simple, easy-to-understand terms.  The result of employee benefit education is more informed employees who are engaged and satisfied, become better benefit consumers, and help to mitigate your company’s risk that leads to future claims. 

How can you achieve educated, engaged, satisfied employees?

a.  Offer them direct access to timely benefit experts and resources

b.  Give on-demand mobile access to pertinent benefits materials at a single point of entry

c.  Provide proactive communications for cost saving RX/Medical alternatives

2.  Engage: The days of having one in-person meeting a year at open enrollment are over.  Not only is this method expensive for employers and unsafe in current times, it is ineffective and often does not include all parties involved in benefits decisions. Employers must revamp their open enrollment strategy to guarantee accurate and practical employee benefits information can be easily accessible and absorbed by their team members. It is important that employers utilize technology to communicate with their employees on platforms where they are already spending their time, such as a smartphone, computer, or tablet. 

Are you wondering how to improve employee engagement? We believe employee engagement begins with how an organization presents their company sponsored employee benefits program. Take the following steps to modernize your open enrollment approach.

a.  Ensure your employees have access to materials that will make them the best healthcare consumers they can be. Seek a proactive, real-time option for effective healthcare system navigation

b.  Make open enrollment easy, safe, and educational by enrolling in an online, app-based enrollment and benefit election tools

c.  Let your employees know that you care about their wellbeing. Secure innovative health and wellness offerings for your employee population's physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing

3.  Empower: As companies look at a roster of team members from millennials to baby boomers, a one-sized fits all approach to benefits won’t cut it.  Employees are yearning to have the autonomy to choose the most effective and affordable program for their unique family dynamics.  The needs of a single 25-year-old, a 45-year-old with a family of four, and a 55-year-old empty nester will be drastically different.  On top of having options, your current and future workforce want a voice in continued changes that will inevitably occur for your employee benefits program to remain relevant.

Gather information on employee benefits services for your employees’ to feel empowered when making benefit decisions that are best for their unique situation.

a.  Explore Forsite’s access to non-traditional healthcare options based on stage of life for member/family that will mitigate financial risk for the employee and the company alike

b.  Ask about Forsite’s creative options to customize coverage and direction of employee investment

c.  Invest in technology and population health solutions to encourage and incentivize healthy behavior change such as a corporate wellness program

It’s no secret that all employers have challenges with talent and, since their inception in the 1940s, company sponsored employee health plans have played a huge role in helping to solve this dilemma.  We believe the problem is that in the last 70+ years, employers have transitioned from looking at this part of total compensation as a “benefit” to employees to simply an “expense” to the employer. 

Over the last 16 years, Forsite Benefits has been on a mission to flip the script and has helped our clients contain costs in their programs with an employee-first approach.  By focusing on Employee Education, Engagement and Empowerment to create the best possible employee benefits scenario for their team members, Forsite clients have seen a ripple effect that comes backwards to impact overall organizational, financial, and cultural health in their business.

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Affordability Percentages Will Increase For 2021

The IRS recently issued Revenue Procedure 2020-36 to index the contribution percentages in 2021 for determining affordability of an employer's plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

For plan years beginning in 2021, employer-sponsored coverage will be considered affordable if the employee's required contribution for self-only coverage does not exceed:

• 9.83% of the employee's household income for the year, for purposes of both the pay or play rules and premium tax credit eligibility; and
• 8.27% of the employee's household income for the year, for purposes of an individual mandate exemption (adjusted under separate guidance). Although this penalty was reduced to zero in 2019, some individuals may need to claim an exemption for other purposes.

The updated affordability percentages are effective for taxable years and plan years beginning Jan. 1, 2021. This is a slight increase from the affordability contribution percentages in 2020. As a result, some employers may have additional flexibility in setting their employee contributions for 2021 to meet the adjusted percentage.

Remote Verification of Form I-9 Documents Extended to Aug. 19

Physical Inspection

Employers must complete and sign Section 2 of Form I-9 within three business days of the employee's first day of employment. Employers are required to physically examine the documents the employee presents from the list of acceptable documents to prove his or her employment eligibility.

Remote Verification

Because of COVID-19, DHS is allowing employers that are operating remotely to conduct a remote verification of approved I-9 documents. The exemption also applies to new hires affected by quarantine or lock down protocols. The exemption does not apply to employers that have employees physically present at a work location.

Under the exemption, employers must complete a remote inspection of approved documents within three business days and enter "COVID-19" as the reason for the physical inspection delay. Employers that use this exemption must also keep written documentation of their remote on-boarding and telework policy for each employee.

Within three days of when normal operations resume, all employees who were onboarded using remote verification must present their approved documents for a physical inspection. Employers should add "documents physically examined" with the date of inspection to affected I-9 forms.

Determining Whether a COVID-19 Case Is Work-Related

Even as businesses reopen and employees return to their new normal, the risk of becoming exposed to and ill with COVID-19 is still present. When an employee reports they have COVID-19, employers are faced with the difficult task of determining whether the employee's illness is work-related.

As is the case with all inherently legal issues, employers are strongly recommended to seek the guidance of legal counsel when faced with these sorts of situations.

OSHA Guidance on Work-Relatedness

An injury or illness is work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a preexisting injury or illness. Work-relatedness is presumed for events or exposures in the work environment.

Unfortunately, because the coronavirus is so widespread, determining whether an employee's illness is work-related can be difficult and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Employers should ask probing questions to reveal the potential exposure of COVID-19 in their workplaces. Employers should consult with legal counsel if they are concerned about what kinds of questions they may ask. After conducting a review, employers will need to record the incident and report it to OSHA.

Retain Employees Through Training

With the daily demands of keeping a workplace productive and profitable, many managers may overlook one simple perk that has been proven to boost employee retention: professional training. Learn how to use training as a tool to retain your top employees by watching this video.

The content herein is provided for general information purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or other advice or opinions on any matters. This information has been taken from HR360.com, which we believe to be reliable, but there is not guarantee as to its accuracy.

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