Keeping You Current
 April 2014 Monthly Newsletter
Hi ,

Big news in the insurance industry: The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America has officially agreed to purchase Sacramento-based Premier Access Insurance Company. Many of you have plans with Premier Access, and we want to assure you all current contracts are guaranteed and still in force and will be for the forseeable future. There is no cause for concern; please contact your account manager if you have any questions.

This Tuesday I had the privilege of speaking at the Sacramento Employer Advisory Council's spring workshop. It was a fantastic opportunity for Benefits Done Right to speak with area CEOs, CFO, and human resource professionals about the importance of corporate culture, innovative new plan ideas, using choice architecture to influence decision-making, and how technological developments have impacted the benefits landscape.

Some intriguing points to think about that were discussed during the presentation:
  • Company culture is often a major factor in attracting and retaining top talent
  • "Skinny" plans are very aggressive but could help employers meet compliance standards while still providing affordable options for lower wage organizations 
  • In the "carrot vs. stick" analogy, the "stick" is actually often more effective
  • Going "green" is easier now with fully- and partially-integrated payroll, time and attendance, HRIS, and enrollment functions
  • Payroll solutions now allow you to master compliance issues along with time and attendance modules 
Please call or email myself or Gayle with any questions you may have.

It's been an interesting ride, and we're ready to tackle what's coming next, whatever that may be. As always, it is a pleasure and a privilege to work with you, and you can count on us to keep you current.

Best regards,


Laurie Rood, CEO
Benefits Done Right at the Annual National Benefits Selling Expo 
Laurie and Gayle headed to Colorado Springs, CO to get the latest info
 
We like to stay on the cutting edge of technology, benefit offerings and enrollment strategies. This conference provided tremendous insight we will be incorporating into our business planning with you as we work in advance on your renewals.

Avoid discrepancies and processing delays  

Our Account Management and Eligibility staff efficiently process your enrollments and changes; however, we do not receive copies of your billing statements. It is very important that you reconcile your billing statements each month to ensure eligibility is accurately reflected when changes have been submitted.

 

If you find discrepancies, please let us know immediately as most carriers have a 30-day limit to make corrections. Ensuring accuracy at the time of processing is always a top priority for us, and billing statements are the most effective way to confirm the information reflected in the carrier's system.

Know Your Plan 
When contracts change, coverage can change as well
 

As contracts change due to streamlining to adhere to new Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements and typical renewal changes, members should not assume what was covered before is still covered or covered in the same manner. For example, Kaiser recently reduced their plans' Durable Medical Equipment (DME) benefit, which has completely removed coverage for CPAP equipment and attachments. This is a complete exclusion, so the member would be responsible for the cost with no member discount.

 

The need for awareness extends to all aspects of a plan. Members need to read their plan summaries and any materials sent to them by the insurance carriers after renewal because the game plan is very different these days.




Benefits Done Right Insurance Agency, Inc.
601 University Avenue, Suite 250 / Sacramento, CA  95825
800 482 1817 / 916 568 2345 / fax: 916 564 9228

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