August 2019 - ARC Benefit Solutions

4 Tips For a Healthier Workday

August 28, 2019/in Employee Benefits, Health and Wellness/by ARC Benefit Solutions

The mental, emotional, and physical stressors that you encounter throughout the workday can hinder your productivity and cause burn out. Taking care of your mind and your body at work and beyond is a key to creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Incorporate these tips into your workday to ensure you’re giving your body its best chance for good health:

1) Limber up!

Especially if you’re working in a job that requires a lot of manual labor, it’s important to limber up before you get started for the day. Stretching before work can prevent back injury and pain and muscle hyper extension. After work, take special care of any achy muscles or injuries that may have occurred. Adding exercise to your daily routine is also important for improving flexibility and reducing injury.

If you’re working at a desk all day in front of a screen, it’s important to get up and take breaks every 30 minutes to prevent eyestrain, repetitive stress injury (RSI), and the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. Click here for a list of stretches that you can do right from your desk.

2) Eat a lunch rich in vitamins and minerals.

The afternoon slump is real and without proper nutrition, your productivity for the day can drop and a mid-day nap may sound more appealing than the task at hand. To avoid the 3 o’clock crash, limit the carbohydrates that you include in your lunch and pack your meal with lean protein. Avoiding sugary snacks and drinks will also equip you with the energy you need to make it through the day. Keep some healthy snacks at your desk, like apples or granola, just in case you have snack attacks later in the day.

3) Make time for those Zs.

A healthy day at work starts the night before with restful sleep. To ensure you’re getting your recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, power down your electronics between one to two hours before hitting the pillow because the light from your phone, the television, and any other screen may suppress the production of the naturally occurring melatonin. Exercise can also help improve your sleep quality. Just 10 minutes of light exercise can make an impact, though it is recommended to refrain from exercising too late in the day.

4) Work-life balance.

To avoid burnout or exhaustion, it’s important to schedule time out for yourself, whether that is a vacation or a day off to regroup. Not only is taking breaks good for your productivity, it’s beneficial for your physical and mental health. If you do decide to take a vacation, reduce any unwanted stress by planning ahead and arranging a loose itinerary.

New Trends in Dental Benefits

August 27, 2019/in Employee Benefits/by ARC Benefit Solutions

Dental benefits have remained virtually the same as dental services have expanded. This was likely a strategy to keep costs as low as possible.

As the economy has improved, expanded benefits are becoming more readily available from dental carriers, and people are beginning to notice that their current dental benefits don’t stretch very far.

Here are a handful of interesting changes in dental coverage that you may want to consider at your next renewal:

Many carriers have made annual maximum rollovers available for an additional fee. This feature rolls over a portion of the member’s unused annual maximum. Most carriers require that the member get their routine cleanings to qualify for this.
Humana pioneered their innovative program called the extended annual maximum, which continues to pay 30 percent towards the cost of any dental care even after the annual limit has been used. The advantage of this benefit is that it’s available right away.
Most plans will cover white fillings up to the cost of an amalgam filling (i.e., silver), but you can also request an option to cover these fillings without a cutback to the benefit. The other advantage is that white fillings allow tooth decay to be monitored by X-ray.
A few carriers have introduced products with a dental/vision shared annual limit. Budget-conscious employees are sure to like these programs.
The highest annual limit we’ve seen so far in the small group market is $2,500. I believe we’ll see these climb higher to cover more of the cost of high-end dentistry, like implants, while lower cost alternatives, such as dentures, have become less desirable.
There is a national shortage of dentists, particularly specialists like oral surgeons, orthodontists, and endodontists. Furthermore, many dentists are joining management companies with multiple locations, gaining leverage for negotiations. This means that a dentist can obtain patients without the steerage of being in a network. As a result, most groups are seeking higher non-network reimbursements. One carrier now offers up to the 99th percentile on reimbursements.

As you can see, if you haven’t shopped your dental coverage lately, there are some nifty solutions out there.

If any catch your eye, let your ARC representative know so they can share some of these options at your next renewal as a way to entice and retain employees.

