Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
-
Upload
studentattemple -
Category
Documents
-
view
225 -
download
0
Transcript of Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
1/23
Benefits Analysis
PART I: Exposure Matrix
PART II: Inventory of Benefits
PART III: Benefits Plan Design Analysis
DREW SCHLOSSER & DAKOTA PLOURDE
912080225 & 912167259
RMI 3501 Dr. Drennan
Fall 2011
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
2/23
P a g e | 1
Part I - Benefits Matrix
Exposure Analysis for KloterFarms
Loss Exposure Provided Coverage/Benefits Provided
Loss of Income: MedicalExpenses
Overall Medical Expenses Yes Aetna: POS, Health Care FSA
Dental No Coming 2012
Vision No N/A
Prescription Yes Aetna: POS (included drug plan), HealthCare FSA
Long Term Care No N/A
Retiree Health Care Yes COBRA, Medicare
Loss of Income: Death
Non-Accidental & Non-Occupational
Yes OASDI, The Hartford: Basic Life
Accidental Yes OASDI, The Hartford: Basic Life, AD&D
Occupational Yes OASDI, The Hartford: Basic Life, AD&D
Loss of Income:Unemployment
Unemployment Yes Unemployment Insurance
Loss of Income: Disability
Non-Occupational: Short-Term Yes OASDI, Sick Time
Non-Occupational: Long-Term Yes OASDI
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
3/23
P a g e | 2
Occupational: Short-Term Yes OASDI, Workers Compensation
Occupational: Long-Term Yes OASDI, Workers Compensation
Loss of Income: Retirement
Retirement Yes 401(k), Profit Sharing, OASDI
Other Exposures
Educational Assistance Yes Tuition Reimbursement
Work/Life Exposures Yes Employee Discount, Paid Holidays, PaidVacation
Dependent Care Yes Dependent Day Care FSA
Property-Liability No N/A
Legal Expenses No N/A
Part II: Inventory of Benefits
Medical Expenses
Point-of-Service Plan (POS)
Kloter Farms offers a quality-point-of-service (QPOS) HMO plan to its full-time,
active employees through Aetna Insurance Company. According to the employee
handbook distributed by Kloter Farms, full-time employees are defined as those who
work 2,000 or more hours in a calendar year. In order for these full-time employees to
be considered active, eligible participants, each employee must incur a 30-day waiting
period upon employment; additionally, employees will not receive coverage until the first
day of the following month after the completion of the 30-day waiting period. For
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
4/23
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
5/23
P a g e | 4
POS plans, different deductibles are assessed based on in-network and out-of-network
utilization. The plans are open-network plans, but assess a higher deductible for out of
network use as a minor penalty. Listed below are the differentials in deductibles
amongst each option:
AETNA POS HMO Participating Providers Non-Participating Providers
Basic QPOS HMO Individual: $4,500
Family: $9,000
Individual: $6,000
Family: $12,000
Advanced QPOS HMO
Individual: $2,500
Family: $5,000
Individual: $5,000
Family: $10,000
Point-of-Service Plan without HSA
Kloter Farms also offers a similar QPOS HMO without a HSA that has a lower
deductible than previous options. The plan is insured and administered by Aetna which
has an AM Best rating of A (excellent). All full-time salaried employees and their
dependents are eligible. Dependents are defined as spouses, domestic partners, and
children up to the age of 19 (25 if full-time student). It is available on a contributory
basis where Kloter Farm pays 95% of the base medical plan and the employee pays the
remainder. As previously stated, the deductible for this plan is significantly lower:
$2,000 Individual, $4,000 Family (if a Participating Provider is used).
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Kloter Farms self-insures two types of FSAs: Health Care and Dependent Day
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
6/23
P a g e | 5
Care. All full-time employees are eligible to enroll in FSAs which go into effect January
1st of the year following employment. Both FSAs are self-funded and administered
using MyBenny. They are funded up front by Kloter and implemented through weekly,
pre-tax payroll deductions. The maximum amount employees contribute to a FSA for
2011 is $5,000. The Health Care FSA can be used for payment of deductibles, co-
payments, prescriptions, etc. It cannot be used for over the counter medicine. The
Dependent Day Care FSA can be used to pay for day care services for full-time
employees dependent children.
