As of 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most individual and small group health insurance plans, including plans sold on the Marketplace and Medicaid Alternative Benefit Plans, to cover mental health and substance abuse disorder services. This includes behavioral health treatment, counseling and psychotherapy. Additionally, health plans must comply with the requirements set forth in the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), meaning coverage for men

In addition to boosting your social well-being, volunteering can make you feel physically stronger, increase mental sharpness, aid in reducing stress and even help you live longer. Despite these proven positive effects, only 1 in 4 Americans regularly volunteer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’re curious about the specific benefits of volunteering or how to get started, read on. Health Benefits of Volunteering As previously mentioned, volunteering has prov

“The basic fact is that people are not getting healthier, unhealthy people are not as productive and they cost companies money, so it’s important to impact as many people as we can.” – Alex Haschen In today’s episode of Healthcare Simplified, we spoke with Alex Haschen, Personal Trainer and head of Wellness Adherence at BurnAlong. Alex has a robust background and he can enlighten us on the current marketplace state of wellness ad nutrition, as well as BurnAlong’s role. Backgr

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes different requirements on employers based on whether they qualify as a "large employer" or a "small employer." However, the health care reform law doesn’t use a consistent definition for these terms. As a result, an employer may be considered a small employer for one rule but a large employer for another. This ACA Overview outlines the definitions of “large employer” and “small employer” that apply to key provisions in the ACA affecting e

Even if your job requires you to sit for eight or more hours, you can combat the effects of prolonged sitting with a variety of one-minute office workouts—right at your desk—to keep yourself active and improve your body’s strength and flexibility. For Lower Body Strength Sit in your chair. Extend one leg out in front of you. Hold it straight for five seconds. Raise it as high as you can and hold for five more seconds. Switch legs and repeat, for a total of three times on each

Know Your Benefits Many consumers are eager to learn more about health savings accounts (HSAs), which continue to generate buzz as a growing trend in health care coverage. The general assumption is that a financial tool with this much potential must be complex and difficult to understand. However, HSAs are simple to outline, and can be broken down into a list of ten basic points for consumers to easily digest. 1. HSAs fund health care needs. The HSA is first and foremost des

Nearly 80 percent of Americans consider their jobs stressful. While it may not be possible to eliminate job stress altogether, you can learn to manage it effectively. Common job stressors include a heavy workload, intense pressure to perform at high levels, job insecurity, long work hours, excessive travel, office politics and conflicts with co-workers. While dealing with stress is a normal part of everyday life, here are some early warning signs that signify red flags, alert

Overview On March 7, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule that would change the salary thresholds for certain exempt employees. Under the proposal, the minimum salary level for the “white collar” overtime exemptions would increase from $455 to $679 per week ($35,308 per year). This is significantly lower than the $913 minimum weekly salary level that the DOL set in its 2016 final rule (which never took effect due to a federal court injunction). The propo

The brain’s capacity is enormous, yet many scientists suggest that we only use a small percentage of our brain. What are you doing to maximize your brain's potential? Brain Functions Your brain helps you analyze sensory data, remember information, learn new information, create thoughts and make decisions. It is divided into halves called cerebral hemispheres and each hemisphere is further divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital. Each lobe has its ow

In this episode of Healthcare Simplified, we are again joined by Sandy Krauer, a human resources consultant with Total Focus HR Solutions, an Allegeant company. This is Part 2 of our 3 part series with Sandy. In this episode, Sandy gives us some important things to remember when trying to comply with FLSA regulations: There is a federally-set minimum hourly wage that sets the National standard -- $7.25/hour was established in 2009 and hasn't changed since then Each state can