Author: RAM Benefits Admin

  • Benefits 101: What Is Open Enrollment?

    Benefits 101: What Is Open Enrollment?

    For millions of Americans, the end of the year is open enrollment season – a yearly opportunity to take stock of your health care needs and select the health insurance plan that works best for you.  It is a window of time – typically in the fall – when you can sign up for health…

  • Compliance Recap August 2023

    Compliance Recap August 2023

    IRS DECREASES 2024 ACA AFFORDABILITY TO 8.39% The IRS has announced a reduction in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability percentage for plan years starting in 2024, lowering it from 9.12% in 2023 to 8.39%. This affordability percentage determines the maximum portion of an employee’s household income that can be spent on self-only coverage while still complying…

  • 8 Unique Benefits Employers Are Offering to Attract Talent in Asia-Pacific

    8 Unique Benefits Employers Are Offering to Attract Talent in Asia-Pacific

    If the so-called Great Resignation taught us anything, it’s that employees are looking for more than just a salary when it comes to their jobs. Employee benefits have a crucial part in enhancing engagement, attracting new employees, and retaining top talent. Employee benefits refer to any form of compensation that employees receive in addition to their base…

  • The Return of Student Loans: Ease Your Employee’s Anxiety

    The Return of Student Loans: Ease Your Employee’s Anxiety

    In the U.S., the outstanding balance is $1.75 trillion in student loan debt.  Approximately 55% of students from public four-year universities have student loans, with a balance of $37,338 owed per borrower.  Beginning in October, workers nationwide will need to resume payments on their student loans for the first time since March 2020.  The pandemic-related…

  • Trending Topics: Fertility Benefits

    Trending Topics: Fertility Benefits

    Did you know that in 2017 the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization recognized infertility as a disease? Approximately 17.5% – roughly one in six couples– are affected by infertility in the U.S. As societal norms and employee expectations continue to evolve, companies are recognizing the importance of offering comprehensive benefits packages that…

  • Compliance Recap July 2023

    Compliance Recap July 2023

    PROPOSED CHANGES TO SHORT-TERM, LIMITED-DURATION INSURANCE On July 7, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury proposed changes to modify the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) and the conditions for fixed indemnity insurance to be considered an excepted benefit. The…

  • Why Health Insurance Matters

    Why Health Insurance Matters

    Health insurance may not be the most exciting thing to shop for but it’s one of the most important things that you can buy for yourself and for your family.  Having health insurance has many benefits.  It protects you and your family from financial loss in the same way that home or car insurance does. …

  • Employee Disengagement – Loud Quitting Has Arrived

    Employee Disengagement – Loud Quitting Has Arrived

    Gallup recently sounded the alarm on the employee engagement crisis. A survey revealed that nearly 60% of 120,000 of the world’s workers are quiet quitting or not engaging, and 18% are actively disengaged, which Gallup labeled as loud quitting. This is a surprise to the public, but Human Resources professionals saw this coming. In the State of HR survey,…

  • Financial Safety Nets – Don’t Let Your Employees Slip Through the Cracks!

    Financial Safety Nets – Don’t Let Your Employees Slip Through the Cracks!

    In the wake of the Great Depression and WWII, employers started to add benefits packages.  Healthcare had fallen by the wayside for families working to access the basic necessities of life.  The idea was to support the employee’s personal needs while keeping and attracting the best talents in the workforce. This trend of offering benefits…

  • Compliance Recap June 2023

    Compliance Recap June 2023

    PCORI FEE DUE DATE APPROACHES Employers offering self-funded medical plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) must report and pay fees to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) by July 31. If the plan was fully insured, employers can rely on their insurance carriers to handle the fee payment. The current annual fees are: For plan years…