Prescription Drug Plan
A prescription drug plan is included in all of the overall medical plans offered by
Kloter Farms. As previously noted, all of these plans are provided by Aetna which
receives an AM Best rating of A (excellent). All three options are closed panel plans
regarding pharmacy and prescription drug coverage, meaning they offer no coverage
for out-of-network services. In other words, there are no indemnity benefits for the
employee, since the plan is not open panel. The point-of-service option without a HSA
includes nodeductible for in-network utilization; however, there is a 3-tier fixed co-
payment system based on quality level of coverage. By pricing each co-payment
required by the participating employee at different levels (for different levels of
coverage), steerage is implemented by the insurer. In the case of the three plans
offered by Aetna, steerage is invoked in each plans co-pay. This co-payment system
also encourages the Hesitation Effect, which is great for the insurer when dealing with
cost containment. The Hesitation Effect involves prescriptions not being filled due to
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
7/23
P a g e | 6
tiers of cost options; for example, some employees covered under this plan may opt for
a cheaper, generic brand of the same prescription, or even a smaller quantity. Since all
three plan options do not offer coverage for out-of-network service, the co-payment
system is only used for participating pharmacies in-network:
1. POS without HSA
Benefit Type Participating Non-
Participating
Generic Formulary $10 co-pay Not Covered
Brand Name Formulary $25 co-pay Not Covered
Generic and Brand Name Non-
Formulary
$40 co-pay Not Covered
Lifestyle Prescription Drugs 20% of Total Cost co-
pay
Not Covered
For both the basic and advanced POS HMO (with a HSA) prescription drug
coverages, the same co-pays are assessed regarding price; however, the key
difference from the POS without an HSA is the existence of a deductible. In addition to
the co-pay, the overall aggregate deductible (listed in the deductible chart above) must
be exhausted before coverage begins.
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
8/23
P a g e | 7
Loss of Income: Death
Life Insurance
Kloter Farms Inc. offers its employees a life insurance policy through The
Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company. The schedule of insurance for Kloter
Farms employees includes two parts: (1) basic life insurance coverage, and (2) basic
AD&D benefits. The purpose of the schedule specified in the plan controls three
aspects:
1. Benefit amounts and maximum limits
2. Eligibility and effective date requirements
3. Additional schedule amounts and limits
These schedule specifications apply to all employees covered by the policy, and
are presented to each individual covered. Eligible participants (employees as well as
their dependents) are expected to pay a monthly premium on the first of each month; if
an employee fails to pay the premium, a 31-day grace period is implemented by The
Hartford Insurance Company, as specified. If an employee fails to pay the premium on
the thirty second day past due, the policy automatically terminates and coverage is
suspended. Premium rates are set for all eligible employees at an equal rate in order to
pass discrimination testing required by insurance regulation. The premium for Kloter
Farms basic life insurance policy is $0.20 per month per $1,000 dollars of coverage for
each individual. For the basic AD&D benefits coverage, a $0.02 charge per employee
per month is assessed per $1,000 of coverage. Additionally, every Kloter Farms
employee that has health insurance through the company receives an automatic
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
9/23
P a g e | 8
$10,000 in life insurance coverage, non-optional. This coverage costs two dollars a
month per employee, which is paid for by Kloter Farms; therefore, it is essentially free to
each employee and contains a minimal cost for Kloter Farms.
Retirement
Kloter Farms contribution to employees 401(k) plans is based on profit
sharing. It becomes available to employees on January 1st or July 1st of their second
year of full-time employment. The employee must then maintain 1,000 hours of service
yearly to sustain eligibility. All employee contributions to their personal 401(k) are 100%
vested. Kloters contributions are vested after six years of service to the company and
vary from year to year. The past three years it has contributed 10% of the employees
pay. The previous fourteen years Kloter had contributed the maximum 15%. The
amount an employee can contribute is based on the amount Kloter contributes via profit
sharing and the maximum set by the IRS. In 2011, the limit is $16,500 and in 2012 it
will be raised to $17,000 (irs.gov).
Other Exposures
Tuition Reimbursement
Tuition and professional training reimbursement is offered by Kloter Farms on a
case-by-case basis. The company is willing to fully reimburse any educational
expenses of an employee as long as it pertains directly to the employee s position with
the company and is applicable. Kloter self-insures this benefit and the qualifications are
determined by the owners as they see fit.
