Price Shopping Healthcare | Chicago Benefits Brokers

As the costs of health care soar, many consumers are looking for ways to control their medical spending. Also, with the rise of enrollment in high deductible health plans, consumers are paying for more health care out-of-pocket. From medical savings accounts to discount plans for prescriptions, patients are growing increasingly conscious of prices for their … Continued

Do I Still Need Life Insurance Once I Retire? Your Questions Answered | Illinois Benefit Advisors

Do I need life insurance once I retire? Just because you’re retired doesn’t necessarily mean you’re financially sound. Think of all the different scenarios that may still be applicable: You may have been required to retire early; you may have had investments that have gone sour and haven’t had time to rebuild your nest egg. … Continued

Oral Health = Overall Health | Illinois Benefit Advisors

  Have you heard the saying “the eyes are the window to your soul”? Well, did you know that your mouth is the window into what is going on with the rest of your body? Poor dental health contributes to major systemic health problems. Conversely, good dental hygiene can help improve your overall health.  As … Continued

IRS Extends Deadline for Employers to Furnish Forms 1095-C and 1095-B | Chicago Benefit Advisors

On December 22, 2017, the IRS released Notice 2018-06 to extend the due date for employers to furnish 2017 Form 1095-C or 1095-B under the Affordable Care Act’s employer reporting requirement. Employers will have an extra 30 days to prepare and distribute the 2017 form to individuals. The due dates for filing forms with the … Continued

2017 UBA Healthplan Survey | Chicago Benefit Advisors

It was recently unveiled the latest findings from our 2017 Health Plan Survey. With data on 20,099 health plans sponsored by 11,221 employers, the UBA survey is nearly three times larger than the next two of the nation’s largest health plan benchmarking surveys combined.To learn more, watch this short video below.  

Utilize FSA Monies with Key Year–End Strategies | Chicago Benefit Advisors

‘Tis the Season’. Like most, you ‘re probably in the midst of the “hussle and bussle” of this holiday season with dinners, parties, and activities; Christmas shopping; and spending those remaining FSA dollars you have allocated this year.   Wait, what? Yes, you read right. Chances are, if you’ve opted to utilize an employer-sponsored FSA … Continued

Climate Leave: PTO for when the Wind Blows | Chicago Benefit Advisors

This year, much of the United States had some form of major natural disaster—hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornados—and millions of people were either directly affected, or had a family member or close friend who was affected. This life-changing disruption often meant that people couldn’t, or weren’t able to, go to work. While many companies were understanding … Continued

Employee Benefit Plans and the House Republican Tax Reform Bill | Chicago Benefit Advisors

On November 2, 2017, House Republicans introduced a tax reform bill (H.R.1-115th Congress) called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” that, if passed, would impact multiple aspects of the tax code. Many of these changes relate to employee benefit plans, particularly in relation to certain fringe benefits. Dependent Care Accounts A dependent care flexible spending … Continued

UBA Survey: Weary Families Get a Break While Singles See Out-of-Pocket Cost Increases | Chicago Benefit Advisors

While the rate impact of the regulatory environment plays out, one thing is clear from the 2017 UBA Health Plan Survey: employers continue to shift a greater share of expenses to employees through out-of-pocket cost increases. While this is just one of 7 mega trends uncovered in the survey, it is particularly interesting this year … Continued

Agencies Issue Proposed Rules and Plans | Chicago Benefit Advisors

October was a busy month in the employee benefits world. President Trump announced a new Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Eric Hargan fills the position vacated by Tom Price, who resigned in late September 2017. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule to delay a … Continued