In this week’s podcast episode, host Dorothy Cociu discusses Cybersecurity and Cyber Awareness in Today’s Threat Environment with Adriana Mendieta, Tech Coordinator, Cyber Insurance Solutions, Miguel (Mike) Villegas, Founder and President of iSecurePrivacy, LLC, and Carl Griftka, Managing Director, SL Business Informatics. We discuss why it is impo…

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu discusses the final regulations from the Mental Health Parity Act and the required NQTL Analysis with Chris Condeluci, ESQ, Washington Counsel, SIIA and Jordan Smith, Chief Compliance Officer & Practice Leader on Mental Health Parity at Healthcare Reporting. We discuss the law in general, plus the increase…

In Part 2 of our 2-part podcast on ERISA Fiduciary Requirements, host Dorothy Cociu and Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office discuss and share with our audience more excerpts from our September webinar. In this episode, we discuss the importance of the current environment of employee lawsuits against their health plan sponsors, which is one of the…

In part 1 of this two-part podcast, host Dorothy Cociu and guest Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office share with you excerpts from their September webinar on ERISA’s Fiduciary Requirements. In part 1, we discuss some background on ERISA and its importance, major components of ERISA, the role of a fiduciary, understanding fiduciary actions and how …

Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the differences between tax write-offs on IRS Section 125 cafeteria plans and income tax returns with Anne Kelly, President of Kelly & Kelly Insurance Services. Pre-tax dollars for flexible spending accounts, dependent care and qualified insurance plan contributions will be discussed, and how they compare with common in…

Host Dorothy Cociu discusses what’s going on in Washington, DC, Healthcare Policies of Presidential Candidates, a Congressional update, and the hottest topics in the self-funded health plan market with Chris Condeluci, ESQ, Washington Counsel for the Self-Insurance Institute of America (SIIA) and Anthony Murrello, SIIA Government Relations Manager.…

Host Dorothy Cociu discusses Medicare updates with Maggie Stedt, Medicare Expert from Stedt Insurance. They will preview the most important things Medicare recipients and their families/friends need to know during this upcoming Open Enrollment Period, the most common questions seniors have went signing up for Medicare, plan changes for 2025, includ…

In our season 6 opener, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses ERISA’s 50th Birthday with Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law office, its history and why it’s important to the employee benefits industry. Why did Congress want and need to pass a law like ERISA? What does ERISA do in general, and what and who does it protect? What are the advantages of ERISA-regula…

In today’s market, top talent not only wants, but expects, a robust and innovative employee benefits program that will set one employer apart from the rest. Host Dorothy Cociu and guests Sue Wakamoto-Lee, ABC Director of Business Development and Jack Holder, President of EBIS, discuss how you can design a benefits program tailored to your workforce…

In this week’s podcast, in a follow-up and part 2 of this series, host Dorothy Cociu discusses holistic and alternative, natural medicines and remedies for healing with Dr. Shannon Eggleston, Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP) and Doctor of Naturopathy, Founder of Natural Healing Center, and Ted Flittner of Live Wellness. We discuss the effectivene…

In this week’s episode, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Michael Julian, CEO, of National Business Investigations, Inc., MPS Security & Protection, author and trainer for Workplace Violence and Active Shooter Survival Training. Workplace Violence, as well as Active Shooters have become, unfortunately, very common across this country and elsewhere. Cal…

Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the current state of Washington politics, legislative and regulatory updates and an insider’s look from “Inside the Beltway” with John Greene, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Association of Benefits & Insurance Professionals (NABIP). We discuss the politics in this election year, potential f…

Part 2 in our Series on Artificial Intelligence In this episode, host Dorothy Cociu discusses with Eric Barricklow, Adriana Mendieta, and Marilyn Monahan, the importance of AI Security and Privacy Protections, AI & Cyber Liability, and Keeping Your Data Safe. Artificial Intelligence has left many companies wondering about what is needed to use the …

They predict that AI will revolutionize the workplace. But what is the legal landscape for AI use? Are there laws in place governing the use of AI? Are there risks and vulnerabilities employers should consider before adopting AI systems? In Part One of a Two-Part Series on Artificial Intelligence, host Dorothy Cociu discusses the legal consideratio…

For many years, consumers have been using Cannabis/CBD and other Holistic or Alternate Medicines and Treatments outside of their health plan, because studies have shown that they work and provide needed pain relief and treatment for conditions such as Cancer, Chronic Pain, Parkinson’s, MS, Alzheimers and Dementia, and more recently for mental healt…

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu discusses the process of the employer selection of a benefits broker and consultant with guests Sue Wakamoto-Lee, Director of Business Development of Advanced Benefit Consulting and Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office. What services are important? What suits the employer’s needs? Should a broker/consulta…

