Tag: employee benefits

Employee Benefits Department: UPDATE

November 19, 2019

Good afternoon,

Please read the attached announcement below from Matt DeFendis regarding changes to our Employee Benefits Department.

As you may or may not have heard, Debbie Pittman, our current manager in Employee Benefits, will be relocating to Phoenix at year end.  Fortunately, she will be staying with the company and work from Phoenix in a sales and service role.  Debbie has been a strong leader of our Benefits team and a strong voice on our Management team over the last six years.

 As a result of Debbie’s move, we have asked Sandy Rogers to assume the day to day management of the department and she has accepted.  Sandy has been with D&D for 20 years and has been instrumental to the overall growth of the Benefits Department.  Sandy will be working closely with Debbie and Chris Peters during the transition.  As a result of this change, we anticipate reassigning some accounts within the department.  Sandy and Debbie will be reaching out to the producers to discuss changes within the department.

Chris Peters will remain as Sales Manager and we ask that all new business opportunities be discussed with Chris before being assigned within the department.  Your patience and understanding during this transition is greatly appreciated.

We wish to thank Debbie for the years of leadership she has provided to our Benefits Department and have complete confidence in Sandy’s experience and abilities to assume her new leadership position.

Matt DeFendis

Assurex Global: Top Five Employee Benefit Trends for 2018

January 30, 2018

Here are five key developments that employers offering employee benefit packages should monitor in the coming year.

 

Benefit packages for the multi-generational workforce

While the millennial generation has garnered much of the attention the past few years, Gen Z workers are coming quickly. Despite the labels, employees don’t think of themselves as generations. They’ll look for benefits that fit with different phases of life. Employers should consider tailoring benefit packages and providing varying communication mediums.

 

Evolving role of the U.S. health insurers

With a number of transactions set for this year (e.g. CVS-Aetna), the role of the health insurer is quickly moving from paying claims and supplying provider networks to providing and managing almost all patient care. Employers will need to understand how this shift might impact their employees.

 

Greater focus on financial wellness

The idea of financial wellness is not new, but we anticipate even greater emphasis on expanding the notion this year. The hot product for many millennials is student loan repayment. Other solutions such as voluntary insurance products and education will serve many generations. Employers should determine what their own population will desire.

 

Embracing data to enhance decision making

Companies know they need data to maximize their business and grow revenue. However, many don’t fully utilize data to better manage their benefit plans and engage their employees. As health care costs continue to outpace general inflation and wage growth, employers will need data to understand the health of their population and design programs to address gaps.

 

Pharmacy

While pharmacy claim trends are moderating relative to prior years, the concern remains continued growth in costs, due primarily to an increased number of specialty medications coming to market. The escalating opioid crisis is also of grave concern. Managing the pharmacy plan will require an aggressive approach and constant supervision.

Content thanks to Assurex Global.