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
10/23
P a g e | 9
Employee Discount
Employee discounts on Kloter Farms products are based on the number of years
the employee has been with the company. The discounts are as follows:
0-1 years of service 25%
2-5 years of service 30%
6-10 years of service 35%
11+ years of service 40%
This discount is extended to the employees spouse and other immediate family
members of employees receive a discount of 25%. The discount cannot apply to gift
certificates and there is a maximum discount of 25% on all sheds and gazebos.
Paid Holidays
All full-time and half-time employees (1,000-1,999 hours per year) receive seven
paid holidays per year. Holiday pay is defined as eight hours for full-time employees
and six hours for half-time employees and is a self-funded benefit provided by Kloter. If
the holiday occurs on a non-working day salaried employees receive a floating paid
day off. Salaried employees will also receive an additional paid day off if they work on a
paid holiday (e.g. Labor Day). Hourly-employees that work on a paid holiday are
compensated for their time and also receive holiday pay. The holidays are: New Years
Day, Memorial Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and
the June Company Picnic (if attending).
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
11/23
P a g e | 10
Sick Time
Kloter Farms provides five sick days per year to all full-time and half-time
employees. Sick days can be utilized for an employees personal injury/illness or to
tend to illness/injury of a family member. The sick pay is self-funded by Kloter and is
accrued by calendar year. Sick time that is not used during the calendar year can be
carried forwarded to the next year, up to a maximum of 20 sick days. It should be noted
that Kloter Farms reserves the right to require medical documentation when an
employee uses sick time.
Vacation Time
Paid vacation time is granted to all full-time and part-time employees and is self-
funded by Kloter Farms. All vacation time is accrued by calendar year and any unused
time is forfeited on the January 1st when the balance is renewed. Vacation time must
be taken in increments of four hours and any employee with more than one year of
service with the company will be paid for any unused vacation time when their
employment ends. A new, full-time employee who is employed with Kloter after January
1st receives vacation time on a pro-rated schedule indicated below:
Schedule for first partial calendar year:
Length of Service Number of hours
90 days 8 hours
150 days 16 hours
210 days 24 hours
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
12/23
P a g e | 11
270 days 32 hours
330 days 40 hours
The following years are scheduled as such:
Length of Service Number of hours
First full calendar year 40 hours
3 to 5 years 80 hours
6 to 10 years 120 hours
11+ years 160 hours
Half-time employees do not receive vacation time until their second year of
employment. Vacation time is then calculated by dividing the total number of hours
worked in the previous calendar year by 50. After five years of service, vacation
benefits are doubled.
Part III - Decision Making and Benefits Plan Design Analysis
Introduction
Kloter Farms is located in Ellington, Connecticut and has been in business since
1980. It sells and maintains sheds, gazebos, and home furnishing that are handmade by
the Amish of Pennsylvania. There are currently twenty-seven employees enrolled in
Kloters benefits plan with forty-nine dependents, totaling seventy-six covered lives.
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
13/23
P a g e | 12
Our primary contact and interviewee was Peter Welti, who has been president of
Kloter Farms for one year. Mr. Welti works directly with the companys benefits consultant,
John Zawadski of Health Consultants Group, and is in charge of making a majority of the
benefits decisions. In order to better understand the design and goals of Kloter Farms
employee benefits package, we opened our interview with Mr. Welti by asking him why
Kloter Farms provides an employee benefits package. His response was as we expected
to attract and retain valuable and capable employees.
Overall Design Considerations of Employee Benefits
Goals
When implementing a benefits plan, the decision maker must establish criteria in
order to offer an effective package that satisfies the employee and appeals to the
employer. Peter Welti cites three key goals when determining benefit implementations or
alterations:
1. Overall cost to Kloter Farms
2. Overall cost to employees
3. Overall benefits provided
The overall cost to Kloter Farms is an important factor in regards to benefit planning
because overspending can lead to issues surrounding financial business capacity and
overall firm solvency. Recent modifications to the health care plan has allowed Kloter
Farms to continue financing a majority of the base plan it offers its employees; otherwise,
Kloter Farms would not have been able to bear the rising costs of its former plan. When
considering costs to employees, factors such as co-payments, cost sharing, deductibles,
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
14/23
P a g e | 13
and employee contributions must all be taken in to account. At the same time, the quality
and reliability of the benefits plan must be addressed. A balance encompassing these three
conditions will result in an affective and sustainable benefits plan.