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Kathy Ruffino, Vice President, Train Me Today, a Southern California-based Human Resources Consulting and Training firm, on the upcoming law changes for 2024 related to Human Resources and Employment Law. In this podcast, we discuss California’s SB 616 Paid Sick Leave, Cannabis Legislation SB 70…

In this week’s episode, host Dorothy Cociu discusses the self-insurance industry hot topics with Ryan Work, VP of Government Relations and Chris Condeluci, Washington Counsel, for the Self-Insurance Institute of America. We discuss the current threat to ERISA pre-emption following recent Supreme Court rulings on PBM cases that could have adverse ef…

California’s Governor recently signed into law SB 770, which is a bill aimed at obtaining federal financing from Medicare and MediCal funds to be directed into a state-run single payer healthcare system in California. If a single payer system were to pass into law, we would have no more private health plans, no more Medicare, MediCal, or Covered Ca…

In this week’s episode, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Maggie Stedt, Medicare and Senior Care expert, who shares with us updates for Medicare enrollees and Medicare Open Enrollment Updates for 2023-2024. We discuss the new CMS Medicare Rules for agents, the highlights of the current Open Enrollment period, and important information that seniors need…

In Part Two of our 2-Part Series in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses with our Panel of Marilyn Monahan, ESQ, Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba of Aditi Group, processes for selecting service providers under the DOL/EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance, what they mean by a “Cybersecurity Program,” Best Practices for Plan Spon…

In Part One of a 2-Part Series, in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the US Department of Labor/EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance with an expert panel, including Marilyn Monahan, ESQ of Monahan Law Office, Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba, Principals of Aditi Group, ABC’s partner IT, Cybersecurity and Technology firm. In …

Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) have been around for years, but suddenly, they are being looked at as a way to save considerable dollars for fully insured plans being hit with high renewal increases, particularly if you offer high benefit-level plans. By increasing your deductible and using an employer-funded HRA, you can design your HRA to mi…

As we enter into the 4th quarter and the busiest Benefits Open Enrollment season, this podcasts gives expert assistance to be sure your Open Enrollment goes off without a hitch! Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marilyn Monahan, ESQ, Anne Kelly, and Anthony McCarren on Open Enrollment Best Practices. We discuss the legal and regulatory work that needs …

In this week’s episode, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marilyn Monahan, ESQ, of Monahan Law Office, on the dangers and pitfalls for plan fiduciaries that can cost you more than just money! We’ll talk about ERISA requirements for plan fiduciaries, the Prudent Person Rule, Parties in Interest, the DOL Guidance on plan fiduciary responsibilities for Cy…

Dorothy Cociu interviews Dr. Keith Smith, Owner, Surgery Center of Oklahoma. Dr. Smith and his partners left the world of corporate profits in the hospital industry and started the Surgery Center of Oklahoma in 1997, and immediately started quoting actual prices over the phone. In 2009, they launched their website that posted all prices online, off…

In this episode, Host Dorothy Cociu shares more excerpts from ABC’s January 24th Lunch & Learn program. Dorothy Cociu and Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office discuss benefit programs that attract and retain talent in all job tiers. In today’s market, top talent not only wants, but expects, a robust and innovative employee benefits program that wi…

In this episode, Host Dorothy Cociu shares excerpts from ABC’s January 24th Lunch & Learn program. One of the greatest challenges employers have in our post-pandemic world is recruiting talent and keeping them from moving on quickly to other employers. In this episode, Kathy Ruffino of Train Me Today and Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office provid…

Host Dorothy Cociu shares excerpts from her Employment & Workplace Laws session from her January 24, 2023 Lunch & Learn this episode. Kathy Ruffino from Train Me Today and Marilyn Monahan from Monahan Law Office discuss the new employment and workplace laws in or going into effect in 2023, including The Fast Act, AB 1041 expansion of current family…

In this episode, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Faith Borges, Legislative Advocate, Dawn McFarlane, VP of Legislation and Sue Wakamoto-Lee, President, of the California Agents & Health Insurance Professionals (CAHIP), on the current legislative environment in Sacramento. We examine our state legislature, the November elections and political impact o…

In part two of this two-part series, host Dorothy Cociu continues her interview with Marcy Buckner, Senior VP of Government Affairs of NABIP. We discuss the CMS Proposed 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP), the ACA Employer Reporting Deadline permanent extension, the Transparency in Coverage (TiC) Guidance that clarifies Public Dis…

In this episode, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marcy Buckner, Senior VP of Government Affairs of NABIP. They discuss the current state of affairs in Congress after the November, 2022 elections, the end of the year Omnibus Package, the Inflation Reduction Act, the ACA Family Glitch resolution, Medicare Marketing Final Rule and Proposed Rule, and the…

In this week’s episode, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Mike Sigal, VP of Sales Development and Omar Arif, Senior VO of Growth from ClaimDOC, a Reference Based Pricing vendor. As we continue to examine cost containment in self-funded health plans, we take a look into ClaimDOC and how they differ from other vendors, the effectiveness of single case ag…

