UNIQ Benefit Solutions

Mental health experts say that many victims of disasters experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety in the months following these events. The loss of loved ones, jobs, material goods and livelihoods are all traumatic experiences for victims, according to one Red Cross official. Employers helping their workers cope with experiencing a disaster will generally find that having an employee assistance program in place is invaluable. Here's what you can do to help your staff. https://lnkd.in/gaWvRtSE

A new wave of class-action lawsuits is targeting employers that apply health insurance premium surcharges to employees who use tobacco, accusing them of discrimination and violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), according to two new blogs by prominent law firms. The fast-developing lawsuit trend is notable, considering that tobacco surcharges are widely used, and if any of the new lawsuits are successful, they could set a precedent that could expose thousands of employers to legal action. https://lnkd.in/g-t6YwHt

It's almost time for year-end small group open enrollment and you need to drive engagement so that your employees can make informed decisions about their health insurance options. We want to help you help your employees understand all of their options so that they can purchase a plan that is appropriate for their situation. So here is our advice for the open enrollment: https://lnkd.in/g3TXbwqJ

More than half of employees regret the coverage decisions they make during open enrollment, according to a new study. Part of the problem may be that the average employee spends only 30 to 60 minutes selecting their benefits during open enrollment, which typically lasts about two weeks in most workplaces, according to the study. For perspective, the average American spends 120 minutes a day on social media. Here's how you can help them get it right. https://lnkd.in/gBtcyWmD

Middle class families — those with incomes of between roughly $50,000 and $100,000 per year — are becoming increasingly reliant on workplace benefits to ensure their financial well-being in case of a disability or critical illness. Simple health insurance is insufficient to carry the load. The loss of a breadwinner's or caregiver's financial contribution through death or disability is often devastating. Here's how you can help. https://lnkd.in/gGgpv9ZK

By now you should be prepared and ready to go for your 2025 policy year employee benefits open enrollment. You should have all your plan documents and have prepared or held presentations for your staff to explain the benefits package and any major changes to plans that you offer. They should be familiar with how to use the enrollment portal and who they should talk to if they have questions. To be on the safe side, there are a few things you should do to make sure you maximize enrollment, that your employees have the correct materials and that you are in compliance with the law. This article provides a last-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/g9GKXaQe

A new study has found three out of four U.S. workers would accept a job with a slightly lower salary if it offered better health care and medical coverage. The main driver in workers prioritizing benefits is the rapidly rising cost of group health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, according to the study by Voya Financial. Besides looking for better health coverage, there's growing interest among employees for voluntary benefits that can buffer health care costs, like critical illness, accident and dental and vision insurance. https://lnkd.in/gamTs48H

With 2025 just a few months away, it's important that small employers understand their group health insurance reporting obligations under the Affordable Care Act as they changed at the start of 2024. Before 2024, only employers that sent out 250 or more Forms 1094-B/1095-B and 1094-C/1095-C were required to file them online with the IRS. But since early 2024 (and affecting the 2023 tax year), employers filing 10 or more ACA reporting forms have been required to file electronically. It's important that you understand your filing obligations to avoid fines that can quickly add up. https://lnkd.in/gzGUneTg

The IRS has significantly increased the group health plan affordability threshold — which is used to determine if an employer's lowest-premium health plan complies with the Affordable Care Act rules — for plan years starting in 2025. The higher threshold will give employers a little more wiggle room when setting their workers' premium cost-sharing level for their lowest-cost plans in 2025, to avoid running afoul of the ACA and being hit with penalties. What's the new affordability level? Find out here. https://lnkd.in/g5Ck2MCA