When to Terminate Coverage for an Employee on Leave

August 13, 2019/in Employee Benefits/by ARC Benefit Solutions

Many employers don’t want to terminate employment or coverage for an employee for circumstances outside of their control. This sticky situation often comes up when an employee takes time off due to an illness or injury and can’t work. Their hope is that the employee will come back to work as soon as possible. This is especially true when it’s a family member or skilled employee that has done a good job.

So when do you terminate coverage for an employee on leave?

Sometimes, the employer will continue to pay health insurance premiums even though the employee isn’t earning a paycheck. This creates problems such as…

If the employee is unable to return to work, the employer is then left in an awkward position.
Medical carriers are regularly reviewing Quarterly Wage and Tax Statements for accuracy and finding employees on the coverage that don’t belong. Retroactive terminations can occur leaving the employee in an even tougher dilemma of trying to appeal a late enrollment in individual coverage.
Potential for discrimination lawsuits exist if another employee in a similar situation doesn’t get their health premiums paid.

We can’t take the awkwardness away, but here are some steps to help you develop a plan for when this happens:

Step 1: Establish a policy for any leave of absence, including the rehiring former employees, and don’t deviate from it.

Defining the rules of the road up front gives the employer and their employees a clear understanding of expectations*. Your leave policy should include requirements for maintaining and paying for health insurance while the employee is off from work and it should address how long the employer will maintain coverage and when employment and coverage will end. For rehiring, most medical carriers will reinstate a former employee if they return within 60 days without a waiting period.

If you’re not sure where to get an employee handbook or leave policy, ARC Benefit Solutions provides clients with access to HR360, which has sample employer manuals that include leave and rehire policies.

*FMLA rules apply to most employers with more than 50 employees and it has specific guidelines that must be followed. Still, setting the expectations around payment of premiums and communications is important.

Step 2: Consider there are other options for health coverage.

In Ohio and Kentucky, when terminating an employee’s employment and coverage, the employee can sometimes qualify for State Continuation of Coverage for groups under 20 employees while COBRA continuation of coverage exists for larger employers. In Ohio, state continuation is only available for an involuntary termination. This allows the employee, if they meet the criteria, to stay on the plan for another 12 months. (State continuation of coverage is not available in Indiana or Michigan.)

In addition, ARC Benefit Solutions has an entire team of agents specialized in individual and senior coverage. They can help your employee find insurance if COBRA or state continuation is not an option.

Step 3: Consider disability coverage.

If you don’t already have disability income coverage, it might be time to take a look at this benefit. Statistics show that 1 in 3 people will have a disability that prevents them from working for two years or more and it’s the number one reason that people declare bankruptcy. Basic disability policies cost about the same as life insurance while having a higher probability of being used. Depending on the size of the group, it can usually be offered on a voluntary basis. This can take away some of the responsibility a business owner may feel about an employee going through a tough time and provides a means for them to pay for their health insurance or other living expenses while they recover.

This can be a confusing time for any employer. Your ARC representative is ready and able to assist you in thinking through these areas to come up with the plan to build goodwill with your employees while keeping your plan compliant and fair.

Disability Insurance: Financial Protection for Your Employees in Case of Injury or Illness

August 13, 2019/in Employee Benefits/by ARC Benefit Solutions

Most employees today are not prepared to handle the financial impact of loss or no income during an illness or injury that would result in time away from work and a regular paycheck.

Each year, we read that thousands of individuals (employees) file for bankruptcy due to escalating medical expenses, but that’s not necessarily true. Loss of income is also a major part of the equation. Without wages, the majority of the working population cannot pay their normal monthly living expenses, including mortgage, auto, insurance, utilities, food, etc. The list goes on.

The insurance industry offers a variety of disability coverage to replace loss of wages. Two significant plan offerings, in particular, will be beneficial to employers and employees:

A short-term disability plan (STD) provides coverage for an employee’s loss of wages, usually from a three- to six-month period, though some plans extend up to 12 months. STD plans will cover about 72 percent (the national average for claims duration of less than six months) of all disability claims.
Long-term disability plan (LTD) provides an employee with coverage of loss wages for a period to the employee’s normal retirement age (currently the age is 65, 66, 67, and 68) based on the Social Security tables and date of birth. LTD coverage is useful for employees suffering from a critical injury or a serious illness.