Host Dorothy Cociu discusses with Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office all of the Employer Requirements for the Transparency in Coverage Machine Readable Files Disclosures and CAA Pharmacy Benefits Reporting Requirements for employers and their vendors. Whether you are fully insured or self-funded, there are a myriad of new requirements that have …

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Kathy Ruffino, Vice President, Train Me Today, on Human Resources and California Legislative Updates for 2022-2023. We discuss AB 152 (COVID Supplemental Paid Sick Leave), AB 257 (The Fast Act), AB 1041, SB 1044, AB 1601, AB 1751, AB 1949 and more. We also discuss what employers are dealing with post-Dobbs, the Great R…

Post-COVID-19, employers are struggling to attract and retain employees, and employee benefits are one of the leading ways to sway prospective employees to your companies. In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews John Evangelista and Sarah Knapp from Colonial Life on the ways that Voluntary Benefits can enhance your new hire benefits p…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Maggie Stedt and Rosamaria Murrajo from the California Agents & Health Insurance Professional’s Medicare Committee on the Medicare updates needed for 2023 enrollments. We discuss the important things consumers need to know, the new rules that affect agents, and the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare provisions. In addi…

In Part 2 of our Two-Part Series on Cybersecurity during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Adriana Mendieta, Cybersecurity and Cyber Liability Coverage Expert, on the current state of the Cyber World… whether it’s harmful hacks or ransomware, everyone is at risk for a cyber attack. Adriana shares her thoughts as a Databas…

In part 1 of this two part series, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Ted Mayeshiba and Ted Flittner of Aditi Group, an IT Technology, HITECH, Electronic Security and Cybersecurity firm on the current threats in electronic security, cybersecurity and the importance of risk assessments and training employees to protect your electronic data. We discuss th…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Dan Baker, Vice President, Sales and MaryAnn Wessel, Senior Account Manager of EBA&M Corporation, a Third-Party Administrator specializing in self-funded and level-funded health plans on the best practices for renewal and open enrollment, and strategies for making your upcoming renewal efficient and successful. We disc…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Ryan Work, Senior VP Government Relations and Chris Condeluci, Esquire, Washington Counsel for the Self Insurance Institute of America (SIIA), on the No Surprises Act Final Rules and how they impact health plans, including updates on the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Process, which finally opened in Apri…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Jeff Strong, Vice President, Sales, Sterling Administrators on health plan compliance, the good, the bad, and the scary! In this week’s episode, Jeff and Dorothy discuss ERISA disclosure requirements, the best tools for and preparing for audits, fiduciary liability, the Prudent Man Rule, Form 5500 filing and auditing, …

Host Dorothy Cociu continues her discussions on federal and state legal and regulatory updates with Marilyn Monahan. In part 2 of this 2-part series, we discuss the hottest two Supreme Court cases that were settled this past summer, including Dobbs v. Jackson Health (which overturned Roe v. Wade) and Marietta v Davita (which was a huge victory for …

S4 E1 - Host Dorothy Cociu interviews one of the Roundtable’s favorite guests, Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office. In part 1 of this two -part series, we discuss Federal & California State Leave Laws and how they inter-relate, updates on the current and future employer requirements for the Transparency in Coverage (TiC) rules, including Machine …

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews two of her self-funded group health plan clients, Bill Struett of Heimark Distributing and Randy Sims of Tri-West, LTD, about their experiences with reference-based pricing. They discuss the positives and negatives, the opportunities for additional cost savings over PPO networks, and the administrative process. Was it …

In Part 2 of our 3 Part Series on Health Plan Financing & Cost Containment, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Brad Gossen, President, and Dan Baker, Vice President, Sales, of EBA&M Corporation, a Third-Party Administrator specializing in self-funded health plans. In this post-COVID world, employers are trying to get back to what they do, and in order t…

Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on Health Care & Health Plan Financing & Cost Containment Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Bob Quaid, Senior Broker Representative for California Choice, a health plan option available for small groups (under 100 employees) in California, on how their 1990’s created Assembly Bill private exchange product has developed into an…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Elizabeth Holman, President of The Holman Group, which is a Managed Behavioral Healthcare Provider and Employee Assistance Program. We discuss the importance of providing assistance to employees in times of crisis, stress and anxiety, such as the COVID-19 era and beyond. What effects did the lack of normalcy, the econo…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Faith Borges, Legislative Advocate for the California Agents and Health Insurance Professionals (CAHIP) and Dawn McFarland, VP of Legislation for CAHIP, on the latest and most serious threat to our current health care system in California, with the recent single payer healthcare bill, AB-1400, and the companion Assembl…

Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba, principals of Aditi Group, an IT services and consulting firm, on the importance of a Business Electronic Risk Assessment in today’s cyber world. We examine the applications of HIPAA and other privacy laws, plus the day-to-day business needs across all industries, in protecting business …