Dear Valued Clients and Associates, I just wrapped up 2.5 days at the Garden State SHRM conference in Atlantic City. I visited with some great vendors and attended some interesting break out sessions. The highlight for me was the closing Keynote speech by Dr. Richard Pimentel… and to think I considered leaving early… I’m so glad I stayed! Dr. Pimentel was inspiring. He told his story and shared gems of wisdom on leadership, character, the power of having someone believe in you, response-ability and chasing your dreams… all with an incredible sense of humor that had the crowd in stitches. His words struck a chord and have provoked a lot of thought. Don’t change your dreams to fit your circumstances, change your circumstances to fit your dreams, he advised… and that is just what I did when I chose to join PF Compass. I wanted to have a bigger positive impact on organizations with a client support team in which I have complete faith. Mission accomplished. We’d love to learn about what is important to you and your organization and help you reach your benefit goals. If you’re open to a chat, give me a call today 732-258-1032. Here is your October 2019 Newsletter with a combination of HR and Health related news. I hope you enjoy! All the best to your success, Brandi Bowers Planning for Open Enrollment By: Maggie Johnson, PF Compass in-house HR Consultant As we go into the fall, most companies will begin the process for Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment for many employers will be held in November and sometimes into December of 2019 for the 2020 plan year. To ensure your Open Enrollment goes smoothly, here are some suggested tips… To read more, visit our BLOG here Deadline Approaching: Medicare Part D Notices Are Due Before Oct. 15 Each year, Medicare Part D requires group health plan sponsors to disclose to individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part D and to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) whether the health plan’s prescription drug coverage is creditable. Plan sponsors must provide the annual disclosure notice to Medicare-eligible individuals before Oct. 15, 2019. What is this notice? This notice is...
Read MoreDear Valued Clients and Associates, All things fall are on their way – the kids are back in school, pumpkin spice lovers have their coffee and beer back in season, temps are dropping and the leaves are starting to change to the beautiful orange, yellow and red that make autumn picturesque. Many folks are starting to shift gears in preparation for third quarter and year end activities. Vendor evaluations for new year transitions and upgrades are under way, or at least, they should be soon. This is a great time to take a look at the benefits you are offering your workforce – are you and your employees getting the best bang for the buck on your health insurance policies? And when was the last time you benchmarked your 401k? We can help – no strings attached. We’d love to come meet you, learn about what is important to you and your organization and help you reach your benefit goals. Give me a call today 732-258-1032. Here is your September 2019 Newsletter with a combination of HR and Health related news. I hope you enjoy! All the best to your success, Brandi Bowers Romantic Relationships in the Workplace By: Maggie Johnson, PF Compass in-house HR Consultant When two people spend a lot of time together, a romantic relationship may develop between them. In a recent survey by Namely, 40 percent of the survey’s participants indicated that they’d had a romantic relationship with a co-worker, with five percent of them having had a romantic relationship with their boss or a direct report. A 2017 CareerBuilder study showed 41 percent of professionals have dated a co-worker with 30 percent of office romances resulting in marriage. While a blooming romance may be a happy thing, in the workplace, it can spell big trouble! For a couple working alongside each other, and who are engaged in a romantic relationship, here are just three issues that could spring from that situation… To read more, visit our BLOG here 2020 Open Enrollment is Almost Here To prepare for open enrollment, group health plan sponsors should be aware of the legal changes affecting the design and administration of their plans for plan...
Read MoreDear Valued Clients and Associates, After a great day out this week, with a wonderful group of clients and associates, I realized summer is going by fast. What are your plans before school starts again and the warm days turn cool? The winter hiring and benefits season is going to be here before we know it! Offering a good employee benefits package can be a great tool for recruiting and retaining top talent. PF Compass works with all carriers and is a full-service benefits brokerage, advocating on behalf of employers and employees. We are committed to helping organizations, like yours, find creative solutions to their employee benefit goals while also helping to keep them in compliance with ever-changing regulations. We’d love to come meet you, learn about what is important to you and your organization and help you reach your benefit goals. Give me a call today 732-258-1032. Here is your August 2019 Newsletter with a combination of HR and Health related news. I hope you enjoy! All the best to your success, Brandi Bowers Onboarding – A Key to Retention by Maggie Johnson, PF Compass If you think onboarding consists of new employees completing documents such I-9 and W-4 forms, among others, on their first day of employment, you may be missing the value a robust onboarding process can bring to your organization. Onboarding can be the key to increased employee engagement, higher productivity and lower turnover. To read more about the importance of smooth onboarding, visit our BLOG here. Executive Order on Health Costs to Affect Employer Health Plans President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at improving price and quality transparency in health care. The order is intended to increase availability of health care price and quality information and protect patients from surprise medical bills. What’s in the Order? Specifically, the order is aimed at: Eliminating unnecessary barriers to price and quality transparency Increasing the availability of meaningful price and quality information for patients Enhancing patients’ control over their own health care resources, including through tax-preferred medical accounts Protecting patients from surprise medical bills Employer Impact Within 120 days, the order directs the Treasury to issue guidance to expand access...
