We all knew it was coming….The House passed a COBRA provision extending the eligibility period for two months and extending the maximum duration of the federal assistance from nine months to 15 months. The bill now goes to the Senate where it is expected to pass before the end of the year.
The passed provision extends the [...]
This is a question that we often receive from both employees and employers - everyone is trying to save on taxes. There are several options available to employers and employees to save on taxes for healthcare expenses and premiums. The options available to you specifically will depend on your specific situation. Feel free to call [...]
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H1N1 vaccine is becoming more available. For FREE vaccinations to high-risk individuals, see locations below.
Contra Costa Health Services Seasonal Flu Vaccine and *H1N1
FREE Flu Clinics (Flu Vaccinations given from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Saturday, November 7th, 2009, Hilltop Mall in Richmond
Saturday, November 14th, 2009, Somersville Towne Center in Antioch
Saturday, November 21st, 2009, Ygnacio Valley [...]
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With the changing economy, we are receiving many calls from clients and prospects about when and how to change their employer contribution to insurance premiums.
At Benefaction, our answer is to wait to change the employer contributions until open enrollment. That means if you are keeping the same insurance plans, you would wait until the next [...]
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Benefaction Insurance was recently quoted in a Northbay Business Journal Article:
Finally, probably of greatest discussion in specific product trends today is the huge number of employers switching to high-deductible, “consumer-driven” plans. For more than a year, brokers have reported a huge shift in interest, but many have mistakenly lumped health savings account-based versions with health [...]
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I came across the following summary of the new FMLA Employer Requirements that I thought I would pass along. If you have any questions on the following, just give us a call.
In November, the federal government issued new rules to clarify the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a complex law that had confused many [...]
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In working with a new group client this morning, the usual question was asked…”How much should we contribute to employee and dependent premiums?” This particular employer had always paid 100% of the premium for employees as well as their dependents. However, premium increases of 20% over the last 3 years and the impact of a [...]
Employers are required to provide a Medicare Part D disclosure notice to all of their Medicare-eligible employees by November 15th of each year. The notice is for all your Medicare-eligible employees regarding the creditability of the prescription drug coverage that is offered through the employer plan.
If a Medicare-eligible employee is enrolled on your group benefit [...]
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Recently, a client called seeking advice about their responsibility in notifying employees of a possible health concern. An employee whose wife was diagnosed with Swine Flu came to work not feeling well and after spending some time in the office was sent home by management once the situation became known. The employer wanted to notify [...]
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This issue came up again today so I thought I’d put it out there for everyone. In California, most of our insurance policies are written to allow domestic partners- same sex and opposite sex. However, tax issues and COBRA both fall under Federal oversight and the Federal government does not recognize domestic partners. Domestic partners [...]