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Alpha e-News Update
May 2014
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The Alpha Group Agency
4200 Rockside Road, Suite 300
Independence, Ohio 44131
216-520-3300 |
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| Health Reform Regulations |
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Retroactive Elimination of Small Group Deductible Limits
The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 was signed into law in April of 2014, which included a provision that eliminated the maximum deductible allowed for small group plans. See how this could affect you. View Article
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 Know Your Benefits
10 Easy Ways to Stretch Your Health Care Dollars
You've no doubt noticed that each year, your health care costs go up. This continuing trend can significantly impact your budget. While it's difficult to control all the factors that contribute to rising health care costs, stretching your health care dollars is easier than you think with these 10 easy ways to get the most bang for your buck.
View Article
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FlexCorp Change to TASC's COBRAToday
For our clients enrolled with FlexCorp for COBRA administrattion, FlexCorp was acquired by TASC in May 2011. You may be familiar with TASC as they are one of the resources Alpha recommends for our clients' ERISA compliance. As a part of this new ownership, TASC will begin moving COBRA clients associated with FlexCorp to their parent company's COBRA web, COBRAToday.
Read Alpha's email notification
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HSA Limits Increase in 2015
On April 23, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Revenue Procedure 2014-30, which increases limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) effective for calendar year 2015.
Legislative Brief - HSA Limits Will Increase for 2015
Legislative Brief - HSA Limits for 2013, 2014 and 2015
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IRS Clarifies FSA Carry-over and HSA Eligibility
The IRS has provided clarification on how health flexible spending account (FSA) carryovers affect eligibility for health savings accounts (HSAs). An individual who carries over unused funds from a prior year to a current year under a general purpose health FSA will not be eligible for HSA contributions for the entire current plan year (even for months after the health FSA no longer has any amounts available to pay or reimburse medical expenses).
Alternative approaches to preserve HSA eligibility include carrying over unused amounts to an HSA-compatible health FSA and allowing individuals participating in a general purpose FSA to decline or waive the carryover.
Guidance on this issue was released on March 28, 2014, by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an Office of Chief Counsel Memorandum.
Please contact Steve Orlando, Alpha's Financial Technician with any questions about any consumer-driven health plan.
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Studies Confirm Screening and Healthy Lifestyles Can Prevent Cancer
According to multiple studies, a large percentage of cancer cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes and screening. Read here for details. View Article
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Live Well, Work Well
Please download and print or email this month's LIVE WELL, WORK WELL Newsletter for your employees! This month's topics include:
- Fat Myths
- Stroke Awareness Month
- Pilates 101
- Emergency Savings
- Sensational Six-Layer Dinner
Download Live Well, Work Well - May Issue
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 HR Insights: Motivating Employees
Ensuring your employees are satisfied and feel appreciated is more important now than ever. As the economy recovers and companies rebound, some employees are starting to look for other employment opportunities rather than simply being grateful for keeping their job. Organizations need to focus on keeping employees happy and motivated in order to stay competitive in their recruiting and retention efforts. View Article
Sean Nehlsen of AlphaHR is always available to our clients for questions, clarification and general HR help.
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 5 Tips for Better Performance Appraisals
Consider these tips to help you conduct more effective performance appraisals at your organization. View Article
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 Savings Fitness Top 10 Ways to Save for Retirement
FACTS:
- Today, only 42 percent of Americans have calculated how much they need to save for retirement.
- 30 percent of those who have 401(k) coverage available don't participate in their employer's plan.
- The average American spends 18 years in retirement.
Keep reading for the Top 10 ways to save
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Press Release:
Jim Schade Becomes PPACA Certified
(Independence, OH) - Jim Schade, Principal/Benefits Adviser with The Alpha Group Agency became certified through The National Association of Health Underwriters' (NAHU) new professional development course on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Read Press Release
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Avocado Hollandaise
 Ingredients:
1/2 very ripe medium Hass avocado, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Poached eggs, for serving
In a blender, combine the avocado and lemon juice with 1/3 cup of hot water. Puree until smooth and light in texture, about 2 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally. With the machine on, drizzle in the olive oil and puree until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the hollandaise over poached eggs.
Download Recipe
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Did You Know?
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide this summer whether private businesses can claim an exemption to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate based on religious beliefs.
On March 25, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases challenging the ACA's requirement that most health plans cover Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives, sterilization procedures and patient counseling. The companies involved claim that this rule violates their freedom of religion.
The Court is expected to issue its decision by the end of June 2014.
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NEWS BRIEF:
What You Need to Know About the Heartbleed Bug
By now, you have probably either heard about or read about this internet bug. Attached is an easy to read article on this bug and some thoughts as to how you should (or should not) react to it. View Article
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Correction Notice
 | | Charlie Conner, President of Alcon Tool with Carla Ivka, Alpha's Wellness Program Coordinator |
Last month we reported on
Alcon's Biggest Stride Award
and we accidentally tagged
Charles Rankin, CEO of Alcon
as being pictured with our Wellness Coordinator.
However, this is CHARLIE CONNER, President of Alcon Tool pictured with Carla!
Sorry Charlie!
Read More
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Paperless Enrollment with FormFire
Save Time While Empowering Your Employees
FormFire is an online paperless process that makes enrolling for medical insurance a snap for you and your employees. Employees enter their medical underwriting information one time, and the information is mapped to the applications of all the major insurance carriers in the state of Ohio. Save time and eliminate paper.
Highlights
- Single Point of Entry - Never ask your employees to complete medical applications again!
- Safe and Secure - HIPAA compliant, data is secure
- Do More with Less - FormFire processes more applications in less time
- Real-Time Monitoring - automate the process of monitoring employee progress
- Save Time - One application - at next renewal, employees won't need to re-enter their data
- Accepted and Preferred - All major Ohio medical carriers accept FormFire
Contact your Alpha Broker or Account Manager for details.
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Alpha Benefits, Inc. / Alpha Financial Services, Inc. / Alpha Property & Casualty, Inc. / AlphaHR, LLC.
Stability in an ever-changing environment.
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