Employee Benefits

September 10, 2024

Pay-or-Play Affordability Percentage Will Increase for 2025

On Sept. 6, 2024, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2024-35 to index the contribution percentage in 2025 for determining the affordability of an employer’s plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For plan years beginning in 2025, employer-sponsored coverage will be considered affordable under the ACA’s “pay-or-play” rules if the employee’s required contribution for self-only...

August 20, 2024

Key HSA Features—2025 Compliance

Health savings accounts (HSAs) are a popular type of tax-advantaged medical savings account available to individuals enrolled in high deductible health plans (HDHPs). Individuals can use their HSAs to pay for expenses covered under an HDHP until their deductible has been met, or they can use their HSAs to pay for qualified medical expenses that...

August 19, 2024

Managing Work-Life Balance During Return to School

For working parents with school-age kids, the back-to-school season can be chaotic. There are new routines to figure out, an onslaught of activities to manage and sometimes kids’ transitional meltdowns to soothe. Undoubtedly, working parents are a critical part of the U.S. workforce. Not only is labor force participation among parents back at pre-COVID-19-pandemic levels,...

August 15, 2024

The Advantages of Voluntary Benefits

Voluntary benefits, such as vision, dental and life insurance, are additional benefit options offered by an employer. Unlike traditional benefits like health coverage, employees are responsible for paying for most or all of these voluntary options. Advantages of these benefits include: Contact us if you have questions about available voluntary benefits. Article Published By: Zywave,...

August 8, 2024

 Early Preparation Is Crucial for 2025 Open Enrollment

The job market remains highly competitive as employers work to attract and retain today’s top talent. With the 2025 open enrollment season around the corner, employers have an opportunity to develop attractive benefits offerings and proactively communicate with employees to win them over. Early preparation can help show employees they are valued, convince top performers...

August 1, 2024

Communicating HSA Rules to Employees

As part of the open enrollment process, employers that offer HSA-compatible HDHPs should help their employees understand the benefits of opening an HSA and making tax-free contributions. Employees may be confused about the rules surrounding HSAs and may not realize all the advantages associated with these accounts. CMR Risk & Insurance Services, Inc. can provide...

July 11, 2024

Helping Employees Navigate Rising Health Care Costs

Employers continue to struggle with rising health care costs and providing employees with affordable and quality care options. Unfortunately, employers expect health care costs to increase significantly in 2024. Several industry reports revealed that employers anticipate health care costs to grow between 6.5% and 8.5% in 2024, the largest increase in more than a decade....

June 10, 2024

Over 80% of Employers Will Add or Improve Benefits in the Next Year

A new report by health care benefits company Lively found that 81% of organizations plan to add or improve employee benefits in the next year to better recruit and retain employees. Furthermore, the report showed that employee experience, feedback and ease of use matter the most when benefits leaders decide to select or renew with...

June 5, 2024

U.S. Employees Prioritize Stability Amid Economic Uncertainty

Amid a tumultuous economic and geopolitical landscape, U.S. employees are increasingly seeking stability from their employers, according to the 2024 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey by WTW. The survey found a significant shift in employee preferences, with 72% now choosing to stay in their current jobs, reversing the trend of high turnover seen in recent years....

April 12, 2024

How the Right Benefits Can Improve Employees’ Health, Finances and More

Employers spend a lot of time contemplating which benefits to add to their plans. When those offerings are then utilized and go on to improve an employee’s life, the effort is more than worth it.  As employees continue to demand support around their health and well-being, it’s critical organizations offer a wide variety of benefits...