Updated on July 28, 2023
Meet Your U.S. CEBS Instructor: Christine Healy, CEBS
You’re taking a CEBS® course and using the self-study approach. You’re making great progress until one day, you encounter a roadblock—You have a question about the course that no web browser search or person you know has the answer to. What now? With CEBS Online Study Groups With Instructor Support, you can count on your instructor and classmates to fill in the gaps in your knowledge by providing answers to your biggest employee benefits questions.
CEBS Online Study Groups are an optional educational resource designed to augment the self-study approach. Offered over a 12-week session (U.S. summer session runs May 15-August 4, 2023), Online Study Groups set a schedule for your study efforts and are facilitated by established and experienced CEBS professionals.
What does an online instructor do?
Your online instructor has many roles, including:
- Designing all content and activities in your Online Study Group to help you retain knowledge and study for your CEBS exam
- Facilitating live review sessions
- Monitoring the discussion forum to provide clarification and guidance to learners
- Creating discussion questions for each module and Benefits in Action Mini Case to stimulate engagement and enhance learning about employee benefits
- Sharing their real-world experience about being a benefits professional
- Answering questions that students submit via the discussion forum, email and private message
A Chat With Christine Healy, CEBS
Christine Healy, Ph.D., CEBS, PHR, SHRM-CP
Assistant Professor, Management
Dixie State University
Instructor: GBA 1—Directing Benefits Programs Part 1
How has earning the CEBS designation enhanced your career?
The CEBS designation has set me apart as a business-minded human resources practitioner. The content of the program provides a depth of knowledge in the compensation and benefits realm that simply is very difficult to get on the job. Understanding the legal, financial and regulatory aspects of total rewards is beneficial to the design of solid programs that balance risks and finances for both the organization and the employee. This is so important for the attraction, retention and productivity of the employee while enhancing overall corporate sustainability.
What will benefits professionals learn from taking GBA 1?
GBA 1 is a foundational course about the world of benefits. Students will learn about the history of benefits, risk management through proper design of a benefits package and the basics of employee benefits and regulatory compliance.
Are there any interesting current events or regulatory updates related to concepts the GBA 1 course explores?
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about some changes to benefits. It brought about heighted awareness of the need for benefits such as FMLA and parental leave policies. Also on the horizon are benefits/allowances for nursing mothers, interest in reproductive healthcare and work-life balance scheduling to include remote working. Mental health has become an increasing concern over the past few years, so there is more emphasis on EAPs and mental health benefits expansion to help with this.
What are your best study tips for CEBS students?
First, take the program seriously, keeping in mind that a benefits professional handles a huge sum of money for a company and influences the health and well-being of the employee group. Set up a schedule of when you will do reading for your course on a weekly basis (making sure to read all assigned reading). If you’re taking a CEBS Online Study Group With Instructor Support, plan out when you will engage in the discussion forum and take the interactive games/quizzes. From there, do some research on the side. If you don’t understand a concept, post a question in the discussion forum. An Online Study Group is a great platform that allows everyone to share their knowledge and experience. I’m also an advocate of doing research on governmental sources. The information seems to “stick” more when we dig a little for it
Why would you encourage benefits professionals to earn the CEBS designation?
The CEBS designation sets you up to have a different depth of knowledge in comparison to what a typical benefits or human resources professional has. The content will enable you to go from the level of a practitioner to that of a strategist. The latter is what organizations are looking for. They can find a multitude of people to just run the processes. It’s difficult to find someone who can strategically drive programs that enhance the overall strength of the organization.
The 12-week, summer session of the U.S. Online Study Groups With Instructor Support is May 15-August 4. Jump in anytime and get access to materials from previous weeks.
Do you need additional guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to reaching your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
Updated on March 29, 2023
Three Tips to Study Smarter
Create Good Habits for CEBS® Success
Developing an awareness of how you learn and creating an environment that is conducive to focusing are essential to your CEBS studies and continued progress.
Here are some tips to help you begin and stay motivated!
1. If you study better with some background sound, try meditation music or white noise.
2. Be mindful of when you feel most focused and alert. Set yourself up for success by studying at the time of day when you work the best.
3. Reward yourself for your hard work! Set prizes for yourself after each hour of study, module completed, and upon passing your CEBS exam!
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
Updated on March 29, 2023
Course Corner: Canadian GBA 2 Revisions
As the employee benefits industry evolves, the CEBS® designation’s curriculum is updated to reflect this reality. The Canadian GBA 2 course has been fully revised to meet the changing group benefits plan landscape. GBA 2 offers a multistakeholder perspective of plan management that positions the employer/plan sponsor as the primary stakeholder and then expands upon the important and significant roles of practitioners, insurers, third-party administrators and other benefits professionals in helping plan sponsors achieve their plan objectives. This new CEBS course will help you gain valuable skills that you can put into practice on the job today and also provides the emergent, cutting-edge knowledge that will prepare you for future roles.
