March Newsletter
 
PayActive Lunch & Learn set for March 7
 
Security, Dignity and Savings for Employees
 
Everyone plans for rent, food, transportation and other necessities, but people living paycheck to paycheck are most vulnerable to the slightest fluctuations in expenses between pay cycles.

PayActiv eliminates the timing issue associated with waiting for payday and gives working people the option of accessing up to $500 of their earned but unpaid wages to manage their expenses without the fear of late fees, borrowing from friends or taking predatory loans.

Date: March 7 at 11:30 a.m.
Location: Twin City Event Center (901 Main St. downtown Little Rock)
Free Parking and Lunch!

Call Kristy at 501-375-3737/1-800-359-3748
Or Email her at [email protected]
   

Employers shifting focus from wellness to well-being

As the burgeoning wellness industry continues to grow, it is also experiencing a number of key changes brought on by a shift in expectations from employers and others seeking  wellness services.

A new  study by Shortlister, an HR technology sourcing firm, shows most employee benefits consultants say employers are shifting their focus from physical wellness to a more holistic " well-being" approach which takes into account psychological, emotional and financial health.

 

Quality of benefits packages affects company reputation

If you ask business owners and human resources professionals about the effect  benefits packages can have on a company, they'll tell you the quality of those packages affects the company's reputation.

That's according to a survey from the Healthcare Trends Institute, which finds in the fourth annual  Benefits Benchmark Survey that the majority of employers and HR executives look upon health benefits offerings as  recruiting and retention tools.

The survey, which provides employers insights into how their peers are adopting new health care benefits options, says the majority of respondents also say improving  employee morale and satisfaction  (68 percent) and improving employee health (67) are key considerations.

 Read more

Obamacare replacement draft legislation previewed

A 105-page draft of the reconciliation bill, which will repeal and partially replace Obamacare, was leaked to the press over the weekend, showing Republicans plan to scale back Medicaid and eliminate penalties attached to the individual and employer mandates.

The discussion draft  calls for tax credits for individuals based on age, ranging between $2,000 and $4,000 - a shift from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which bases subsidies on income.

 
 
Arkansas Business reports that some Arkansas hospitals are feeling the fallout from Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield not receiving the premium increase it requested last fall.

If you recall, the state's largest insurance provider  asked the Arkansas Insurance Department to increase premiums for 2017 by 14.7 percent to cover the costs of its members in the "metallic" health insurance products. That includes the Medicaid expansion called Arkansas Works and individuals who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange.

The AID ultimately approved a 9.7 percent increase.

"That 5 percent [difference] represented a $60 million underfunding," ABCBS spokeswoman Max Greenwood said.


Take advantage of The Hatcher Agency's mobile site  

 

We pride ourselves on being cutting edge when it comes to meeting the insurance needs of our clients.  Now we've taken our "Outrageous Service" a step further with the introduction of our new mobile site!

 

You can access everything the agency has to offer in one easy and convenient spot on your phone. Receive insurance quotes, view our wide range of benefits and learn more about the "Hatcher Difference" by clicking here and bookmarking it whenever you need it.  

 

The Hatcher Agency
Give us a try and you will see why "Our Attitude is the Difference!" Call us @ 1-800-359-3748