HANYS Benefit Services Adds New Leadership to Retirement and Employee Benefits Portfolios

HANYS Benefit Services (HBS), an industry leader that has provided trusted advisory services, retirement plan offerings, and best-in-class employee benefits products for more than 45 years, recently hired new executives to expand its employee benefits portfolios.

“HBS is building our team with uniquely talented individuals who bring years of industry experience,” said James J. Kelley, HBS President. “HBS builds real relationships with our clients by investing in a team of professionals who use their expertise to bring successful outcomes.”

Avon M. Scherff joined HBS as the new Director of Employee Benefit Services. Laura A. Sausville joined HBS as a Sales Account Executive responsible for new business development of group employee benefits.

Avon Scherff is a mission-oriented executive with a history of accomplishments in the for-profit and not-for-profit arenas. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to HBS, having held chief operating officer positions for local businesses and being president of her own insurance agency for 13 years. She has served in numerous board leadership and volunteer capacities, including Women’s President Organization, local Chambers of Commerce, Double H Ranch, and Shelters of Saratoga. Ms. Scherff also ran her own non-profit, I Am I Can, a mentoring organization dedicated to encouraging and empowering young women. She has been interviewed and featured in the Albany Capital District Business Review, The Post-Star, and HerLife magazine, and was honored with the Harriet Rifkin Leadership Award by the Women’s Employment and Resource Center.

Laura Sausville assists clients in navigating the employee benefit landscape and develops effective strategies to meet client objectives. She has been in the insurance and financial services industry for 25 years. Her career has included experience as an insurance broker, where she focused on asset protection, wealth transfer, and retirement planning for individuals, professionals, and business owners. Ms. Sausville holds her New York State Property and Casualty license, New York State Life Accident and Health license, and her FINRA Series 6, 63, and 65 licenses.

HBS, originally formed to support healthcare employers in New York in the delivery of superlative employee benefit programs, is now an industry leader in employee benefits and retirement plan consulting. HBS delivers tangible business results to human resource leaders, enabling them to enhance their plan offerings while remaining competitive and reducing overall plan costs.

SECURE 2.0 Discussion Series: Session Two

The retirement industry has been buzzing since the SECURE 2.0 Act was signed into law last December. This new, comprehensive legislation has sparked a lot of discussion. As with any major reform, it will take time for the industry to fully adapt and understand all its implications. Following our April 11 webinar on the first three months of the industry’s response, our team reconvened to discuss some of what we have heard from our client and vendor partners and to respond to some of the great questions we heard from attendees. Panel participants included the following HBS team members: Noah Buck, Christina Bauer-Dobias, Sean Bayne, Vincent Bocchinfuso and Kathleen Coonan. The Discussion SB – Throughout the webinar, I wanted to stress two things: 1) confusion about where to start and what is expected from plan sponsors is normal; and 2) even more than three months in, this is a developing situation and people should expect changes as time goes on. With those in mind, engagement through

SECURE 2.0 Discussion Series: Session One

SECURE 2.0 provisions: What we know and what’s still up in the air The SECURE 2.0 Act, signed into law in late December 2022, has factored heavily in retirement industry discourse since the final legislation was published. As with any legislation of this depth and breadth, there’s a lot to digest and the industry takes time to adjust. Our team of experienced advisors recently met to discuss some of the more nuanced provisions of the legislation, such as changes to Roth contributions, and what they could mean for plan sponsors. Panel participants included the following HBS team members: Noah Buck, Christina Bauer-Dobias, Sean Bayne, Vincent Bocchinfuso and Kathleen Coonan. Highlights of our panel’s conversation below should serve to help guide plan sponsor thinking. On Roth employer contributions NB – In addition to deferring pre-tax or Roth, plan sponsors can now allow employer contributions to be classified as Roth, is that right? VB – Correct. This is immediately available to plan s

What you should know about biosimilars

Rapidly increasing healthcare costs will likely continue to impact employers for the foreseeable future. As a result, many employers are considering strategies to manage these costs, including rising prescription drug costs. The introduction of biosimilar drugs as an alternative to biologics may bring value to healthcare by offering cost savings and increasing employee access to necessary medications. While biosimilars can potentially combat rising prescription drug costs, employers will need to learn more about them before considering how their health plans can accommodate these newer drugs. This article explores biosimilar drugs and ways employers can promote or manage their use. What are biosimilars? The European Medicines Agency defines a biosimilar as “a biological medicine highly similar to another already approved biological medicine.” It is produced from living organisms — humans, animals or microorganisms, meaning they aren’t created from synthesized chemicals. They are also

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