OneDigital Employer Advisory

This episode continues the discussion on whole health care and employee wellbeing, including the importance of thriving in all five areas of wellbeing to improve productivity. In the new world we live in, work-life and personal life have been blended, especially for those who work remotely. The team discusses how employers can help foster wellbeing and encourage their employees to thrive. 

During this episode, the team introduces a new series to dive into what’s impacting the health care landscape at large. With the recent uptick in anxiety and depression, we’re finding a third of Americans are showing signs of clinical anxiety and depression within the first year of the pandemic. Mental health related issues have gone up 4X the amount since the start of COVID. Thinking about this t...

With the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, employers may still be wondering what compliance implications surround the vaccination status of employees. During this episode, the team is joined by OneDigital HR Consulting VP of Legal Counsel Jamie Webb-Akasaka and Senior Employee Benefits Attorney Sarah Burns to discuss the various laws that apply to mandating vaccinations. They als...

As follow up to Episode 16, during which the team explores the challenges of the health care system today, they share how if they could wave a magic wand to “fix” the broken system, what actions they would take to change things and improve the system.  

On Part 5 of “Today’s Health Care” a miniseries, Ron Bargatze delves into a roadmap of the evolution of health care and how we got to the system we know today.  

The team is joined by Senior Employee Benefits Attorney Jesse Hansen to discuss the key aspects of the recently released No Surprises Act interim final rule and the implications for employers.  

On this follow up episode to Mental Health Parity Compliance in 2021, the team welcomes Sarah Burns, Senior Employee Benefits Attorney, to discuss the recent Tri-Departments Mental Health Parity FAQs for group health plans having to perform comparative analysis on NQTLs. The team discusses what actions employers may want to take based of these FAQs and how they can make a good faith effort to comp...

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee reporting is coming.  Samantha Malovrh is joined by Anjali Radia, Employee Benefits Attorney at OneDigital, to go over the basics of the PCORI fee and what employers of self-insured health plans need to be aware of.  

The third landmark decision is in.  The Supreme Court’s latest decision in the ongoing saga regarding the Affordable Care Act skirts the big questions.  This episode breaks down the Supreme Court’s decision, what it means to stakeholders, how it effects the future of the ACA and health care, and what, if anything, may be on the horizon.   

On this episode, Samantha is joined by Peter Graf, senior compliance consultant at OneDigital, to discuss the basics of the annual Department of Labor’s report, the Form 5500.  

As a follow up to Episode 9 where we tackled the shortage of primary physicians, we wanted to get real feedback from someone closer to the situation.  Dr. Brian Hill, founder and CEO of  HIPnation, an innovative company tackling better delivery of health care, joins us to share his take on defining what an effective primary care relationship looks like, pros and cons of the fee-for-service model,...

The U.S. is facing a growing shortage of primary care and specialty physicians. During Part 3 of “Today’s Healthcare,” a miniseries, the team discusses the reasons for the shortage, how the shortage impacts healthcare costs, future challenges and potential resolutions.  

Committing to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) is not about having a feel-good story; it’s not even about being an employer of choice. DEI&B is about the success of your business and, quite frankly, doing the right thing. The world is changing and prioritizing having a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization where every employee, at every level of the organization...

After over a year of mask mandates, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently relaxed many COVID-19 safety recommendations for fully vaccinated people – seemingly overnight. But where do employers go from here? How can leaders effectively manage the workforce while complying with continuously changing rules? Can employers revise their mask requirements and social-distancin...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released much needed guidance regarding the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) COBRA premium assistance subsidy. During this timely episode, Annette and Samantha highlight the guidance as it relates to common employer questions surrounding ARPA. Does reduction of hours include voluntary and involuntary? What is involuntary termination? How do employers obtain the...

If we think about health care efforts and legislative efforts we see today, most of it is focused on access rather than the systemic issues associated with health care programs and costs. During Part 2 of “Today’s Healthcare,” a miniseries, the team delves into the discrepancies we see between the cost of care and outcomes, the reinforcing causes behind excess care and what consumers can do to tak...

No matter how prepared, how healthy or careful you are, there’s no way to predict when you may need to access care, how much you’ll need and what it will cost. Yet, compared with any other consumer experience, people hardly know their options, and it’s generally not encouraged to ask what the cost is or shop around. Join our Health Care Happenings team for the introductory episode in the miniserie...

Now that the dust (and panic) has settled, our team of compliance leaders review the latest guidance released by the DOL. Although there are still more questions than answers, they examine what we do know, the required notifications and what employers may want to consider enacting today. 

Since 2012, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has been involved in a class-action lawsuit pertaining to their alleged national anti-competitive policies. So then, why are leaders receiving calls from third-party vendors offering to submit claims? And why do so many of these vendors’ websites appear to look exactly like the official Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement page? OneDigital’s team of...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on our lives for a year and our mental health and wellness have felt the strain. According to a survey by a mental health benefits provider , two-thirds of employees report poor mental health has undercut job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 40% of employees are battling burnout. Two kinds of stress combine to make COVID-19 a significantly...

Following the signing of the latest COVID-19 relief law, employers and plan managers everywhere are scrambling to understand the implications on the employee benefits program, their people and the business. But by far, the section most are concerned by are the COBRA premium subsidies. Many leaders and plan managers are feeling frustrated, trying to interpret and understand the requirements to dete...

The Mental Health Parity prevents mental health treatment or substance abuse treatment from being more onerous than other medical or surgical treatments.   In other words, you can’t have higher copays, larger deductibles or more unique deductibles; really, any extra “hoops” to jump through. Although these rules have been in place for a while, the new rules are more challenging for employers to fol...

The health care industry and benefits landscape are continually evolving and there’s never a dull moment.   But health care costs continue to escalate, and while the pandemic upended certain expenses for a time, large employers in the U.S. expect benefits costs will rise 5.3 percent in 2021 . It’s clear there is much work to be done to address this unsustainable increase and improve the health car...

Tune into this podcast to hear what we can expect from the new administration and the impact on employer requirements, compliance around COVID-19, employee benefits and the healthcare landscape at large.   PLAY EPISODE   Looking for more information around how COVID-19 has impacted federal legislation and regulatory guidance?   Download the COVID-19 and Employee Benefits Toolkit and tap into the b...

To say employees are working under unique circumstances in 2020 would be considered an understatement by most. We are dealing with an intersection of stressors between the global pandemic, the impact of the resulting economic downturn, political divisions in an election year, and social unrest. Add in the upcoming holiday season and it may seem like a plunge in employee morale is inevitable, but i...