Employers Are Taking Steps to Reduce Costs Associated with Employee Benefits
No one disputes that the cost of providing employee benefits, particularly health care coverage, is costly for employers. Some companies are now getting creative in an attempt to stem the spiraling costs associated with these programs. As discussed in an article in BusinessWeek Online, many employers are conducting so-called "dependent eligibility audits," in which these companies demand proof from their employees that their spouses and children qualify for medical benefits. (Click here to review the article.) If employees are not able to demonstrate that their claimed-dependents are actually entitled to benefits, coverage for these dependents is terminated. Incredibly, audits are routinely finding that up to 15% of those claimed as dependents are not actually entitled to coverage.
Please contact us directly to discuss any questions you may have regarding dependent eligibility audits, as well as the benefits related to conducting one in your workplace.