Read MoreDear Valued Clients and Associates, Wishing you a safe and enjoyable time celebrating our Country’s Independence this week. When was the last time you had someone other than your current Group Benefits Broker look at the Medical and Ancillary plans available for your organization? A second set of eyes is always a good business decision when it comes to one or your biggest Company expenses and staying compliant. Contact me now and I’d be happy to see if there are plans you haven’t been shown before, that would be a better fit for your goals. No obligation. Here is your July 2019 Newsletter with a combination of HR and Health related news. I hope you enjoy! IRS Releases Inflation-adjusted Limits for HSAs and HDHPs for 2020 On May 28, 2019, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2019-25 to announce the inflation-adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs) for 2020. These limits include: The maximum HSA contribution limit The minimum deductible amount for HDHPs The maximum out-of-pocket expense limit for HDHPs These limits vary based on whether an individual has self-only or family coverage under an HDHP. HSA Contribution Limits for 2020 The IRS limits for HSA contributions increase for 2020. Eligible individuals with self-only HDHP coverage will be able to contribute up to $3,550 for 2020, while eligible individuals with family HDHP coverage will be able to contribute up to $7,100 for 2020. The $1,000 catch-up contribution limit that applies to HSA-eligible individuals who are age 55 or older will remain unchanged. HDHP Cost-sharing Limits for 2020 For self-only coverage in 2020, the HDHP minimum deductible will increase to $1,400 and the out-of-pocket maximum will increase to $6,900. For family coverage, these limits will increase to $2,800 and $13,800, respectively. Action Steps Because these limits change for 2020, employers that sponsor these plans may need to make plan design changes for plan years beginning in 2020. 1 In 6 Insured Hospital Patients Get A Surprise Bill For Out-Of-Network Care by Rachel Bluth – Kaiser Health News On average, 16% of inpatient stays and 18% of emergency visits left a patient with at least one out-of-network charge, most of those came...
Read MoreDear Valued Clients and Associates, With so many hot topics to choose from, I’ve decided to use June to introduce a way for you to potentially put money back into your business with little efforts. “How is this possible?” you ask… Work Opportunity Tax Credits! To learn more, read the article below “How much did you overpay your taxes last year”. To all the Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles, Brothers and Friends who nurture and love the children in their lives, I hope you have a wonderful FATHER’S DAY! Is your broker only around at renewal? Would you rather have service year-round? Give me a call or email me now to schedule a time to discuss your employee benefit goals and how we will work hard to ensure you and your employees are satisfied all year long. Here is your June 2019 Newsletter with a combination of HR and Health related news. I hope you enjoy! Medical Marijuana In The Workplace – Update for New Jersey Employers by Maggie Johnson Recreational marijuana use is not yet legalized in New Jersey or New York despite recent attempts by each state’s legislators to do so. However, recreational marijuana use, if legalized, would not necessarily present a problem for employers. As a comparison, alcohol is legal, but employers have the right to prohibit its consumption during working hours and in the workplace. Surely, the same rule would apply to recreational marijuana. But what about medical marijuana? To read more, visit the PF Compass Blog Here. NYC Employers Also Take Note: New York City Bans Pre-Employment Marijuana Screening The law contains additional exceptions for certain federal contracts and federal, state and local drug-testing requirements in the areas of transportation and safety and security. Click Here for more. New Jersey’s Minimum Wage Increase Begins July 1, 2019 On February 4, 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy signed A-15, which sets New Jersey on the path to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024. The new law raises the minimum wage in increments, increasing the wage to $10 per hour on July 1, 2019 and to $11 on January 1, 2020. To read more, click here. Final Notice of Benefit and Payment...
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