Benefits Executive Roundtable

Recently, we all saw in the news that the stock price of Artificial Intelligence chipmaker giant NVIDA fell when the Chinese start-up DeepSeek, a new AI tool they claim can be made cheaper than its American competitor, was released. What does this really mean for the American consumers, healthcare systems and manufacturers using AI technology? The news mentioned briefly the security concerns of such a product from a foreign player in the market, but short soundbites don’t tell the whole story. In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu and her guests, Ted Flittner, Principal of Aditi Group and Eric Barricklow, Owner of Stellar Cyber Solutions, take a deep dive into what we know and what we don’t know, and provide pro tips and expert recommendations on how to protect ourselves and our organizations.

Visit the Podcast Website for Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e13-taking-a-deep-dive-into-chinese-deepseek-and-other-artificial-intelligence

#China #espionage #privacy policies #DeepSeek #ArtificialIntelligence #cybersecurity #SecurityConcerns #ProTips #ExpertRecommendations #NVIDA #OpenAI #ChatGPT #DorothyCociu #TedFlittner #AditiGroup #EricBarricklow #StellarCyberSolutions

S6E12 - HIPAA Security Proposed Rules; Important Changes and Updates for 2025 – Part 2

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu continues her discussion on the HIPAA Security Proposed Rules with Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba, Principals of Aditi Group. In this podcast, we walk through the contents of the Fact Sheet of the proposed rules. We discuss the requirements for written policies, procedures, plans and analyses, including the requirement for a robust risk management plan and a compliance audit, required under the proposed rule at least every 12 months. Multi-factor authentication and encryption requirements are also discussed. Join us for this informative podcast!

Visit the Podcast Website for Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e12-hipaa-security-proposed-rules-important-changes-2025-part-2

#HIPAA #HITECH #proposedregulations #mandatory #compliance #HealthandHumanServices #HHS #encryption #MFA #audit #penetrationtest #pentest #riskassessment #policiesandprocedures #AditiGroup #tedflittner #tedmayeshiba #dorothycociu

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu discusses the recently released HIPAA Security Proposed Rules with Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office and Ted Flittner, Principal of Aditi Group, an IT/HIPAA Security/Cybersecurity firm. In Part 1 of this series, we discuss the proposed requirements for written policies and procedures, establishing technical and non-technical evaluations, and a robust risk management plan. Many requirements are annual, with at least one every six months. We discuss the requirement for encryption, patch management, monitoring, incident response, testing, an annual compliance audit, and more. What’s in the new proposed rules specifically? Join us for this informative podcast.

Visit the Podcast Website and View Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e11-hipaa-security-proposed-rules-part-1

#HIPAASecurityRule #HIPAArequirements #HITECH #encryption #patchmanagement #incidentresponse #penetrationtesting #complianceaudits #robustriskmanagement #policiesandprocedures #riskassessment #compliance #tedflittner #aditigroup #marilynmonahan #dorothycociu

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Elizabeth Holman, President of the Holman Group, a Los Angeles based EAP Program and Behavioral Assistance Provider, on the current state of the EAP and mental health/behavioral health community. Have celebrity public discussions about mental health inspired the public to get help? Are most employees seeking virtual or brick and mortar visits? How have the mental health parity act new rules impacted EAP programs? Join us for this informative podcast.

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e10-employer-eap-behavioral-health-mental-health-parity-act

#EmployerEAP #BehavioralHealth #MentalHealth

#MentalHealthParityAct #DorothyCociu #ElizabethHolman #BehavioralAssistance #virtual #inperson

In this week’s episode, host Dorothy Cociu discusses the requirements for Health Plan Sponsors and Business Associates for the new HIPAA Reproductive Rights rules with Marilyn Monahan, Esq, of Monahan Law Office. We discuss what’s required and when, what is prohibited related to uses and disclosures, the scope and new definitions, and the application of the prohibition, including a required Attestation. Join us for this informative podcast!

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 important for organizations to prioritize cybersecurity and data privacy, internal and external security threats, the importance of ongoing risk analyses, and the overall threat environment for businesses today and in the future. What are the best ways to manage Cybersecurity? Why is it important that everyone in the company understand cyber risks? How can your company be best protected? Join us for this highly informative podcast!

Visit the Podcast Website for Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s638-cybersecurity-and-awareness-todays-threat-environment

#cybersecurity #dataprivacy #cyberthreats #cyberrisks #AdrianaMendieta #CyberInsuranceSolutions #MiguelVillegas #iSecurePrivacy #CarlGriftka #SLBusinessInformatics

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,

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e7-mhpaea-final-regs-and-nqtl-analysis

#MHPAEA #NQTL #MentalHealthParityAct #ChrisCondeluci #JordanSmith #non-qualitativetreatmentlimitation #DorothyCociu

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 hottest topics in Washington and across the country related to benefit plans. In addition, we share excepts on ERISA Cybersecurity guidance, cybersecurity enforcement, potential penalties, and the importance of hiring and monitoring service providers with strong cybersecurity practices. Join us for this informative podcast episode!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e6-erisa-fiduciary- requirements-part2

#ERISA #Cybersecurity #cybersecurityguidance #enforcement #erisapenalties #ITprovider #MSP

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 not understanding them can harm a plan and its fiduciaries, the duties of a fiduciary, ERISA’s prudent person standard, applying the standards to service providers, prohibited transactions under ERISA, and some new and expanding roles of fiduciaries. Part 1 sets the stage for next week’s Part 2, which gets into the current environment for fiduciaries, important litigation and more. Please join us for this informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e5-erisa-fiduciary-requirements-part1

#MonahanLaw #ERISA #Fiduciary #prudentperson #litigation #DorothyCociu #MarilynMonahan

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 income tax write-offs in various categories. Join us for this informative podcast, as we break down the differences in the options offered to employers and employees and how to maximize the tax savings.

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e4-tax-write-offs-on-cafeteria-plans-vs-income-tax-returns

#taxwrite-offs #IRSsection125 #cafeteriaplans #incometax #Pre-tax #flexiblespendingaccount #FSA #dependentcare #qualifiedinsuranceplan #DorothyCociu #AnneKelly