News & Events

More Than Just a Pretty Smile: The Impact of Oral Health | Virginia Benefits Consultants

Did you know that your oral health can have a significant impact on your overall health? It’s true! Your mouth offers clues about your general well-being. Good dental hygiene can help improve your overall health. As a bonus, maintaining good oral health can even REDUCE your healthcare costs! Your Mouth: A Window to Your Health … Continued

Building a Financially Healthy Workforce | VA Employee Benefits Group

Financial stress is a silent epidemic plaguing workplaces everywhere. It impacts employees at all levels, leading to decreased productivity, lower morale, and increased absenteeism. But there’s good news: employers hold the key to building a financially healthy workforce. Stress and Financial Well-Being Cultivating your employees’ financial well-being is a necessity in creating a productive and … Continued

Benefits Buzz March 2025 | VA Employee Benefits Advisors

ERISA Fiduciary Breach Claims Dismissed in Prescription Drug Lawsuit On Jan. 24, 2025, a U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed two claims in a class-action lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which alleged that the company breached its fiduciary duties under ERISA by mismanaging its prescription drug benefits plan and … Continued

New Legislation Updates ACA Reporting Rules | Virginia Benefits Firm

At the close of 2024, Congress passed two new pieces of legislation: the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act and the Employer Reporting Improvement Act. These laws simplify the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting requirements for employers and introduce new limits on the IRS’s authority to enforce “pay-or-play” penalties, among other changes. Under the ACA, applicable large … Continued

Beyond Open Enrollment: Engaging Employees with Benefits | Virginia Employee Benefits Consultants

Most organizations treat employee benefits like a seasonal event. Open enrollment brings a flurry of activity – emails, seminars, and even benefits fairs. However, communication often dwindles after this initial push, leaving employees confused and underutilizing their valuable benefits. This is a missed opportunity. Research shows that employees crave more benefits education, spending hours researching … Continued

Benefits Breakdown February 2024 | VA Employee Benefits Partners

Key Takeaways From the CAA-mandated Prescription Drug Cost Report The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) mandates that group health plans and health insurance issuers submit annual data on premiums, enrollment, medical spending and prescription drug rebates to various departments to address this. This initiative, known as the Prescription Drug Data Collection (RxDC), aims to enhance … Continued

The Heart of the Matter: Your Guide to Cardiovascular Wellness | Virginia Benefits Group

February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about cardiovascular health and how to keep your heart in top condition. Are you taking steps to protect your heart? You can actively reduce your risk for heart disease by adopting a healthy diet, staying physically active, and managing your cholesterol and blood pressure. Heart … Continued

ACA Reporting Deadlines for 2025: What You Need to Know | Virginia Benefits Advisors

For employers subject to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), staying compliant with reporting requirements is non-negotiable. With 2025 due dates just around the corner, now is the time to prepare for distributing Forms 1095-C to employees and filing with the IRS. These forms provide essential information about health coverage offered to employees and are critical … Continued

8 Keys to Building Trust at Work | VA Employee Benefits Firm

Trust has always been important to organizational success.  Trust can’t be demanded. It must be earned over time and through consistent behavior and actions. Rebuilding trust is even more difficult, but it’s even more critical to your organization’s success because when trust is broken, productivity usually suffers. One of the things we are learning about … Continued

Benefits Buzz January 2025 | Virginia Benefits Consultants

PCORI Fee Amount Adjusted for 2025 The IRS recently issued Notice 2024-83 to increase the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee amount for plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2024, and before Oct. 1, 2025. The updated PCORI fee amount is $3.47 multiplied by the average number of lives covered under the plan. For plan years that … Continued