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Virtual Care – The New Normal?

… healthcare will be a thing of the past and that we’ll start to see those numbers decline in the coming months of 2021. I, however, am a little more optimistic. I see COVID-19 as a catalyst – and virtual care isn’t going away. The president of our national employee benefits practice saw the value in this healthcare delivery model sharing his views in an article he wrote five years ago. The telehealth wave allowed providers to expand their access and reduce wait times, which are getting longer every year. The national average wait time, found in a 2017 …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/virtual-care-the-new-normal/

Webinar Recording Now Available: The Impact of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA)

… running from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. Individuals who previously experienced an involuntary termination or reduction in hours but did not elect COBRA, or dropped COBRA coverage but are still within their COBRA maximum coverage period, are allowed a chance to enroll or re-enroll. PLAY RECORDING EPIC Employee Benefits Compliance Services For further information on this or any other topics, please contact your EPIC consulting team. LEARN ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMPLIANCE SERVICES EPIC offers this material for general information only. EPIC does not intend this material to be, nor may any person receiving this information construe …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/impact-of-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-arpa/

New COVID-19 Relief Law Is No Relief for HR Departments

… whose hours were reduced; provided, however, that this does not extend the 18-month COBRA benefit period. This subsidy will be offset entirely by a reduction in payroll taxes, but COBRA costs are based upon premium-equivalent rates for similarly situated active employees. Typically, those employees who are receiving COBRA benefits have more adverse medical claims experience than active employees. Perhaps the selection won’t be as adverse, but clearly, there is exposure to employers to absorb higher costs. And even worse, those former employees who initially waived coverage will have a second chance to enroll – but unlike current COBRA …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/new-covid-19-relief-law-is-no-relief-for-hr-departments/

The Shifting Infertility Landscape

Viewpoints from Adam Okun Each decade there seems to be another benefit provision that goes through a major overhaul. Timothy’s Law, in New York State, and the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) ushered in dramatic changes to out-of-network mental health coverage in the 2000s. Preventive care and no-cost contraception coverage was a defining feature of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). And soon thereafter arrived a variety of state mandates around autism and transgender benefits. One provision that is now seemingly going through its coming of age is infertility. It’s been several …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/the-shifting-infertility-landscape/

When Is a Short-Term Disability Plan a Payroll Practice?

… of welfare plans generally covered by ERISA may be exempt from ERISA based on what is known as the “payroll practice” exemption. The payroll practice exemption applies to income replacement programs that an employer pays to employees using the employer’s general assets. Short-Term Disability (STD) plans are welfare benefits that continue all or a percentage of an employee’s salary for up to six months if it is determined that an employee cannot perform their duties due to sickness or injury. STD plans provided through an insurer are subject to ERISA. A self-funded STD plan – also referred …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/when-is-a-short-term-disability-plan-a-payroll-practice/

The COVID-19 Pandemic Didn’t Create a Mental Health Crisis, It Exposed It

If you’ve been operating in the workplace wellness field for any part of the past decade you’ve likely observed firsthand how mental health affects an organization’s culture and its bottom line, particularly in the areas of absenteeism, presenteeism, lost workdays and benefits decisions. Viewpoints from Craig Schmidt Employees have been identifying stress and anxiety in employee wellness and culture surveys for years. Companies have responded with a passive approach to this feedback, a finding that was supported by the results from our Mental Health and Wellbeing Pulse Survey. A passive strategy will no longer work. We need …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/the-covid-19-pandemic-didnt-create-a-mental-health-crisis/

EPIC CIO Named to ACORD Board of Directors

ACORD, the global standards-setting body for the insurance industry, announced its 2021 Board of Directors, which includes the addition of our EPIC Chief Information Officer (CIO), Vlad Yekelchik. Vlad was appointed to the Board because of his experience and passion for insurance. Vlad joined EPIC as CIO in June of 2019 and plays a key role in the EPIC Technology Strategy and Digital Innovation. Prior to joining EPIC, Vlad held various senior leadership positions with leading global banking and insurance organizations. He brings more than 25 years of Information Technology, Security Infrastructure and Application Solutions experience. Most recently, Vlad …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/epic-cio-named-acord-board-directors/

EPIC Announces Leadership Structure Realignment

Positions firm for continued growth and success EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants CEO Steve Denton announced organizational and restructuring changes, effective immediately, across the company. The moves are designed to position EPIC to thrive for years to come. Tom O’Neil has been named President of EPIC and will work directly with Denton to grow the business across its entire platform – from Private Client to Large Complex Risk in both Property & Casualty and Employee Benefits. O’Neil previously led the West and Northeast Regions and integrated several large acquisitions that expanded the overall footprint of EPIC. In conjunction with leadership …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/epic-announces-leadership-structure-realignment/