There are numerous plan designs for each of the coverages noted above.

There are other forms of disability insurance, individual plans, and contributory group plans with numerous plan designs and lengths of coverage.

Social Security provided disability coverage for those employees that are deemed “totally and permanently disabled.” The Social Security Administration normally takes up to 12 months to approve benefits for a claimant. From 2007 through 2016, Social Security has only approved 33 percent of all claims presented. Currently, 51 million working adults in the United Sates are without any disability insurance plan.

By the Numbers

Some interesting factors relating to income protection:

Only 13 percent of the working population has enough income to cover three months of living expenses.

Risk factors to income interruption (disability):

47 percent of the working population has a high risk of cardiovascular disease
55 percent already struggle with debt issues
48 percent could not pay next month’s mortgage

There are three consistencies necessary for an individual’s working life:

Health/medical needs – Medical Insurance
Sometimes loss of wages from work due to illness or injury – Disability Insurance
Death – Life Insurance

Disability insurance should be a staple for all employer group plans. It protects the employee’s most important asset: their ability to earn an income. This is coverage that all employers should discuss with their ARC benefit advisor.

ARC Benefit Solutions is prepped with the information you need to find a disability plan that is right for your employees and their families. Contact us today to find out what your options are.

Saving Money on Prescription Drugs with GoodRx

August 9, 2019/in Individual/Family, Medicare/by ARC Benefit Solutions

With healthcare costs across the country continually rising, it is worth looking into the underlying causes for the rampant spike in monthly costs for the average American. While there are many that can be considered and broken down, there is one that holds the majority piece in the puzzle: prescription drugs.

In an analysis done by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), it was concluded that nearly a quarter of each dollar spent on insurance premiums goes towards prescription medications. The remaining three quarters are attributed to twelve other categories. Because of the rising cost of prescription drug spending, it is wise to try and find ways to save money when and where it is possible. Drug prices are not regulated and, therefore, there is competition among pharmacies, which is good for consumers. GoodRx.com can be a game changer for finding the best deal.

GoodRx is a free-to-use website and requires no input of personal data. They gather all profits from advertisements on their page and no account creation is required. The website boasts that on average, it saves customers $276 a year on their prescriptions. GoodRx have partnered with another company called Inside Rx and together they negotiate with major manufacturers and pharmacies to provide savings to 10 million Americans a month. Based out of Santa Monica, California, they opened the company is 2011 and are consistently ranked number one in the medical category in the Google Play and Apple App Stores, making the capabilities of the site easily accessible to just about anyone.

So how exactly does it work? Well, it truly is as easy as it sounds. After landing on GoodRx.com, users will type in the name of their prescription and hit search. Once re-directed to the next page you are able to input your ZIP code and the website does the rest. The site gathers the current prices of drugs at different pharmacies and displays the lowest cost for that prescription based on a user’s location. Some locations such as Kroger or Meijer have generic medications for free if you have a Kroger or Meijer card. If that is not the case or there is not a pharmacy like that near you, then click on the green button to view the coupon. The website is very user friendly and enables text, email, or printing to receive the coupon. From there you simply take the coupon to your pharmacist.

Using GoodRx is an excellent alternative to using the Rx coverage on your Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan or if you decide to get coverage through a short-term medical plan that does not have embedded drug coverage. The coupons may provide lower copays than your current coverage, but cannot be used to lower your current copay itself. With quick, easy, and free access to this one stop shop, it is worth taking a look the next time you go to fill a prescription or two.

At ARC Benefit Solutions, our goal is to simplify your life. Talk to your representative if you have questions about prescription drug coverage. We can assist with adding the best available Rx options to your existing health plan or review alternatives such as utilizing prescription discounts like those found at GoodRx.

Resources:

https://www.csrxp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CSRxP_Facts-of-Rising-Rx-Prices.pdf

https://www.goodrx.com/how-goodrx-works

In an analysis done by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)