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Are You Leveraging Total Compensation Statements?

We all know the deal – every renewal season, benefits professionals around the country spend countless extra hours working with their brokers/consultants. We function together like a well-oiled machine; making decisions with account executives for employee benefits packages, drafting benefits guides with communications partners and finally going through open enrollment. Viewpoints from Jodi Perry I have dedicated my career to employee communications and I can say with confidence that most employees do not read what I put together for them. I get it – I really do. There’s so much information for employees to absorb and the one thing …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/are-you-leveraging-total-compensation-statements/

Bite-Sized Insights Into a World of Risk Volume 2, Issue 10

Bite-Sized Insights Into a World of Risk  Volume 2, Issue 10 In this issue, we take a focused look at the following: Feature Focus What’s Wrong With the Weather? Supply Chain and Business Risks FMCSA Extends Waivers Affecting CMV Operators Operation Safe Driver is Coming Cybersecurity Executive Order Recommends Best Practices Insurance Products and Coverage Information Presumptive Compensability News of Note Human Resources and Employee Benefits OSHA Releases New Coronavirus Emergency Temporary Standard Insights from Across the Firm The coronavirus crisis created the need to provide commentary on areas of concern. With the evolution of the pandemic, going …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/bite-sized-insights-into-a-world-of-risk-volume-2-issue-10/

Federal Court Dismisses ERISA Plan Participants’ Cross-Plan Offsetting Claims

… the TPA or insurer of a medical plan may withhold payments to a provider on a new claim to recoup overpayments made to that same provider for other claims paid out under that same plan. TPAs or insurers typically withhold payments to regain overpayments in cases such as coordination of benefits, subrogation or payment mistakes. Cross-plan offsetting occurs when a TPA, or insurer, with multiple employer clients, offsets payments to a particular provider for one client’s plan to recoup the overpayments made to that provider from another client’s plan or policy. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/federal-court-dismisses-cross-plan-offsetting-claims/

Where’s the Healthcare Money Made? Pharmacy

It’s no secret that pharmacy spend has exploded in the last several years. Prescription drug costs are approaching, or in some cases exceeding, 30% of their total claims spend – a dramatic increase from less than 10% two decades ago. The large health insurance carriers have all integrated with large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and the major consulting firms have built out specialty pharmacy consulting practices or coalitions. Increasingly, most of the healthcare money is being made in pharmacy. This is a critical fact that each of our clients must understand or they risk overspending on their benefits plan. Viewpoints …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/wheres-the-healthcare-money-made-pharmacy/

EPIC Pharmacy Team Delivers the State of Specialty Drug Spend

Specialty Spend Is on the Rise Again EPIC recently unpacked everything you need to know about the state of specialty, with a specific focus on biosimilar and specialty generics. We continue to see double-digit increases in per member per year cost for specialty drugs, and nearly 40% of that spend occurs in the medical benefit. Rigorous management across both benefits is critical to managing overall specialty spend. This webinar uncovered what is driving increased spend and what you can do about it.  Agenda: Deeper dive into specialty spend and what you can do about it Emerging trends in biosimilar …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/epic-pharmacy-team-delivers-specialty-drug-trends/

EEOC Updates on COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Programs

… to determine whether labor and employment laws impose additional requirements not mentioned by the EEOC. In some circumstances, Title VII and the ADA require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees that do not get a COVID-19 vaccine. The ADA requires employers to offer a reasonable accommodation when an employee has a disability. In addition, Title VII requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for employees with a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. However, the laws do allow employers to avoid offering a reasonable accommodation if it can demonstrate that providing an accommodation would pose an undue …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/eeoc-updates-on-covid-19-vaccine-incentive-programs/

Uncovering Barriers to Productivity in the Workplace

EPIC Employee Benefits Advisor John Court Partners with Mental Health America for Well2Work Webinar  Join EPIC and Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana June 17 to hear more about what your employees aren’t telling you.  Mental Health America has created an incredible education program that goes by Well2Work. It provides virtual and in-person training to employers seeking evidence-informed ways to increase their employees’ productivity, engagement, empathy, and resilience. EPIC is proud to have John Court present his first-hand experience leveraging Well2Work with his clients who have seen incredible results from the program. John has seen how …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/uncovering-barriers-to-productivity-in-the-workplace/

IRS Releases Guidance on COBRA Subsidies and Tax Credits

On May 18, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2021-31 providing information about the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage subsidies created by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Notice 2021-31 addresses a range of issues pertinent to assisting employers, plan administrators and insurers with understanding the COBRA subsidies and associated tax credits. The IRS notice consists of a background explanation of the ARPA COBRA subsidies and a series of 86 questions and answers (Q&As) with some examples. The notice explains and provides guidance on topics such as the calculation of the credit …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/irs-releases-guidance-on-cobra-subsidies-and-tax-credits/