Many employers are facing challenges in incorporating high-cost GLP-1 medications, such as Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Trulicity and Wegovy, into their group health plans, as they must balance the cost of the group health plan against the interests of participants and beneficiaries in the treatment. With prescriptions for these drugs cost around $1,000 a month, outlays…
Fed-OSHA has finalized a new regulation that requires personal protective equipment for construction workers to be properly fitting. The lack of access to properly fitting PPE for smaller-framed construction workers — especially women — has been a perennial problem, as ill-fitting gear may not protect employees adequately in case of an incident. The new standard…
Health savings accounts have become a prime target for cyber criminals, who are using advanced tactics to steal funds from them, putting your employees’ medical expense savings at risk. The risk is even greater considering that employees can keep HSAs for life and many of them are building wealth in these accounts to save for…
With more and more California businesses being forced to go to the California FAIR Plan for their coverage, the market of last resort has moved to increase its commercial property coverage limits significantly. This should bring a semblance of relief to companies located in wildfire-prone areas, who have seen their commercial property insurance non-renewed and…
You have a great group of employees working with you and your business is thriving. For many small-to-mid-sized businesses that success is due to one or two key individuals with both skills, experience and connections that would be difficult to replace. But what if one of your personnel were injured and out of work for…
The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that it will not enforce a law requiring most businesses with fewer than 20 employees and less than $5 million in annual revenue to report ownership and control information to the federal government every year. The Corporate Transparency Act required firms to file this information by Jan. 1, 2025,…
President Donald Trump, while campaigning, promised his administration would ensure invitro fertilization treatments were either covered by insurance or directly paid for. However, his recent executive order, issued on Feb. 18, stops short of outlining specific policies to accomplish this. Human resources executives are taking a wait-and-see approach to the order, as it directs the…
Farm operators rely on experienced workers to handle grain trucks, tanker trucks, worker transport buses and vital machinery like combines, pesticide sprayers and planters. But an ongoing labor shortage is increasing risks, as less-experienced workers are stepping into these critical roles. The American Trucking Associations warns that a nationwide trucking shortage could exceed 169,000 drivers…
Employers that have decided to offer their staff individual healthcare reimbursement accounts to purchase health insurance on their own have been encountering administrative headaches. Simply tracking whether workers in an ICHRA plan have secured coverage can be complicated, but employers need to contend with other compliance issues too. As a result, more firms have turned…
Nearly half of middle-market businesses feel unprepared for key threats despite implementing various risk management strategies, according to Nationwide Insurance’s latest “Agency Forward” survey. The survey found that while 90% of businesses have formal risk management policies that are reviewed regularly, 21% lack a business continuity plan, leaving them exposed to potential disruptions that could…