News

The IRS* announced that it has extended the due date for employers to furnish Forms 1095 to employees, from January 31, 2019 to March 4, 2019. Large employers (50 or more full-time employees, including equivalents) and self-insured employers (of any size) now have an additional 32 days to furnish em…
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released an update to the annual fee imposed on certain health plans, from $2.39 to $2.45, calculated based on the average number of lives covered. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Fee, mandated by the ACA*, is paid by insurance carriers for fully-insure…
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Disability insurance is an important part of employees’ health coverage, especially since more than one in four of today’s 20-year-olds can expect to be out of work for at least a year because of a disabling condition before they reach the normal retirement age.1 But, employees may be surprised to …
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When your employer groups are preparing for open enrollment you may think about how you want them to educate their employees on the benefits you are offering. When your groups are busy, informing employees about their benefits may be something that falls through the cracks. However, by designing a s…
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The end of the year is always busy, making it a great time to remind employees of how easy it is to file claims and manage their account through our mobile app, AFmobile®, or americanfidelity.com. Not only can the policyholder set up text or email notifications for claim updates, but the response ti…
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One in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime1, and 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer.2 Such a diagnosis can be scary. For employees with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), it can feel overwhelming. The role …
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It was 1994, and Cheryl Dunn had just accepted a full-time position with her employer. Newly married and healthy, a life-altering diagnosis was the last thing on her mind. Still, she found herself sitting in an oncologist’s office receiving the news: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “It all happened very…
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Managing medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can seem like a daunting prospect for your employer groups. The scenarios are familiar – the new receptionist is taking leave after having a baby; a long-time bookkeeper is taking leave to care for his ailing mother; the service manage…
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A Note from Your Brokerage Team: Our website, americanfidelity.com got a major makeover recently. It’s now an even better resource for your employer groups and their employees. Check out all the new features and details below. Let us know what you think after you explore the new site, too! Stream…
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You may understand the importance of Disability Income Insurance* but you may be asking: Why aren’t more employees taking advantage of it? There are myriad reasons why employees aren’t electing the coverage. We spoke with some of our account managers to learn about what they hear during enrollments.…
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A note from your Brokerage Development Team: As part of our commitment to providing brokers with valuable materials, we wanted to share this new guide from American Fidelity Administrative Services (AFAS). It’s a great piece to share with employers who have questions about how taxes work with the d…
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Getting in the door with new accounts can be tough. Have you considered leading with Dental? Scott Nokleby in Washington has found great success in leading with Dental. Groups have many visits from medical carriers or VB carriers asking them if they can meet, but he uses BEAM, which offers a free e…
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Effective April 1, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) implemented new handling regulations for disability claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). In addition to claims under disability benefit plans, these new rules may also apply to other plans that provide disab…
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Looking for new ways to grow your business or leverage the newest tech innovations to help your client groups? Get the info you need, plus network with over 500 of your peers at Employee Benefit Advisor’s Workplace Benefits Mania in Phoenix on July 30th through August 1st. There will be great sessi…
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If the triple digit temperatures waiting for you in your parked car haven’t already tipped you off, it’s officially summer. If you’re like us, your summer plans are keeping you busy, but it’s probably nothing compared to how hectic it will get come fall. This is exactly why summer is the perfect ti…
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Timothy (Tim) Racosky doesn’t know the meaning of slow. As a dedicated teacher of more than 20 years in Montgomery County, MD, and father to two active kids, this go-getter family man doesn’t hold back. “My kids are involved in sports—you name it, we do it! We go to the gym, take walks and enjoy day…
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A few months ago, we wrote about tips to grow your business on social media. We talked about how important it is to make sure you’re posting on your chosen networks on a somewhat regular basis. This month, we’re diving in a bit further on that topic, specifically things you should and shouldn’t do w…
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We had a fantastic time at the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo in April. A particular highlight was the Face of Change Q&A panel, which featured some of the most exciting new faces in brokerage talking about the top industry concerns and changes. The room was packed, and the conversation was great, even…
