CAPSTONE GROUP NAMES ERICA HAIN PRACTICE LEADER, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION

Spring House, PA., December 6th, 2023  – Capstone Group, a leading provider of risk management, employee benefits, and insurance brokerage services headquartered in Spring House, PA, is pleased to announce the appointment of Erica Hain as Practice Leader for the firm’s Employee Benefits Division.

In this new role, Hain will be responsible for overseeing many core functions of Capstone’s Employee Benefits Division, including but not limited to: vendor & partner relationships, product & strategy development, account management, client services, and continuing to ensure an exceptional customer experience.

“As we’ve continued to grow Capstone over the years, so too have the needs of our team and our clients.” said Kevin Fox, Managing Partner of Capstone. “We’re thrilled to be in a position to strategically invest in our leadership structure to best support our current and future team members and continue providing exceptional client experiences and outcomes.”

“Our Executive Team has known Erica for a long time,” remarked Dan McGill, Partner and EVP of Capstone. “We’ve been fortunate to cross paths over the years and have always admired her approach to the business. She is an innovative leader with a proven track record of managing high-performing teams, resolving complex challenges, and implementing forward-thinking solutions within our industry. We are very glad that timing has aligned for her to bring that experience and knowledge to our team and to our clients.”

A graduate of Lycoming College, Hain joins Capstone Group with 30 years of sales and leadership experience in the insurance industry. Prior to Capstone, Hain served in roles on both the broker and carrier sides. She also served as vice president of the benefits division for Pennsylvania and Virginia at Keystone Insurers Group Inc., Northumberland, where she worked directly with agency partners and their clients. Hain was also a broker and relationship manager with Emerson Reid & Company. Hain is actively involved in her local Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) organization as well as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) where she served 4 years as the Region 2 Vice-President on the NAHU Board of Trustees. She has served in several chair positions locally, at the state level and nationally. She is the past local president of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter (2007-2009.) She is the past president of the Pennsylvania State Chapter (2005-2007.) She served twice as National Chair for the Chapter Leadership & Development Committee.

"I am honored and excited to join Capstone Group as the Employee Benefits Practice Leader,” said Hain. “I am eager to bring my expertise to a team that values innovation, employee well-being, and client satisfaction. Together, we will navigate the dynamic landscape of employee benefits, focusing on delivering strategic solutions that enhance the overall employee experience and contribute to the continued success of our clients. I look forward to collaborating with our talented team and contributing to the growth and success of Capstone.”

Contact:

Erica Hain

Practice Leader - Employee Benefits

Email: ehain@capstonegrp.com

Office: 215-542-8030

Mental Health HRAs: A Simple & Cost-Effective Mental Health Benefit for Your Employees

Written by: Dan McGill and Joseph T. Fox

Many organizations have concluded that adding mental health benefits to their Employee Benefits Package far outweighs the cost.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued a public health advisory on children’s mental health and how COVID-19 pandemic-hardships have played a role in the emerging crisis. The advisory emphasized the increased rate of depression and anxiety diagnosed in children. In addition, experts say the changes the pandemic has brought upon families, like schools alternating between virtual and in-person learning, extracurricular activities being canceled, and an overall decrease in interaction have impacted children's behavior and mental health.

Changes in routine for families due to the pandemic can also affect parents' mental health, while they try to juggle work, keep their home life stable, and protect their children’s health. This mental health crisis isn’t exclusive to children and parents either, as many Americans living alone reported feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress. Millions of Americans are struggling with mental health related issues, yet seeking treatment, and even more importantly coverage for that treatment, has become a daunting task.

Americans are facing a severe shortage of available mental health professionals, with some in-network providers leaving networks as the reimbursement rates have remained consistently low from insurance carriers. The demand and lack of adequate compensation for mental health providers, including psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists, has led to a workforce crisis along with increased out-of-pocket service fees. As a result, most consumers are forced to pay out of pocket for standard therapy ranging from $100 to $250 per hour. This is a significant financial hardship for most people seeking care and treatment.  The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 50 percent of those who have mental illness cited mental health care expenses as the reason they didn't obtain treatment, making it the #1 reason identified.

At Capstone Group, we are committed to tailoring solutions for clients to make mental health services more easily and readily accessible, even if those solutions hadn’t previously been established in the marketplace. For example, we have recently helped some of our most forward-thinking and innovative client partners incorporate a unique and novel product into their overall Employee Benefits program in a direct effort to address many of the issues outlined above; A Mental Health HRA.

This HRA sets aside funds for the employee or members of their family to find care without worrying about whether that specific provider is “in-network” relative to their medical insurance plan. By implementing an employer-sponsored mental health HRA, employees and their families can utilize funds set aside by the company to cover the cost of services like psychiatrist visits, Mental Health counseling, addiction counseling, Psychoanalysis with a letter of medical necessity, and other qualified Mental Health Therapy. In addition, these HRA funds can go towards services such as genetic testing through third-party vendors like Genomind PGX Express Test prescribed by a psychiatrist. These tests identify the types of medication that will work best for an individual and cut down on the trial-and-error period that most patients go through before discovering what truly works best for them.

Capstone Group, as an organization, has made Employee Wellness and Mental Health a top priority. This is reflected in our daily meetings internally and with our client partners. If you would like more information on building a strategy and implementing solutions to help your workforce navigate the mental health landscape, Capstone Group would welcome the opportunity to start a conversation. 

Contact:

Dan McGill, Sr. Vice President - Employee Benefits

dmcgill@capstonegrp.com

Office: 215-542-8030

Joseph T. Fox, Sr. Vice President - Employee Benefits

jtfox@capstonegrp.com

Office: 215-542-8030

National Public Health Emergency Extension Benefit Plan Impact

On July 23, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Alex Azar, declared the Public Health Emergency, scheduled to end on July 25, 2020, will once again be extended for an additional 90 days and as a result, numerous temporary benefit plan changes remain in effect.

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