Demographics
Being an extremely family oriented company, Kloter Farm considers dependent
coverage a top priority. Previously, the company considered the implementation of a dental
plan for covered employees and dependents; however, due to the high cost considerations
and limited number of children covered as dependents, Kloter Farms rejected adding this
coverage.
In our initial analysis of Kloter Farms benefits package, we observed that a majority
of the plans benefits pertained only to full-time employees. Prior to our interview with Mr.
Welti, we assumed that this was intentionally done to discourage part-time employment;
contrarily, Mr. Welti informed us that this was done to reduce the total number of employees
covered under the benefits plan. Additionally, part-time employees at Kloter Farms receive
a higher hourly rate to compensate the lack of available benefits.
Funding and Financing Decisions
Kloter Farms is selective in choosing which areas of benefits to self-fund, and which
areas to finance through a third party. It chooses to fully insure any risk that can lead to a
catastrophic loss for employees, such as health care, life insurance, and accidental death
and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. All of these areas represent risk that Kloter Farms
could not possibly self-insure because of the potential they have to incur astronomical
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
15/23
P a g e | 14
losses. For a company of its size, these losses could undoubtedly threaten Kloters
solvency.
On the other hand, like most companies, Kloter Farms self-insures a majority of its
benefits that are low risk or have set nominal costs. The company elects to self-insure: sick
time, vacation, holidays, tuition reimbursement, and 401(k) contributions. All of these
benefits are either low risk or set amounts which Kloter Farms can easily plan for in
advance. In the case of 401(k) contributions, which are offered on a profit sharing basis,
the amount Kloter contributes is adjustable yearly. In this regard, 401(k) contributions can
never directly threaten the companys financial standing.
Issues and Considerations in the Design of Health Benefits
History
For the majority of Kloter Farms existence, the firm provided its employees with
plans that offered first dollar coverage. These cash benefits required no deductible and had
a minor co-pay of ten dollars for doctor visits and fifteen dollars for prescription
drugs. According to Peter Welti, most employees were satisfied with these health benefits
provided by the company; however, by 2006, premiums for these plans were increasing
extremely rapidly. Kloter Farms opted instead to offer its employees and their dependents
a choice of POS HMO plans through Aetna. This decision was based on the
recommendation of Kloters benefits consultant at the time. These POS HMO plans are
consumer directed health plans (CDHP) that have high deductibles and are compatible with
a health savings account (HSA). The two specific reasons Kloter Farms president and
insurance broker chose to offer these health options are: (1) Kloter Farms former heath
care plan became too costly and (2) the POS HMO options will remain steadily containable
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
16/23
P a g e | 15
and cost efficient for both employees and Kloter Farms over time (Welti). Mr. Welti
explained that, without switching to a CDHP, Kloter Farms would not be able to continue
contributing 95% of the cost for the employees base health plan. If they had not changed
coverage, the previous plan would now cost double what it did in 2006 (Welti).
Cost Containment
Marginal cost versus marginal benefits is a very important factor when selecting a
cost-efficient health care plan. Mr. Welti stresses the significance of overall cost to Kloter
Farms employees and their dependents as well as the marginal cost to the firm. Three
methods Kloter Farms plan practices in order to reduce costs are offering employees a high
deductible plan option, using coinsurance, and requiring employees to make co-payments
for service benefits. These methods force employees to act as responsible consumers
when utilizing health care because they are forced to weigh the benefits they receive
against the true cost (NBGH). The base POS HMO option with a HSA includes a high
deductible of $4,500-$6,000 for individual plans and $9,000-$12,000 for family plans
depending on in network or out of network utilization. This large deductible offers
employees a lower annual premium, but does not offer coverage until the deductible is
met. A second cost saving method exercised by Kloter Farms is coinsurance for out of
network care by employees; in network treatment requires no coinsurance paid by the
employee, but out of network utilization comes with a 30% co-insurance stipulation. The
new CDHP also attempts to contain cost by requiring higher co-payments than the previous
plan. The co-payments can range from $10-$150 depending on services required and
network utilization. Co-payments, high deductibles, and coinsurance all help subsidize
Kloter Farms overall costs for health benefits.
