HIGHLIGHTS
Everyone loves working from home! The commute is great, the dress code is much more flexible, and boosts in productivity can be seen.

Fortunately, our Company policy during this time was that if you wanted to come into work you could (you had to practice social distancing, wash your hands, wear a mask, yada yada yada), or you could work from home. 

Most companies were not able to adopt such policies. In order to push out a product or service, employees have to be present at the job site. In some cases, peak productivity is achieved through a workforce environment that allows for collaboration and competition, that can only be achieved when employees are at the worksite.

Whatever the reason, employers are struggling to find a way to safely bring employees back into the workforce.

As you would guess, we have several solutions. 

The first of which is AKOS. AKOS has two programs; Employer Testing and Essential Safety Care. 

The other Company is ServRTW, which also does testing and monitoring. Both companies have put together programs and services that get employees back to work safely.
You might remember when the annual PBM trend was a small portion of the overall renewal trend. Boy! Have things changed. The good news is that breakthroughs in prescription medication can eliminate or reduce costly hospitalizations, and provide hope for those suffering with illnesses that were once thought to be terminal. But it has come with a cost.

Over the last several weeks I have received a few pieces that focus on PBM’s that I thought were interesting enough to share. The first is “PBM Contracting 101”, that was written by the folks at Truveris. I thought this was a great piece that gave a high level introduction on how PBM’s worked. This would be perfect for that new employee making their way into the benefits business, or even a little refresher for some of the veterans out there.

The second piece is from Sherman & Company. This one pager is a quick snapshot of the PBM market.  
UPDATES - EMI HEALTH
EMI Enrollment/Renewal Numbers
The 7/1 enrollment and renewal numbers are in from EMI.
 
I have attached a page that will give you an historic look of the EMI Industry Pool’s enrollment, and renewal increases on an annual basis.
UPDATES - ALLIED NATIONAL
Below is a copy of Allied Nationals July 2020 Funding Advantage brochure. And if that is not enough, below is a link that will take you to a video that offers a brief explanation of the Funding Advantage plans.

Allied National is a carrier that Arizona Benefit Plans has been working with for over 5 years now. They are very competitive, pay excellent commission, and do a good job managing accounts. 
 
They are a great alternative.
 
The strike zone for Allied National is that 2-25 enrolled space where participation and contribution are being met. Allied National individually underwrites, and their underwriting is thorough.
 
If you haven’t yet quoted this product yet, give it a shot!
OTHER INDUSTRY NEWS
New Direct Primary Care Rules are a Tough Pill for HSAs
Great article on how proposed regulations could make it difficult to use a DPC physician in association with an HSA. 
New HSA Bank Health & Wealth Index
An informative survey on how people of different age, gender and marital status view employee benefits and overall health care spending.  
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