softwired

Aside from being able to run long, grueling distances, marathon runners have something else that makes them extraordinary—to keep going, running, and training despite the aches, pains, and exhaustion they may feel along the way. They have the insight to know when to rest and heal, and when to push themselves to go farther. While they celebrate the small wins, they always keep their eye on the goal, and return again and again until they reach it.

Join Q4intelligence and Jennifer Berman of MZQ Consulting for a webinar on August 28, 2023, with an overview of the latest updates in employee benefits!

On Tuesday, July 25, the federal Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (“the Departments”) introduced a much-anticipated update to current regulations dealing with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA).

These newly proposed regulations continue to shine a bright light on the need for parity between medical/surgical (M/S) and mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits in all non-quantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) established the requirement that plans initiate and maintain an NQTL analysis. These proposed regulations seek to satisfy issuers, plan sponsors, third-party administrators, and other benefits professionals who have been patiently awaiting additional direction and guidance.

Work-life balance has long been recognized as the holy grail of achieving harmony between our personal and professional lives. However, this concept has evolved into work-life integration, a fresh approach that allows people to seamlessly blend work and personal life. 

Employers who embrace work-life integration can position themselves at the forefront of employee retention, talent attraction, and overall satisfaction, paving the way for a successful and high-performing company.

Late last week, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) published a set of FAQs that clarify how certain surprise billing protections interact with the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) maximum out-of-pocket limit (OOP) requirements. The FAQs also clarify whether facility fees are subject to specific transparency in coverage requirements.

Building trust is a key ingredient for any thriving workplace culture. While it’s encouraging to see a decrease of 8% since 2022, it’s concerning to hear that 25% of workers still lack trust in their employer.

Trust is a journey that can be achieved with the right mindset and effort. As a leader, you should understand what trust means, why it’s important, and how you can foster it to create a culture built on trust, respect, and success.

Late last week, the IRS published additional guidance modifying the COVID-19 coverage that high deductible health plans (HDHPs) can provide while maintaining their HSA-qualified status. This notice was provided in response to the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and National Emergency Period.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been painted in a negative light even before it exploded onto the scene in a big way with ChatGPT. One example is the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where the AI known as Skynet has taken over the world and awoken killer machines to destroy humanity.

And recently, horror stories have been creeping up in the news.

One story involves the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), a TV and movie screenwriter collective. They went on strike on May 2, 2023, which is still ongoing. Besides fair residuals from streaming content, one of the issues behind the strike is that writers want AI tools like ChatGPT to help only with research or brainstorming ideas, not to replace writers.

Innovation is important– no matter what industry you’re in.

Some may say innovation is a buzzword, but leaders need to keep an eye out for new and exciting ways to do so that they can grow, thrive, and survive in an ever-changing business environment. After all, you can’t solve new problems with old solutions.

Leaders can’t just skip to the fun, though. They need to cultivate an innovation culture that encourages (and inspires!) everyone. To do this, leaders must understand their role, any behaviors that drive innovation, and how to sustain that kind of culture once it’s created.

“Business risk.” A phrase that may sound alarming, yet it’s part of owning a business. Both internal threats (slip and fall hazards, theft, high employee turnover) and external threats (economic downturn, computer hacking, a pandemic) can threaten to crumble your business’s foundation, but how you prepare, prevent, and reduce the amount and degree of risk is entirely up to you.