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
17/23
P a g e | 16
One would expect these changes would create some animosity from employees
towards the company but Mr. Welti assured us that this was not the case. He went on to
clarify that the bulk of Kloters covered employees simply choose the plan that costs them
the least. The fact that the company was able to continue providing a contribution of 95%
was enough to keep the majority of covered employees content. He also noted that he
does not believe a majority of employees truly understand their health plan until it becomes
needed. This indicates that communication of all benefits could use serious improvement.
Dental
In the upcoming year, Kloter Farms plans to add dental to its health benefits
plan. We previously indicated that the company had rejected the idea in the past but due to
increased demand by employees, Kloter has decided to begin offering the
coverage. Although the company will not be able to make any contributions to this
coverage, dental will be available on an employee-pay-all basis beginning in 2012.
Issues and Considerations in the Design of Non-Health Benefits
Communication
As previously expressed, Kloter Farms communication could use improvement. Mr.
Welti noted that a majority of the companys employees do not fully understand their
benefits plan until they personally need it. Kloters communication is outsourced through
the companys benefits consultant, John Zawadski. Mr. Zawadski works for the firm, Health
Consultants Group, and handles the majority of Kloter Farms benefits communication and
assists in the design. Kloter Farms does not have a Summary Plan Description (SPD) or
similar communication devise. Instead, Mr. Zawadski meets with the employees annually
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
18/23
P a g e | 17
during the companys enrollment period. He convenes one-on-one with each employee and
discusses their options thoroughly to find the best set of benefits particular to their individual
needs. He also addresses any questions or concerns they may have.
Although Kloter Farms has had very few issues or complaints regarding the
companys benefits package, Mr. Zawadski is available year round to handle any problems
that may arise. The few complications Kloter Farms employees have had were in regard to
co-payments. The issue was absolved by Mr. Zawadski who contacted the insurance
company and clarified the misunderstanding between the two parties.
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
In addition to the dental plan previously mentioned, Kloter Farms is also installing
short-term and long-term disability coverage in its benefits offering for the coming
year. These disability options will be accessible on an employee-pay-all basis via weekly
payroll deductions. Kloter is providing five or six different plans for its employees to choose
from, depending on their unique needs and desires.
The decision to begin offering disability and dental was a result of an employee
survey conducted by Kloter Farms. The survey asked employees which areas of their
benefits plan they would like improved and if there were any desired coverages not being
provided. They found that dental and disability coverage were the two areas most
requested. Although Kloter does not currently have the ability to contribute to these
coverages, it is able to make both available to all of its employees.
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
19/23
P a g e | 18
Regulatory Compliance
ERISA
Fiduciary responsibility, discrimination testing, and plan communication are all
requirements Kloter Farms must address under ERISA (Cogan). Discrimination is easily
handled by only contributing a set amount95% of the base health plans cost. If an
employee wished to have a richer health plan, they are required to cover the additional cost
on their own. This design means that Kloter Farms does not discriminate by offering the
same amount of contribution to all employees for any plan. It also offers a set amount of life
insurance ($10,000) to all covered employees.
By offering an HMO POS plan, Kloter Farms takes care of its fiduciary
responsibility. Although it has switched to a CDHP, employees still have the freedom to
choose any provider they wish by deciding to stay in network or go out of network.
The communication of the plan is handled by holding an annual meeting with Koters
employees as well as one-on-one meetings with the companys consultant.
PPACA
Under PPACA, Kloter Farms misses eligibility for the small business health
insurance tax credit by only two covered lives. In order to qualify for the tax credit, the
employer must have fewer than twenty-five covered employees, pay at least 50% of
employees health insurance cost, and have an average salary of less than $50,000
(Peterson). Kloter Farms fulfills all of these except for having twenty-seven covered
employees. The tax credit would be equal to 35% of the employers contribution to health
insurance (Peterson).
Kloter Farms FSAs will be affected by PPACA in the coming years. Starting in
2013, the maximum amount an employee can deposit in an FSA will be reduced to
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
20/23
P a g e | 19
$2,500. Currently, the maximum is set at $5,000.
Future Recommendations
Kloter Farms offers its employees and their dependents a broad, comprehensive
spectrum of coverage and benefits. Although they offer a variety of benefits ranging from
necessary coverage options (health care) to life cycle benefits such as HSA options and
paid time off, there are a few gaps that Kloter Farms can address to further improve the
system that is already in place. The two areas of improvement encompass plan
communication and staff adjustments.