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Wherever you’re reading this, hopefully spring has finally sprung. It can be a lovely season, but it can also bring a bit of disaster. With more people venturing outdoors, onto jet skis, or breaking out those slippery flip flops, there are many opportunities to get hurt, in and out of the workplace.…
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While no one can predict an injury or disabling illness, employers can help provide protection for their employees from the resulting financial costs with disability insurance. Through surveys of our customers, we’ve found that employers are looking to their benefit providers for help with educatin…
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Zip-lining in Costa Rica. Parasailing in Cabo. Skiing in Colorado. In today's world, millennials have more access than ever before to new experiences, new adventures, and new opportunities to cross items off their bucket lists. Because of their active lifestyles, disability insurance is an importan…
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The IRS has updated its online Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) question and answer resource to reflect updated penalty amounts, affordability thresholds, and guidance on expired transition relief applicable to employers in 2018.   2018 Employer Shared Responsibility Payment Amounts…
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Once upon a time, the Yellow Pages were the best place to find out about new businesses and the internet was for AOL and killing time in chatrooms. (Who doesn’t miss hearing “You’ve got mail”?) But we’re living in a post-Y2K world now, and people carry entire search engines in their pockets. If your…
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We’ve added a new video library page to make it easier for you to share videos with your groups and contacts. Here you can browse available videos for different products, testimonials, enrollment, and more. Simply click on the video link, copy the URL in the browser address bar, and paste it into t…
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Spring is in the air which leads to new beginnings and spring cleaning. For American Fidelity, it means making some updates to the way you manage your bill. Coming in late April, American Fidelity will be making some exciting upgrades to your online billing. You will see new features that make mana…
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Come join the AWD Brokerage Sales Team as we “educate, motivate, and innovate” alongside other innovative brokers and friends at the 14th Annual BenefitsPRO Broker Expo in San Diego on April 17th -19th. We’ll be at Booth 608. That’s 608, as in… 6 great products to offer your clients: Disabili…
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It’s not news that people love to buy, but hate to be sold. More now than ever, people are skeptical of traditional sales tactics and are looking for more robust and customized solutions for the issues they face. This is true of every industry, including health benefits and services. So what’s the …
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In thinking about strategies for the year, we’ve been talking a lot about making sure we’re offering more than just products to our clients. We want to be your business partners, and we imagine that’s how you want your groups to feel about you. By making yourself a valuable resource for solutions be…
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When Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) participants leave employment mid-plan year, certain actions need to be taken. These actions are often overlooked, but are extremely important in order for your Section 125 Plan to remain compliant. Employers should evaluate the former employee's acc…
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Proposals provide an opportunity to present products and services for your groups in a professional, beautiful way. Whether you’re preparing to request your first proposal or just need a refresher, here’s a few things to keep in mind when submitting a request for a proposal (RFP): Know what you’re …
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We are so excited to share our new Brokerage website. Not only does it include a new look and feel but it is full of great new features. One of our favorites is the Benefits by State page which lists each benefit American Fidelity offers in every state. Using the interactive map, you can click on th…
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Allowing employees to maximize their Disability Income Insurance* coverage with no health questions just became a reality for many American Fidelity Assurance Company customers. During 2018, employer groups who are set up to enroll on American Fidelity’s AFenroll® platform are eligible for the guara…
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For many businesses, employees are the greatest asset. At American Fidelity, we know that healthy employees can positively affect your bottom line. That’s why many of our supplemental insurance policies offer wellness benefits that policyholders can file a claim for every year. Introducing AFQuick…
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As healthcare costs continue to rise, more and more Americans report difficulty affording medical treatment. In fact, 27% of Americans say they have put off or postponed getting health care they needed due to costs1. And three in 10 Americans report problems paying medical bills2.  For employers, t…
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We hope your year is off to a great start, and we look forward to another year of working with you. We’re happy to announce the introduction of AFQuickClaims™ as a great new addition to your toolbox. Available for Cancer, Critical Illness and Accident Only products, AFQuickClaims makes filing diagn…
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