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Coronavirus & Workplace Wellbeing: Pushing for Physical Health

… Options There are hundreds of wellness vendors in the ever-changing marketplace. Wellbeats offers on-demand, virtual fitness resources and announced they are offering free unlimited access to all their content through April. HealthyWage offers weight loss and step challenges. Members can sign up for challenges and pay an entry fee (employers may cover the cost) and winners are provided cash prizes. Fitbit not only offers activity tracking devices but offers a corporate solution for employee activity challenges, a coaching dashboard and much more. Health Plan Resources  Carriers typically offer free health and wellbeing resources such as mobile apps that

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/coronavirus-workplace-well-being-pushing-for-physical-health/

Health Plan Obligations Under FFCRA and CARES Act

… interpret and enforce the various employer and group health plan sponsor obligations in the two laws. New FAQs released April 11, 2020, specifically address several questions plan sponsors have raised regarding covering coronavirus testing costs and increasing telehealth access. COVID-19 Testing FFCRA generally requires group health plans to provide benefits for certain items and services related to diagnostic testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 or diagnose COVID-19. Plans must cover these costs with no cost sharing (including deductibles, copayments and coinsurance), prior authorization or any other medical management requirement, when furnished on or after March 18, 2020 (FFCRA …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/health-plan-obligations-under-ffcra-and-cares-act/

What Will COVID-19 Do to Healthcare as We Know It?

For more of our coronavirus coverage, visit epicbrokers.com/coronavirus  Viewpoints from Craig Hasday Two things are very clear as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis: Americans are more aware of the need for health insurance than ever and healthcare has changed, forever. It was heartbreaking to read an article that described a desperate patient, about to be intubated, who asked the attending physician “how am I going to pay for this?” Healthcare was an election issue before COVID-19 and now it will likely be the election issue. With the swelling of the unemployed to 15% or …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/what-will-covid-19-do-to-healthcare-as-we-know-it/

Covering Coronavirus: Risk Considerations Volume 1, Issue 7

… to see unprecedented disruptions at home and abroad. In this issue, we take a focused look at:. General Information on Coronavirus Supply Chain and Business Risks Cargo Theft Response Services and Safety Tips Insurance Products and Coverage Information Webinar: Management Risk & Cyber/Privacy Legislation and Litigation Roundup Human Resources and Employee Benefits Sharp Increase in OSHA Complaints Webinar: Filing CA Workers’ Compensation Claims Navigating New Leave Requirements as a Result of Coronavirus Release of U.S. Treasury Paycheck Protection Program Application Employee Benefits Insights The information presented here is intended to provide a high level overview of critical areas of …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/covering-coronavirus-risk-considerations-volume-1-issue-7/

Insurance Companies Don’t Give It Away for Free

… plan does not bear the burden of over-age-65 adults (the ones who are the most likely to suffer hospitalization due to COVID-19). The Federal Government, through Medicare, will bear the brunt of those costs – not the commercial carrier insuring your company. As such, the “giveaway” of no-employee-cost COVID-19 coverage is a small handout for the money your carrier will make during this crisis as services are delayed. Likewise, the dental carriers are profiting even more. Dental offices around the country are simply closed, except for emergency procedures. For every month a dental office is …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/insurance-companies-dont-give-it-away-for-free/

DOL Releases Additional FFCRA FAQ

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which generally became effective April 1, 2020, provides for Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Expanded FMLA Leave to help lessen the financial severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in certain critical areas relating to employment and health coverage. The U.S. Department of Labor has released additional FAQs that provide more details around the many questions employers have raised as they work to comply with the law’s new compliance requirements. The current FAQs are now up to 79 questions, but we present here the newly released FAQs that pertain to the …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/dol-releases-additional-ffcra-faq/

Benefit Plans Are Changing to Help Consumers

Last week, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a $2 trillion relief package providing emergency assistance and healthcare response for individuals, families and businesses affected by the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For more of our coronavirus coverage, visit epicbrokers.com/coronavirus  Health plan sponsors should look more closely at a few of the CARES Act details. Through December 31, 2021, CARES allows HSAs to be used for first-dollar telehealth benefits for any condition without disqualifying the high deductible health plan. Telehealth services are already considered an eligible expense for use with a …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/benefit-plans-are-changing-to-help-consumers/

IRS Provides Guidance on CARES Act Employee Retention Tax Credits

… to specified limits, but the same wages cannot be counted for both credits. What is the Employee Retention Credit? The Employee Retention Credit is a fully refundable tax credit for employers equal to 50% of qualified wages (including allocable qualified health plan expenses) that eligible employers pay their employees. This Employee Retention Credit applies to qualified wages paid after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. The maximum amount of qualified wages taken into account with respect to each employee for all calendar quarters is $10,000, so that the maximum credit for an eligible employer for qualified wages …

https://www.epicbrokers.com/insights/irs-provides-guidance-on-cares-act-employee-retention-tax-credits/