Five Ways to Start Your Year Off Right + More – Live Well, Work Well
Five Ways to Start Your Year Off Right!
2020 has likely given you time to reflect and think about what you’d like to change about your lifestyle. This is a good time to make positive life changes and strive for an overall healthier self. Consider the following five tips to start the new year off right:
- Check in on your mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health in building a healthy lifestyle. Reach out to a professional if you need help.
- Be social. Isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t have to mean loneliness. Reconnect with others virtually or while practicing social distancing.
- Get regular checkups. Stay up to date on your annual physicals and necessary health tests. Screenings can help identify health issues to be addressed.
- Drink more water. Consuming sugary drinks, like juice or soda, can cause liver damage, premature aging and anxiety. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption as well.
- Count nutrients, not calories. Focus on improving the overall quality of your diet and not getting hung up on calories. Achieve this by adding more fiber, protein and probiotics to your diet.
Kick Stress Eating to the Curb
As the COVID-19 pandemic and winter season continue, you may be fighting the urge to eat your feelings. Although stress eating may be soothing at first, you likely won’t feel better in the end. Consuming excess calories in one sitting can cause fatigue, bloating, stomach discomfort and weight gain over time. Consider the following ways to cope with stress eating:
Don’t Forget, It’s National Blood Donor Month
Winter is one of the most difficult times of the year to collect enough blood products and donations to meet patient needs. That’s why National Blood Donor Month is celebrated every January. This month, resolve to be a blood donor and consider the following health benefits of donating blood regularly:
View and download the latest Live Well, Work Well newsletter
Thyroid Awareness Month and 2021 Health Awareness Calendar
Learn more and take action
The thyroid may just be a small gland in the neck, but it produces hormones for many of your body’s vital organs, including your heart, brain, liver and skin. Thyroid disease can happen when too much or too little of these hormones are produced, forcing your body’s functions to speed up or slow down. Thyroid disease can lead to serious negative effects, including weight gain, feelings of anxiety and swelling in the neck.
Thankfully, there are many tests and treatments to determine if you have a thyroid condition. Contact your doctor about a thyroid evaluation if you’ve experienced any pain in your neck while swallowing or noticed any swelling or protrusions near your collarbone. For more information, please visit www.thyroidawareness.com.
View and download the latest National Health Observance newsletter and 2021 Calendar – PDF
Benefits Buzz – December 2020
TOPICS:
Final Rule on Health Care Transparency Issued
and
Employee Benefits Plan Limits for 2021
HR Brief – December 2020
Topics include
Supporting Employees’ Financial Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic
and
Workplace Virtual Holiday Parties
There are a variety of ways that leaders can recognize employees this holiday season, and employers should consider which initiatives are appropriate for their workplace. For additional employee engagement resources, contact Evolution of Benefits today.
Live Well Work Well Newsletter – Celebrating Holidays Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic
‘Tis the season for holiday planning. Yet, gatherings of families and friends, crowded parties and travel may put Americans at an increased risk for COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you carefully consider the spread risk of in-person holiday celebrations.
View and download the latest Live Well, Work Well newsletter
World AIDS Day
Learn more and take action
Every year on Dec. 1, people worldwide unite in the fight against HIV—a virus that an estimated 34 million people across the globe have. HIV can lead to AIDS, which is a condition that progressively damages and kills the body’s immune system cells, destroying the body’s ability to fight infections and cancers.
There are a variety of ways in which HIV can be passed from person to person, including the following:
• Having unprotected sex with someone who is infected
• Using needles or syringes that have been used by people who are infected
• Receiving infected blood products or transplanted organs
• Transmission from a mother to her child
Although scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, and we understand much more about the condition than we did when it was first identified, the virus still plagues our world and is particularly destructive in developing countries. For more information about how you can help, visit www.worldaidsday.org.
View and download the latest National Health Observance newsletter – PDF
HR Brief – November 2020
OSHA Clarifies COVID-19 Reporting Requirements
and
Preventing Workplace Gossip During a Crisis
Benefits Buzz – November 2020
The IRS recently issued Notice 2020-76 to:
• Extend the due date for furnishing forms under Sections 6055 and 6056 for 2020 from Feb. 1, 2021, to March 2, 2021.
• Provide a final extension of good-faith transition relief from penalties related to 2020 information reporting under Sections 6055 and 6056.
• Provide additional penalty relief related to furnishing 2020 forms to individuals under Section 6055. Under this relief, employers will
IRS Provides Transition Relief for 2020 ACA Reporting
only have to provide Form 1095-B to covered individuals upon request.
The due date for filing forms with the IRS for 2020 remains March 1, 2021 (since Feb. 28, 2021, is a Sunday), or March 31, 2021, if filing electronically.
Action Steps
The IRS is encouraging reporting entities to furnish 2020 statements as soon as they are able. No request or other documentation is required to take advantage of the extended deadline.
Each year, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust conduct a survey to examine employer-sponsored health benefits trends. Request a full summary from Evolution of Benefits for more details.
Plan Enrollment Trends
The following were the most common plan types in 2020:
• Preferred provider organizations (PPOs)—47% of workers covered
• High deductible health plans with a savings option (HDHP/SOs)—31% of workers covered
• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)—13% of workers covered
• Point-of-service (POS) plans—8% of workers covered
Summary of the 2020 Employer Health Benefits Annual Survey
Health Insurance Premiums
The average premium rose 4% for both single and family coverage over the past year—around $7,470 and $21,342 respectively.
Worker Contributions
Workers contributed $1,243 and $5,588 toward their premiums for single and family coverage, respectively.
Self-funding
Self-funded plan enrollment increased over the past year, with 23% of workers with small employers enrolled in either a partially or entirely self-funded plan, compared to 84% of workers with large employers.
Contact us for more information on benefits offerings or what you can do to control your health care costs.
Live Well Work Well Newsletter – Flu Season is here
The arrival of the fall and winter months signals many things, including flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu activity peaks between December and February. It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter.
Many symptoms of the common cold, the flu and COVID-19 are similar, so learn how to differentiate between them on the next page.
View and download the latest Live Well, Work Well newsletter
Diabetes Awareness Month
National Diabetes Awareness Month
While you can’t prevent Type 1 diabetes, you can prevent Type 2 diabetes. Making the following six lifestyle changes can greatly increase your chances of preventing the disease.
View and download the latest National Health Observance newsletter – PDF
Client and Employee Resources
The more your employees understand your benefit plans the more they become educated, empowered consumers. The programs you provide will also gain an enhanced value.
As your strategic partners in employee benefits, we can provide multiple avenues of ongoing support, including:
- Employee Meetings (English and Spanish)
- Webcasts
- Payroll Stuffers
- Poster Campaigns
- Newsletters
Carrier Directories
E-Verify is a web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. Click the image below to begin.
