Federal Employment Law Update – May 2018 | VA Benefit Consultants

EEO-1 Filing Deadline Extended In late April 2018, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the deadline for the EEO-1 Employer Information Report (EEO-1 Report) has been extended from March 31, 2018 to June 1, 2018. For the 2017 EEO-1 reporting cycle, the EEO-1 will collect data on the race, ethnicity, and sex of … Continued

5 Employee Handbook Mistakes to Avoid | Virginia Benefit Brokers

Gary Wheeler, partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, a well-respected national employment law firm and legal partner to ThinkHR, explains five mistakes he sees frequently in his clients’ employee handbooks. It’s too long, inconsistent, or redundant. Like with your house, when you live with an employee handbook for a while, you collect things … Continued

Prescription Drug Discount Programs | VA Employee Benefits

Did you know that you can save time and money on your prescription drugs by simply signing up for a discount card online? With savings as much as 80% off, these discount cards keep your health care costs down even when the prices of prescriptions are sharply rising.  At no cost to the patient, discount … Continued

Price Shop Healthcare | Virginia Benefit Advisors

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

Ask the Experts: Electronic Delivery of ERISA Notices | Virginia Benefit Advisors

Q. Can we provide summary plan descriptions (SPDs) electronically? A. Yes. However, just sending them is not enough to meet ERISA requirements; you must ensure the intended recipients are actually getting them. Specifically, ERISA requires SPDs to be furnished using “measures reasonably calculated to ensure actual receipt of the material” via “methods likely to result … Continued

2018 HSA Family Contribution Limit Reduced by $50 | Virginia Benefit Advisors

On March 5, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a reduction in the maximum annual contribution allowed for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in 2018. The change does not affect people whose HSA contributions are based on self-only health coverage, but it does affect those with family coverage under a qualifying High Deductible Health Plan … Continued