Ill be honest with all of you – did I think back in 1999 when I formed The Phia Group with my college buddy Mike Branco that this company would become what it is today? The answer is I had no idea what I expected this company to become. I was just doing something that I loved and thought if I could make a living doing it then that would be “wicked” cool. We have blown away any expectations we have 14 years ago and the fact remains we have much more to do.
Read More
As always, thank you for your support of The Phia Group. We promise to keep you informed so you can protect yourselves and your clients. Happy reading.
A Delay In Play (or Pay) – The News Isn’t As Good As You May Think
The Obama administration announced that it is postponing the requirement that employers provide employees robust, affordable health plans; also known as “pay or play.” You may think that this is good news… It’s another year to consider options, prepare funds, and study the intricacies of PPACA. DON’T BE FOOLED!
Regulatory officials have stated that the delay was prompted by so-called “compliance complexity concerns.” Employers have attacked the rule from every angle; targeting unrealistic expectations, costs, and difficulties in reporting. In addition, many employers have threatened to “trim” their employment rosters. Employers with fewer than 50 employees (or full-time equivalent employees) are exempt from the rule. It should have come as no surprise, then, that some employers were going to cut employees’ hours or terminate staff, dropping below 50 lives. With all of this in mind, the administration – “thankfully” – pulled back on the reins. Great news, right? Wrong!
At The Phia Group, we hope for the best but plan for the worst. For the following reasons, now is not the time to disregard cost containment efforts. – Read More
As you have no doubt heard by now, on April 15, 2013 – two bombs were detonated just before 3 P.M. Eastern Standard Time in the Copley Square area of Boston, MA.
Since the news broke, many of you have reached out to us to ascertain our situation and confirm our wellbeing. I am pleased to advise you that our entire team is whole and healthy. The outpouring of support from you, our industry partners, has been moving.
Read more
It’s only February and I’m already getting sick of the snow. Thankfully spring training is underway and for the first time in years, my beloved Indians have a chance to win! We here at The Phia Group want all of you to win new clients and increase your profitability and that’s why our services are catered to you.
The industry is going through much change and our expertise can and will guide you through the storms. Our recent webinar on cost plus offerings was the highest attended to date and we expect to beat that number with our next two on how to convince employers that self funding is right for them. Thanks for choosing us and happy reading.
Happy Holidays to all of you! As we enter 2013, I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the entire industry over the past 12 years and I look forward to doing so in 2013.
The elections are over and regardless of who you voted for, the fact remains that PPACA is here to stay. While many of you have been utilizing our firm to assist in your compliance needs, we have never publicly announced that our team of experts can assist your organization with Regulatory Compliance issues until now.
Well, it’s that time of year where here in New England the leaves are turning colors, the summer outdoor furniture is being put away, and by the time I leave the office its already dark outside. So depressing, yet I feel so inspired by what I see happening across the industry. People are getting creative with their cost containment ideas and I see more and more innovative approaches to reducing the cost of health care. But we have to be diligent in how we do these things.
Fall is in the air here in New England but the conference schedule is heating up earlier than ever for me. I’m doing the nationwide tour and the focus from audience questions is on two areas – health care reform and self funding. The same people who ask me about reform then follow up with whether self funding is a good move to lower their costs. The interest in self funding is the highest I have seen in my life time so we here at The Phia Group will continue to preach the virtues of this option and how to make it work right.