Your community association's employee compensation and benefits package may be the deciding factor for attracting and retaining potential employees. And it's not just the money. To make your community association competitive and attractive to job candidates, and to retain current employees, you have to offer an exceptional total benefits package. That makes it a very important part of your business planning and management process if you hope to hire and keep top employees. When offering benefits, you must be aware of COBRA regulations. Do you realize that COBRA benefits are offered to firms that have 20 or more full time/part time employees, and that have maintained this number of employees for at least 50 percent of its typical business day in the previous calendar year? Furthermore, do you realize that since 2004, you must provide an initial COBRA notification when a new employee is hired? What are some of the benefits we should consider? To be competitive when hiring, and to retain current employees, community asscdir should offer at least health, dental, life, and disability insurance. In addition, your association may wish to consider offering prescription drug coverage, a vision care plan, a pension plan, long-term care insurance, and flexible spending accounts. What is the trend in insurance? Although Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are still very popular, today many insurance carriers are going back to what traditional insurance used to be-a high deductible indemnity plan with a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) overlay. Some employers have found this as an affordable alternative to the traditional low copay and deductible HMO and PPO plans. Most employers have found that the savings in premiums and flexibility that are offered with these types of arrangements allow them to offer additional benefits to employees that were once too costly. Can an insurance broker help? Because of the diversity of plans available today, it is important to have a knowledgeable partner who can analyze all relevant factors and make informed, prudent recommendations. Your association should look for a broker who has experience in human resources and workplace solutions that support the entire employee life cycle, from recruitment to post retirement. The broker your association chooses should know the industry and plan options available for small and mid-size employers. He should work closely with your association and the carriers to provide competitively priced plan designs. A good broker will know which insurers or administrators to seek for each benefit plan offered and will work closely with your association to understand your benefit plan objectives and your budget requirements. In addition, a broker can be a tremendous help in assisting you with claims and billing issues that may arise, and he can conduct employee benefits meetings. Where should I go for more information? If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Bruce Christiansen, CLU (703-205-8713 or Bruce.Christiansen@usi.biz) or Cindy Poinelli, HIA (703-205-8723 or Cindy.Poinelli@usi.biz). How does your current broker compare? Insurance Market Access We provide access to virtually all insurance and administration markets. National Affiliations In addition to our own talented professionals and specialized value-added services, we have a wealth of resources available to us through several national affiliations. Strategic Planning We will develop a customized strategic plan for you that defines objectives and outlines the actions needed to fulfill those objectives. Our strategic planning services ensure an organized, complete approach to fulfilling your benefits needs. Five-Star Service We pride ourselves on the level of knowledge and service we bring to our clients. All of our clients are assigned a team of specialists dedicated to serving their needs. Each client accesses our team through a single point of contact, making working with us seamless and easy. Experience We have more than 44 years of proven dedication and commitment to excellence in our service to the business community. Technology We use leading-edge technology to provide our customers with the latest data analysis, legislative, communication, and human resources administration tools. Actuarial Services When needed, we employ the services of professional actuaries to assist with calculations critical to your employee benefits plans. Data Analysis Using employee claim data from your carrier, our internet-based Decision Master® Warehouse system analyzes your data and shows how and where to adjust your plan design to save money. We can even model recommended changes to show you the potential savings. Legislative Briefs Our exclusive Legislative Brief publication summarizes recent federal legislative developments in insurance and employee benefits. MyWave™ All of our clients receive access to a personalized web site call MyWave Portal. The site is devoted to helping you with plan administration, legislative compliance, employee communication, and more. Legislative Guides Included with MyWaveHR, our Legislative Guides provide comprehensive information about federal legislation such as COBRA, HIPAA, HIPAA Privacy, FMLA, and Section 125. Custom Communication Through MyWaveHR, we can assist you with all phases of employee communication, from employee meetings to payroll stuffers and informative brochures about employee benefits and wellness. Human Resources Tools HRconnection™ is available to you exclusively from USI. This web-based tool is a complete employee communication system that helps you improve communication, increase productivity, streamline processes, and save money for your human resources department. Pharmacy Benefits Services Through arrangements with two leading pharmacy benefits managers, we have access to national pharmacy networks, significant discounts, pharmacy benefits modeling tools, and more. Voluntary Benefits We have experienced and highly knowledgeable consultants who can help you with this growing and important area of employee benefits. MyWave Community When partnering with USI, you gain access to professionals from all over the country through the Community section on the MyWave Portal. An answer to a problem you have is just an email away. As an example, one client writes, "We just recently implemented a premium only cafeteria plan. Can anyone tell me how this will report on the W-2s?" This question was answered quickly, saving them time and resources.