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Kristen Russell

Kristen Russell

Kristen founded Fall River Employee Benefits as the culmination of her insurance industry career as an actuary, underwriting executive & consultant. As an Assistant Vice President at Great-West Healthcare (now part of CIGNA), she managed a $1 Billion block of health insurance. She also worked as a Senior Consultant at Reden & Anders, consulting to insurance companies and large employers throughout the country. Ms. Russell received a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration in Actuarial Science, is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and achieved Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries through a rigorous nine-year series of exams.

Kristen grew up in Iowa but has lived in Colorado since 1993, currently living near our office in the Lower Highlands neighborhood near downtown Denver.  She enjoys bicycling, hiking, traveling and has a special passion for non-profit volunteering. She is married to an incredibly talented photojournalist, has two adult stepdaughters and an adorable Border Collie/Lab mix named Chaco.

Friday, 08 March 2024 23:16

Recruiting and Retaining Millennials

Millennials, are those born between 1980 and 2000. They are projected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025. As more baby boomers retire, no longer are millennials the workers of the future; instead, they are the leaders of today.
Tuesday, 30 January 2024 22:33

What to Know About Newborn Health Coverage

Welcoming a newborn into your family is a joyous occasion that also comes with significant responsibilities.
Tuesday, 09 January 2024 00:15

Financial Wellness

Saving money for the things we want is a well-understood concept. If you want to buy a TV or go on vacation, you’ll have to save up for it. Simply put, you can’t expect future expenses to pay for themselves. 

Selecting and utilizing dental benefits is crucial because the condition of your teeth and gums significantly impacts your overall health. Proper oral health care can help prevent infections, tooth decay, gum disease and other conditions. Furthermore, good oral health supports not only your teeth and gums, but your overall health and well-being.
Thursday, 14 September 2023 00:51

How to Spot Errors on Your Medical Bill

Health care advocacy group Medical Billing Advocates of America estimates that up to 80% of all medical bills have errors.

While working with high patient influxes and various medical codes, it’s easy for billing mistakes to happen. As such, it’s crucial to look over your bill thoroughly to help save money.
Wednesday, 09 November 2022 23:30

Heart Health at Work

Heart disease has been the leading cause of death for Americans for 73 years. Year after year it gets more prevalent as many people continue to indulge in unhealthy lifestyle choices such as physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol use and unhealthy diets.
 
Creating a workplace culture that supports employees’ physical health goes beyond offering gym discounts or implementing weight-loss, smoking cessation or wellness programs. Inspire your employees to keep their heart healthy through preventive measures. Encourage them to get up and walk around or take an exercise class instead of spending 8 hours in a sedentary position. Keep healthy snacks in the office as an alternative to motivate them to choose healthy. As an employer, the health of your employees should be of top concern. 
A recession is a prolonged and pervasive reduction in economic activity that can last for several months or years. Amid a recession, organizations of all sizes and sectors usually experience decreased sales and profits stemming from changing economic environments and consumer behaviors. While these behaviors can threaten the financial stability of any organization, large businesses are often better positioned to weather a recession because of their substantial revenues, excess reserves and expanded access to a wider range of credit markets. On the other hand, small businesses may be particularly vulnerable during an economic downturn, as they generally lack the additional capital necessary to offset extended periods of loss. As a result, when a recession occurs, small businesses are more likely to have to make difficult financial decisions to avoid issues such as insolvency or bankruptcy.
Tuesday, 31 January 2023 00:53

HSA Basics

Investing in a health savings account (HSA) is a rapidly growing trend. An HSA is a tax-exempt savings account used to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses of an individual, their spouse and dependents.
Tuesday, 31 January 2023 00:41

Telehealth Safe Harbor Extended

In December, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 was released, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. One section of that omnibus budget law is known as Telehealth Safe Harbor. This new safe harbor is identical to both the prior safe harbors, except that it marries both the plan year approach of the CARES Act with the calendar year approach of the CAA. Both calendar and non-calendar year plans will be able to take advantage of the relief. 
An automatic 30-day extension to furnish the forms to employees. (Deadline will now be March 2, 2023, to furnish Forms 1095-C to individuals)

The deadline to file the Forms 1094-B or C and 1095-B or C with the IRS will remain February 28 for paper filings and March 31 if filed electronically.

Applicable Large Employers are still required to furnish Form 1095-C to their full-time employees. They must also complete Part III if the employee is enrolled in self-insured or level funded coverage.
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