Communication Improvements
One advantage to administering a benefit plan to a smaller firm is the ease of
administrative burden. For example, communicating a plan to a company with twenty
employees will be significantly less difficult for administration than a company that has over
a thousand employees. Kloter Farms does a great job communicating plan enrollment
periods, changes to the benefits package, and options employees and their dependents
have; they even hold a mandatory annual meeting to make sure every employee knows
exactly what options they have in order to eliminate any discrepancies. Since Kloter has
just twenty-seven employees (and forty-nine dependents), it is not detrimental to the
companys output to hold this annual meeting during work, and saves the administration
time. Additionally, Kloter Farms personal consultant, John Zawadski (Penn Field
Consultants), sits down with each individual employee, one-on-one, who opts for
coverage. This is very effective, but to even further improve efficiency and overall plan
effectiveness, Kloter Farms should consider drafting a written summary plan description
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
21/23
P a g e | 20
(SPD), so employees can receive a copy of the plan offerings in writing. This SPD should
be distributed at work to each employee, as well as made available online for employees to
view at any time. This way, employees can always access information regarding enrollment
period dates and see exactly what Kloter Farms offers in terms of coverage and
benefits. Along with offering a SPD, it is important for the companys broker and plan
administrators to notify all employees of any changes to the SPD, whether employees are
covered or not. By giving each employee a copy of the SPD in addition to the annual
communications meeting, plan participation may increase, and at the very least employees
will be better informed of what Kloter Farms offers its employees in terms of coverage and
benefits.
Administration Suggestions
In addition to distributing a Summary Plan Description to employees, Kloter Farms
can further benefit its organization and benefits administration by hiring a risk
manager. When we spoke with Peter Welti initially, he told us he would contact the
companys broker for additional information we were seeking. After three days, the broker
had still not responded with the requested information; furthermore, Mr. Welti was initially
uncertain of how his own benefits worked until he actually needed them, even though he
makes the majority of the decisions regarding what benefits Kloter Farms offers
employees. Adding a risk manager to partner with Peter Welti would improve plan
organization, and bolster the team of individuals that decides what benefits to offer. This
risk manager could also assess risk within the organization, and suggest ways to prevent
future perils and shortcomings within the plan design. If the company is not open to hiring a
new employee at the executive position, they could alternatively choose to pass the
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
22/23
P a g e | 21
administration aspects of the plan off to a third party administrator, or an insurer who
performs administrative services only. Implementing either of these two options would
improve plan communication and ease the burden of performing duties that comply with
ERISA (fiduciary responsibilities, communication requirements, reporting requirements such
as Form 5500, etc.).
Conclusion
In Kloter Farms thirty one years of existence, its benefit options have changed
drastically. After using first dollar coverage with no deductible for the majority of its time as
an entity, Kloter Farms changed its health benefit options to CDHP products five years ago
due to exponential cost increases. Decision makers who administer these benefits to
employees and their dependents continue to improve coverage gaps, and plan to add
dental coverage in the next calendar year. In addition to health and life insurance benefits,
the firm offers extensive benefits such as- AD&D, short and long term disability, paid time
off for holidays, sick days, tuition reimbursement, and 401(k) profit sharing. Offering
employees these benefits will retain valuable, capable personnel within the firm and keep
them happy. Improving these coverage options and offering competitive benefits will also
attract top talent to Kloter Farms, further improving the quality of the staff, which in turn
improves the company name. Constant revision and analysis of the current plan will
continue to strengthen the total package offered by Kloter Farms, and improve overall
employee satisfaction. Kloter Farms begins with the individuals who work within the
organization. Attracting and retaining valuable, capable employees will yield future success
for years to come.
-
8/2/2019 Drew s Schlosser - Kloterfarms.fall2011
23/23
P a g e | 22
Work Cited
Cogan, Pamela, and Mary Piasta. "Perils and Pitfalls of ERISA Summary Plan Descriptions." Employee
Benefit News. 16 June 2006. Web. 3 Dec. 2011.
.
"Consumer-Directed Health Care: The Employer Perspective." National Business Group on Health (2011):
1-10. Apr. 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.
Peterson, Chris L., and Hinda Chaikind. "Summary of Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credit Under
PPACA (P.L. 111-148)." Congressional Research Service. 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2011.
.
Welti, Peter. Personal interview. 6 December, 2011.