Medicare Eligible Employees: What Arizona Public Sector Employers Need to Know

Medicare Eligible Employees: What Arizona Public Sector Employers Need to Know - Valley Schools

Many public sector employees are postponing retirement and working well beyond the traditional age of retirement (65). Even with the great resources available through the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), the influx of information can be overwhelming for your employees as they approach retirement age and Medicare eligibility. As a result, they could be passing up a comprehensive health insurance … Read More

How Critical Illness Insurance Can Protect the Financial Health of Your Employees

how-critical-illness-insurance-can-protect-the-financial-health-of-your-employees

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019 reported heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing approximately 647,000 deaths per year. Cardiovascular disease is resulting in 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S. That’s a death every 37 seconds. In the U.S. alone, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds, accounting for … Read More

Strengthen Your Benefit Package with Voluntary Benefits

Strengthen Your Benefit Package with Voluntary Benefits - Valley Schools

According to Bankrate’s Financial Security Index, January 2019, 60% of Americans don’t have savings available to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense such as a deductible. The Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Education Trust in their 2018 Employer Health Benefits Survey found that 58% of Americans with health insurance have a deductible of $1,000 or more. Taken together, more than half … Read More

How to Maximize Savings Through Pre-Tax Healthcare Accounts

How to Maximize Tax-Saving Through Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts

You likely provide your employees with great health insurance coverage and pay a portion of their premium, but even so, co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance for doctor visits, prescriptions, as well as dental and vision expenses, can really add up! Not to mention the cost of an emergency room visit or unexpected surgery, which can range anywhere from a few hundred … Read More

Taking the Mystery out of Short-Term Disability

Taking the Mystery out of Short-Term Disability - Valley Schools Arizona

Disability Insurance for Public Sector Employees in Arizona The purpose of offering short-term disability (STD) and the benefit of signing up for short-term disability is often misunderstood by public sector employers and employees alike. Why? On both sides, it may be confused with the long-term disability plan offered through the state’s retirement system, such as ASRS right here in Arizona. … Read More

How To Build a Successful Communication Strategy For Open Enrollment

How To Build a Successful Communication Strategy For Open Enrollment - Valley Schools

*This is Part 3 of our Open Enrollment blog series, in case you missed it, here’s Part 1 & Part 2. “If you want something to happen, you have to make people able and you have to make them want to.” – Dr. Steve Kerr (Former Chief Learning Officer of General Electric and Goldman Sachs) Now that you’ve done your … Read More

How To Prepare For ​​Open Enrollment — Changes & Success

​​Open Enrollment: How To Prepare For Change and Success - Valley Schools VSMG Arizona

*This is Part 2 of our Open Enrollment blog series, in case you missed it, here’s Part 1.   “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” — Alexander Graham Bell. Now that you’ve gathered key insights into what employees truly value, want, and need when it comes to their benefits package, and determined what needs to be adjusted, … Read More

Assessing the Value of Your Employee Benefits Program

Open Enrollment Part 1: Assessing the Value of Your Employee Benefits Program - VSMG Valley Schools Arizona

*Part 1 of our Open Enrollment blog series   For many public sector employers, annual open enrollment is right around the corner. Open enrollment is an opportunity to showcase your benefits program and the value it provides to your employees. Before open enrollment begins, it’s important to evaluate what you offer and if those offerings are valuable to your employees. … Read More

Managing Employee Burnout and How To Avoid It

Avoid Employee Burnout - Public Sector Employees - Benefits Consulting - Valley Schools - Arizona

Cynical. Critical. Crabby. All are tell-tale signs of employee burnout and all are more common than you might think. According to Mayo Clinic, “job burnout is defined as a special type of work-related stress — a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” The experts at Mayo add … Read More

3 Ways To Streamline Your Employee Benefits Education

Employee Benefits Education and Consulting - Arizona School Districts and Government Employees - Valley Schools

Open enrollment is likely happening now, or it’s right around the corner. Employers, as you help your employees through open enrollment, be sure to provide them with the information they need to make the best decision for themselves and their families. Here are a few ideas for you to help streamline communication to your employee about their benefits package. The … Read More