Benefits Easy: Health Savings Accounts | TX Benefit Consultants

Taking control of health care expenses is on the top of most people’s to-do list for 2018.  The average premium increase for 2018 is 18% for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans.  So, how do you save money on health care when the costs seems to keep increasing faster than wage increases?  One way is through … Continued

6 Ways to Keep the Flu from Sidelining Your Workplace | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

This year’s flu season is a rough one. Although the predominant strains of this year’s influenza viruses were represented in the vaccine, they mutated, which decreased the effectiveness of the immunization. The flu then spread widely and quickly, and in addition, the symptoms were severe and deadly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Continued

You Think You Won’t Qualify for Life Insurance, but You’re Wrong | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

  Think you can’t qualify for life insurance? Think again. You want to protect your loved ones for the future once you’re no longer around to provide for them. We all do. Life insurance gives you that peace of mind that your family will be taken care of after you’re gone. However, you’re also worried … Continued

Rules for FSA & HSA Accounts | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), no permission or authorization to set up either an FSA or HSA account is required. Both accounts are intended to help provide you with financial assistance regarding medical care costs. An FSA (flexible spending account) is set up by your employer. An HSA (health savings account) is held … Continued

4 Ways to Get Financially Fit in Your 40s | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

Many people in their 40s are facing an uncomfortable fact: They simply aren’t where they’d hoped to be financially. Fortunately, all their life experience can help correct for past mistakes. “There’s a different trigger moment for everybody,” says Jay Howard, financial advisor and partner at MHD Financial in San Antonio, Texas. “But regardless of when … Continued

The Importance of Therapeutic Communication in Healthcare | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

The quality of a therapeutic relationship depends on the ability of the healthcare provider to communicate effectively. The term “therapeutic communication” is often used in the field of nursing; however, the process isn’t limited to nursing. Other healthcare professionals, friends and family members of a patient can implement the strategies of communicating in a therapeutic … Continued

How to Make the Most Out of Your FSA at Year-End | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

As 2017 comes to a close, it’s time to act on the money sitting in your Flexible Spending/Savings Account (FSA). Unlike a Health Savings Account or HSA, pre-taxed funds contributed to an FSA are lost at the end of the year if an employee doesn’t use them, and an employer doesn’t adopt a carryover policy. … Continued

How to Add a Step Child to a Health Insurance Plan | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

The addition of a stepchild to your family brings a variety of rewards and challenges. The task of adding your stepchild to your health insurance should be a relatively easy process. The addition of the stepchild might have occurred after a marriage or with a change in custody. According to Insurance Lawyers, most health insurance … Continued

PCORI Fee Increase for Health Plans | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

On October 6, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2017-61 to announce that the health plan Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 will be $2.39 per plan participant. This is an increase from the prior year’s fee of $2.26 due to … Continued

The Risk of Being Uninsured (and the Hidden Bargain in Addressing It Now) | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

With all the expenses of everyday living, it’s tempting to think of insurance as just another cost. What’s harder to see is the potential cost of not buying insurance—or what’s known as “self-insuring”—and the hidden bargain of coverage. The Important vs. the Urgent We’ve all experienced it: the tendency to stay focused on putting out … Continued