American Benefits Podcast

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Episode 20: Innovations in Health Coverage: Mercer's Tracy Watts and the Power of a Good Idea Apr 17, 2018

Show notes

The American Benefits Council and Mercer, a global human resource consultancy firm, recently released a paper, Leading the Way: Employer Innovations in Health Coverage, which shows how large companies are using their stature and their ingenuity to try and tackle the pervasive problems surrounding health care, including high costs and inconsistent service.

Podcast host Jason Hammersla speaks with Tracy Watts, who spearheaded this project. Tracy is a senior partner in Mercer's Washington D.C. office and the company's National Leader for U.S. Health Care Reform. In this episode, Jason and Tracy talk about how to define "innovation" in employer-provided health plans and what that means for working families.

Episode 19: Better Know a Council Staff Member: Meet Ilyse Schuman, Senior Vice President, Health Policy Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

Even though the Council boasts more than 7,300 members from 440 companies worldwide, the Council staff itself is only 15 individuals strong. The latest addition to the Council family is Ilyse Schuman, the Council's new senior vice president, health policy. Ilyse succeeds the previous VP, Katy Spangler, and now directs the development and advocacy of all health policy priorities.

In this episode of the American Benefits Podcast, host Jason Hammersla learns about Ilyse's origin story, her tenure with the Senate HELP Committee and her breakroom snack preferences – and enjoys a friendly game of word association.

Episode 18: Let's Make It Simple: The American College of Employee Benefits Council and its $10,000 Prize Mar 14, 2018

Show notes

William Shakespeare's admonition about lawyers notwithstanding, most employer-sponsored benefit plans could not function without the sage counsel of the attorneys who have devoted their careers to employee benefits law. The "hall of fame" for these skilled attorneys is the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, which recognizes the small share lawyers who have made lasting contributions to the benefits field.

As part of its mission to advance the public's understanding of the employee benefits system, the College is now sponsoring the First Annual Employee Benefits Simplification Prize, with a $10,000 prize going to the winner. The deadline for this award is April 1, 2018.

In this episode of the American Benefits Podcast, host Jason Hammersla speaks with Henry Eickelberg, ACEBC treasurer, and Randy Hardock, chair of the simplification award committee, to talk about the privileges of ACEBC fellowship and how to win that grand prize.

Episode 17: Benefits for a Cause: How 'The Greater Give' Could Revolutionize Philanthropy Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

Payroll-deduction, defined contribution plans have changed the way we save for retirement and may yet change the way we pay for health care and pay down college debt. Now the CEO of a large third-party administrator (TPA) has a plan to use it to create a nation of "everyday philanthropists."

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is likely to reduce the percentage of Americans who itemize – and thereby have access to the charitable giving tax deduction – to less than ten percent, eliminating much of the tax incentive to contribute. Enter Dan Rashke, CEO of TASC, the man behind The Greater Give, a campaign in favor of legislation that would allow employers to set up Flexible Giving Accounts (FGAs). With an FGA, an employee could dedicate a portion of their pre-tax compensation to philanthropy, thereby expanding the federal tax incentive while reducing employers' payroll tax obligations. In this episode, host Jason Hammersla speaks with Rashke about TPAs, building a corporate culture of philanthropy and the march toward FGA legislation.

Episode 16: Profiles in Paid Leave: A Hallmark Case Study Feb 08, 2018

Show notes

While health and retirement benefits have long been the twin pillars of the American Benefits Council's policy agenda. As time has gone on, however, other kinds of employee benefits have arisen – namely, paid leave – posing unique challenges for employers' benefit programs. Unfortunately, Congress has thus far ceded this issue to the states, spurring a patchwork of state- and municipal-level laws. In response, the Council has advocated for a federal solution in the form of a voluntary minimum standard for paid leave.

