Strategic Benefits Communication: How Do You Measure Success? | California Benefit Advisors

by | Mar 7, 2017 | benefits communication, blog, employee engagement, HR compliance, human resources, Johnson & Dugan News, Latest News, UBA, UBA Blog, UBA HR Elements, voluntary benefits

Last fall I had the pleasure of hosting a UBA WisdomWorkplace webinar called “Success in Voluntary through Strategic Benefits Communication.” I discussed recent Sun Life survey data regarding employee engagement and understanding of the value of voluntary benefits. In...

Best and Worst States for Group Health Care Costs | California Benefit Advisors

by | Feb 28, 2017 | blog, CDHP, Group Health Costs, Health care cost, health care costs, Health Plan Benchmarking, HR compliance, HR Elements, human resources, UBA, UBA Blog, UBA HR Elements

Employer-sponsored health insurance is greatly affected by geographic region, industry, and employer size. While some cost trends have been fairly consistent since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was put in place, UBA finds several surprises in...

Stemming the Tide of Opioid Abuse: A Brief Guide for Employers | California Benefit Advisors

by | Feb 22, 2017 | blog, Drug abuse, Health care cost, health care costs, HR compliance, HR Elements, human resources, Johnson & Dugan News, Prescription drugs, UBA, UBA Blog, UBA HR Elements

In January 2017, an NBC news investigation found that an “epidemic” of opioid abuse had helped turn the once-prosperous city of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, into “the most unhappy place in America.” Working in the epicenter of the “scourge” that had resulted in 137...

Cafeteria Plans: Qualifying Events and Changing Employee Elections | California Benefit Advisors

by | Feb 14, 2017 | ACA, affordable care act, blog, Cafeteria Plans, ERISA, human resources, IRS, irs reporting, Johnson & Dugan News, Latest News, Legislative/Compliance Updates, UBA, UBA Blog, UBA Health Plan Survey, UBA HR Elements

Cafeteria plans, or plans governed by IRS Code Section 125, allow employers to help employees pay for expenses such as health insurance with pre-tax dollars. Employees are given a choice between a taxable benefit (cash) and two or more specified pre-tax qualified...