September 2018
Stay Current Newsletter
art4How to Address Mental Health in the Workplace

This month, we are re-publishing an article from the June edition of the HR Done Right newsletter. In conjunction with Benefits Done Right, HRDR has teamed up with industry experts from Kaiser and ComPsych to discuss mental health in the workplace and violence prevention.

If you have not yet received an invitation to the Fall Employer Seminar, you can click here. Every employer should attend.


Mental Health in the Workplace

It's headlining the morning news show. It's all over social media. It's being talked about at the water cooler. The suicides of public figures Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have catapulted mental health into the spotlight and shined a light on a topic that can sometimes be difficult to discuss. The World Health Organization found that suicide was one of the top 20 leading causes of death in 2015 and was the leading cause of death of people between the ages of 15-29. 

Americans with a full-time job work an average of 47 hours per week, which means a large portion of our waking hours are spent around those we work with. If you observe a change in behavior in someone, don't be afraid to start a conversation. By starting with "I wanted to check in, you haven't seemed like yourself lately," you are giving them the opportunity to open up and ask for help if they need it. These conversations are not always the easiest to start, but do not shy away from it. There are resources that can help identify warning signs of mental illness or other changes in behavior.

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can also be a beneficial resource. Employers can direct their employees to services covered in their EAP to continue the recovery process. By providing an EAP, you can help reduce the effect untreated mental illness can have on your company. 

The conversation about mental health in the workplace is not going away. Employers have an opportunity to help their employees receive the help that is needed. Your consultant is available to provide guidance on starting these conversations.

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Question of the Month
Q: My employee turns 65 on [X Date], what are their options for Medicare to avoid the penalty?

A: The penalty that many people refer to at this time is a late enrollment penalty that is 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn't sign up for it. This penalty does not apply to employees who are enrolled in coverage through an employer that is considered credible. This means the coverage meets Medicare's minimum standards for prescriptions. Please reach out to your account manager to confirm if a plan is credible. 

Something else to consider at this time is, is it worth it to stay on my job-based plan and what is the impact? 
  • Job-based insurance is primary if it is from an employer with 20+ employees. Medicare is secondary in this case, and some people choose not to enroll in Part B because of the additional monthly premium.
  • Job-based insurance is secondary if it is from an employer with fewer than 20 employees. Medicare is primary in this case, and if you delay Medicare enrollment, your job-based insurance may provide little or no coverage. You may want to enroll in Part B to avoid incurring high costs for your care.
art32018 ACA Reporting Draft Forms Now Available

The IRS released draft 2018 forms for Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 6055 and 6056. Draft instructions for 2018 have not yet been released.

The 2018 draft forms are substantially similar to the final 2017 versions. However, the revised version of the Form 1095-C clarifies that the "Plan Start Month" box in Part II will remain optional for 2018. The IRS previously indicated that this box may have been mandatory for the 2018 Form 1095-C.

Keep in mind that the 2018 draft instructions for these forms may include additional changes or clarifications, once released. Also, the IRS may make additional changes to these forms before releasing final 2018 versions.

What You Need to Do

Employers should become familiar with these forms for reporting for the 2018 calendar year. However, these forms are draft versions only, and should not be filed with the IRS or relied upon for filing.
  • 2018 draft Forms 1094-C and 1095-C were released July 11, 2018, and will be used by applicable large employers (ALEs) to report under Section 6056, as well as for combined Section 6055 and 6056 reporting by ALEs who sponsor self-insured plans.
  • 2018 draft Forms 1094-B and 1095-B were also released in July 2018, and will be used by entities reporting under Section 6055, including self-insured plan sponsors that are not ALEs.
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