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Insurance

HIPAA Rules Aren’t Just For Doctors and Hospitals

08/01/2005

Q. I’d like to know if our company needs something like a HIPAA form for employees to sign when we release personal information to others. Is HIPAA only for the medical field? —B.B., New York

Stay distant from voluntary-benefits vendors

08/01/2005
There are many upsides to offering voluntary benefits such as long-term care insurance, prepaid legal services and pet insurance. However, if you link such programs too closely with your regular benefit plan, your organization could incur liability. Here are three ways to keep your distance.

Don’t use employee-leasing tactic to avoid UI taxes

08/01/2005
In recent years, more companies have moved their employees to professional employment organizations (PEOs) and then leased the employees back from the PEO. But states are cracking down on employers who …

Don’t overlook insurance-company freebies

06/01/2005
Many insurers offer free services that can cut your costs or make your business safer. Examples: Some offer free safety inspections and risk-management analysis. Others provide free classes or training materials …

Explain true health costs to employees; they’re clueless

05/01/2005
If you feel that employees don’t appreciate your company’s benefit plan, a new study shows why: They grossly underestimate your investment, particularly your contribution to health insurance costs.
More than …

Work with doctors to see if injury is related to work or age

05/01/2005
Issue: As the work force ages, more employees are suffering age-related injuries that appear to be work related.
Risk: You may wind up paying, in insurance and workers’ comp costs, …

Terminating smokers: When there’s smoke, can you fire?

04/01/2005
Ever since media reports focused earlier this year on a Michigan company’s strict policy banning smokers on staff, many employers have asked the question: “Can we, should we, do the same?” …

Continuing insurance isn’t required by workers’ comp

04/01/2005

Q. We have several employees out on workers’ comp claims. Our policy is to pay for the employee but not dependents. How can we terminate the group insurance for employees who are out on workers’ comp for more than three months? —M.O., Washington

Don’t automatically fire after FMLA, STD leave expire

04/01/2005

Q. Our policy is to run FMLA and short-term disability (STD) concurrently. FMLA is for 12 weeks of job-protected leave. STD is for 26 weeks, with proper medical documentation. At what point can we terminate an employee, at the end of 12 weeks, when FMLA leave is exhausted? And, if so, do we end short-term disability payments, since the employee has been terminated? —E.A., Georgia

Draw staff to health screenings with the right sales pitch

04/01/2005
Issue: Employees who participate in health screenings submit fewer medical claims, lowering your costs.
Risk: They won’t show up if they don’t see the value.
Action: Dangle the best …