In this episode, host Jason Hammersla speaks with representatives from Hallmark, a world-renowned company for which paid leave policy has emerged as an important issue. Then Lynn Dudley, the Council's senior vice president, global retirement and compensation policy, joins us to provide an update on the current legislative landscape for paid leave.

Episode 15: The Future of the Workplace, featuring an All-Star Employer Panel Jan 17, 2018

Show notes

In this session from the Council's 50th Anniversary Symposium on November 30, we find out how companies are reimagining their employee benefit programs to recruit and retain the talented workers of the future. We hear from an all-star panel of employer representatives spanning human resources, benefits, consulting and government relations. They talk extensively about the challenges associated with meeting the needs of the present and future workplace:

Tami Simon [Moderator], Managing Director, Conduent HR Services
Kevin Avery, Manager, Federal Government Affairs, ConocoPhillips
Jennifer Graham-Johnson, Chief Human Resources Officer, WestRock Company
Tom Sondergeld, Vice President HRIS, Global Benefits & Mobility, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Fred Thiele, General Manager, Global Benefits, Microsoft

Episode 14: The Future of the Workforce, featuring Guest Speakers Representing Emerging Employee Populations Jan 03, 2018

Show notes

A full accounting of the future of employee benefits would be incomplete without the perspectives of employees themselves. If employers are to develop innovative, effective and responsive benefit programs, they must be able to anticipate the needs of the future workforce.

In this excerpt from the Council's 50th Anniversary Symposium on November 30, we hear from representatives of organizations representing millennials, women and Latinos, each of whom are expected to comprise a larger share of the workforce over the coming decades. These speakers talk about the unique challenges facing their constituencies and the opportunities to design programs that meet their specific needs.

Episode 13: Employee Benefits Past, Present and Future, featuring Council President James Klein and Benefits Legend David Walker Dec 12, 2017

Show notes

Few, if any, Americans have held as many senior federal government positions with direct responsibility for health and retirement security as David Walker, former Assistant Secretary of Labor, public trustee of Social Security and Medicare, and Comptroller General of the United States.

In this excerpt from the Council's 50th Anniversary Symposium on November 30, Council President James Klein interviewed Walker on the future of private sector benefit plans, the viability of government health and retirement entitlement programs, and the evolving role of states in regulating employee benefits.

The Council has recently published new polling data on Americans' attitudes about employer-sponsored benefits.

>> Results from the Council's National Poll

Episode No. 12: From Here to Retirement Security, Featuring Bob Reynolds, President and CEO, Great West Financial and Putnam Investments Oct 17, 2017

Show notes

As lawmakers get closer and closer to tax reform – and have to find a way to pay for it – it is becoming increasingly likely that they will seek to alter the tax incentives supporting workplace retirement savings. Bob Reynolds, president and CEO of Great West Financial and Putnam Investments, sees this as a dangerous and counter-productive change to our national retirement savings policy.

Reynolds' new book, From Here to Security, describes the history and strengths of the 401(k) savings system and makes the case for building on that system by making wise policy decisions to enhance their effectiveness. In this episode, he talks with host Jason Hammersla about workplace coverage challenges, the power of automatic features and other opportunities to strengthen the system.

Episode No. 11: Congress and the Tax Reform Tightrope, Featuring Former Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), Partner with Capitol Counsel Oct 03, 2017

Show notes

With the congressional Republicans' health care "repeal-and-replace" efforts stymied, attention on Capitol Hill now turns to the difficult business of tax reform, where incentives for workplace health and retirement benefit plans continue to hang in the balance.

The Council is working with the Save Our Savings coalition and Capitol Counsel to ensure that Americans' retirement savings are not affected by comprehensive tax reform legislation. To help us understand that challenge, Capitol Counsel Partner and former Congressman Jim McCrery (R-LA) talks with host Jason Hammersla about lawmakers' temptation to tap those retirement savings incentives for present-day revenue, and the "budget gimmick" that makes it possible. He also weighs in on other hot-button topics like business tax reform, Social Security and health care reform.

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