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Alpha e-News Update
December 2015
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The Alpha Group Agency
4200 Rockside Road, Suite 300
Independence, Ohio 44131
216-520-3300 |
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FSA Limit for 2016 is Unchanged  The ACA imposes a maximum dollar limit on employees' salary reduction contributions to a health FSA. Although the ACA set this limit at $2,500, the limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments each year. On Oct. 21, 2015, the IRS announced that, for taxable years beginning in 2016, the dollar limit on employees' salary reduction contributions to a health FSA will remain unchanged at $2,550. This Health Care Reform Compliance Bulletin explains the indexed health FSA limit for 2016. View Article
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Know Your Benefits
Forms 1095-B and 1095-C: What You Need to Know
The Know Your Benefits series is for employee communication. Feel free to download and distribute to your team.
This Know Your Benefits article outlines the importance of Forms 1095-B and 1095-C and why you should save these two forms for tax time. View Article |
HSA Infographic 
Use this infographic to explain to employees what an HSA is, including highlights, advantages and tips on how to use it. View Article
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Live Well, Work Well
Please download & print or email this month's LIVE WELL, WORK WELL Newsletter for your employees!
The Live Well, Work Well Newsletter is an employee newsletter that is produced monthly and covers topics like health, wellness, fitness, nutrition and personal finances. This month's issue includes information on breast cancer screening guidelines, processed meats, how to avoid holiday weight gain and a recipe for cranberry sweet potatoes.
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Workplace Wellness Plan Design - Legal Issues
 Wellness plans must be carefully structured to comply with federal laws. This Legislative Brief provides an overview of the requirements for wellness plans under HIPAA (as amended by the ACA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). It also includes a chart that compares key wellness plan requirements under these three laws. View Article
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 HR Brief: Human Resources Tips
This month's HR Brief gives an overview of the EEOC's proposed rule on GINA affecting wellness programs, the IRS' clarification on federal tax regulations for same-sex spouses and fantasy sports impact on employee productivity. View HR Brief |
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Understanding Social Security and Medicare
America's Retirement Safety Net
Our magazine-style flipbooks provide helpful information on a variety of financial topics and illustrate key financial concepts. Click the image below to view, and visit our website for more flipbooks.
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We are happy to announce that Sean Nehlsen of AlphaHR is now an Advisory Board Member on the Leadership and Human Resources Management Advisory Board at The University of Akron. "Advisory Board members provide expertise, advice, and guidance on academic programming either to the college as a whole or to individual departments, institutes, and centers. This helps ensure our curricula remain relevant and rigorous. Advisory Board members also interact with CBA students as mentors and as guest speakers in classes, and provide internship and job opportunities to our students." Congratulations Sean!
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According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA), approximately 37.5 million full-time employees participate in fantasy sports. It is estimated that the average player spends up to nine hours per week researching fantasy sports and three hours per week managing a team. Undoubtedly, a few of these hours overlap with work hours.
There is good reason to be concerned about lost productivity due to fantasy sports in the workplace. According to outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, each NFL season costs more than $16 billion in lost productivity due to fantasy football.
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Cranberry Sweet Potatoes
These sweet potatoes are a healthy substitution for the mashed potatoes typically served during holiday dinners, which are usually loaded with butter, cream and cheese.
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. margarine
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces)
½ cup dried cranberries
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a 9x9 baking dish, combine the orange juice, margarine, vegetable oil, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Add the potatoes and cranberries.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Nutrition:
Per serving: Each serving provides 250 calories, 9 g of fat, 1.5 g of saturated fat, 180 mg of sodium, 2 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
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Know Your Benefits - What Happens if I Miss Open Enrollment? 
This article explains to employees the ramifications of missing a company's enrollment period and briefly details the options for seeking alternate coverage. View ArticleHealth Coverage Options for Young Adults
Use this piece to inform young employees of the various health coverage options available to them. View ArticleIndividual Open Enrollment starts
November 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016
Individuals can shop the market directly from Alpha's website. We'll show you all the available plans and rates plus link you to provider directories, plan details and calculate potential subsidy. When you decide on your plan, simply click to apply.
Alpha's Individual Account Managers can assist with questions and help you apply. Visit www.thealphaga.com and click INDIVIDUAL EXCHANGE on the bottom center of the page.
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Do-It-Yourself 1095 Form Generator
How will you produce the required Forms 1094-C and 1095-C this January? 
Alpha has a solution.
Alpha can provide you access to DIY1095, a web-based, user-friendly tool that helps you manage the forms-generation process. An automated template for HR/Benefits professionals to generate compliant, accurate Forms 1094-C and 1095-C (or 1094-B and 1095-B for small employers).
A value-added benefit free of charge for all Alpha clients.
Reduce errors and use your time to focus on other things. Sign up is easy, just complete and submit this Employer Access Request Form. A Welcome email will tell you what's next! Need to know more?
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Summary Plan Description
Including Premium Conversion Plan
 AlphaHR can help you stay in compliance with the required plan documentation for your benefit plans. Alpha clients are eligible for a discounted annual rate and the set-up fee is waived. Annual rate includes:
- Separate Plan Document and Summary Plan Description (wrap document)
- ERISA and Affordable Care Act Notices at no extra charge
- Summary of Material Modification
- Instructions on how to distribute information to employees
- Email alerts regarding changes to ERISA or IRS requirements that could impact Wrap SPD and Plan Document compliance
- Premium Conversion Plan <NEW!
- Learn more
Sean Nehlsen of AlphaHR and his team are available to help with the creation of SPD's and
total ERISA Compliance.
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Alpha Property & Casualty
Alpha Property & Casualty has offices in Westlake & Independence, with agents available at both locations. Alpha P&C offers solutions for Business Insurance as well as personal lines. Get a quoteThis month's featured article:Learn ways to avoid skids, slips and accidents while driving in winter weather in this Live Well, Work Well flyer.
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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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