Study materials for GBA 2, including a new Study Guide and textbook, are available for purchase. You’ll be able to write exams for the new course beginning in the second Testing Window of 2023. Online Study Groups With Instructor Support for the new courses will be offered for the first time during the summer 2023 session.
Below is an outline of the new Canadian course:
GBA 2—Managing Benefit Plans Part 2
Module 1: Managing Death Benefits
Module 2: Managing Death Benefits Continued
Benefits in Action #1: “How do I get this group benefits death claim paid quickly?”
Module 3: Managing Short-Term Income Replacement Benefits
Module 4: Managing Long-Term Disability Benefits
Module 5: Effective Disability Plan Management
Module 6: Leveraging the Tax Regime in Health and Dental Plan Management
Module 7: Managing Extended Health Care Benefits
Benefits in Action #2: “How do I best respond to these extended health care claims inquiries?”
Module 8: Managing Dental Benefits
Benefits in Action #3: “How do I demonstrate that the ‘right’ dental plan will give this employer an edge in the talent war?”
Module 9: Managing Employee/Member Assistance and Wellness Programs
Benefits in Action #4: “How will I implement an effective wellness and employee assistance program?”
Module 10: Managing Flexible Benefit Plans
Module 11: Capstone Case: Streamlining the Absence and Disability Management Process—Achieving Better Outcomes
If you have any questions about CEBS study materials or the new Canadian GBA 2 course, please reach out to our CEBS Customer Service team at cancebs@ifebp.org
Updated on March 29, 2023
Course Corner: U.S. GBA 2 Revisions
As the employee benefits industry evolves, the CEBS® designation’s curriculum is updated to reflect this reality. The U.S. GBA 2 course has been fully revised to meet the changing group benefits plan landscape. The COVID-19 crisis created a multitude of challenges impacting both group benefit plans and the nation’s health care system. The government quickly enacted a prolific issuance of emergency legislative and regulatory measures. Plans saw massive behavioral changes in how their participants accessed and used medical services. Employers took on rethinking compensation and benefits philosophies and practices in real time. The workplace transformed overnight from a brick-and-mortar locational nexus to a remote (and eventual combination of remote and hybrid) working situation. This new CEBS course chronicles best practices in the marketplace and for regulatory compliance.
Study materials for GBA 2, including a new Study Guide and textbook, are available for purchase. You’ll be able to write exams for the new course beginning in the second Testing Window of 2023. Online Study Groups With Instructor Support for the new courses will be offered for the first time during the summer 2023 session
Below is an outline of the new U.S. course:
GBA 2 —Directing Benefits Programs Part 2
Module 1: Changing Dynamics of the U.S. Health Care System
Module 2: Rating and Premium Setting
Module 3: Controlling Risk Factors
Module 4: Designing Cost-Effective Health Provider Networks
Module 5: Participant Response to Health Plan Pricing
Benefits in Action #1: Benefits Get Personal
Module 6: Initiatives in Health Care Quality Improvement
Benefits in Action #2: Understanding the Patient Perspective
Module 7: The Small-Group and Individual Insurance Markets
Module 8: Self-Funding by Small Employers
Benefits in Action #3: Stop-Loss Mathematics: Understanding the Costs of Lasering
Module 9: Integrated Patient Care
Benefits in Action #4: Systems Thinking Comes to Benefits
Module 10: Disability Income Programs
Module 11: Long-Term Care Insurance
Module 12: Life Insurance Concepts and Policy Options
Module 13: Integrated Case Study: Employee Benefits—Balancing Competing Constraints
If you have any questions about CEBS study materials or the new U.S. GBA 2 course, please reach out to our CEBS Customer Service team at cebs@ifebp.org.
Updated on February 13, 2023
Congratulations to the Newest U.S. CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest CEBS grads through December 2022!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your journey to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Updated on February 13, 2023
Congratulations to the Newest Canadian CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest Canadian grads thru December 2022!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your journey to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (833) 886-3749 or email cancebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Posted on January 6, 2023
Congratulations to the Newest U.S. CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest CEBS grads!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your journey to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Posted on January 6, 2023
Congratulations to the Newest Canadian CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest Canadian grads!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your journey to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (833) 886-3749 or email cancebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Updated on January 4, 2023
23 Reasons to Earn Your CEBS in 2023 – From Your Peers
With the start of the new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on your goals and set a course for your professional development. Resolve to begin something completely new! As a benefits professional, now is the time to grow what you know and make your resume stand out with the CEBS® designation. It’s always important to remember the reasons why you want to learn new knowledge and skills. This will inspire you to strive for your goals.
We recently surveyed holders of the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® designation. Below is a little extra motivation from 23 other benefits industry professionals on how earning the CEBS designation has benefitted them the most.
“The CEBS designation has provided me with credibility in my workplace and a better understanding of all areas of benefit administration.”
Katrina Amoroso, CEBS
Benefits Manager, MRI Software
“The CEBS designation has given me instant recognition with my peers. When I walk into the door of a new opportunity, it also gives me instant credibility.”
Michael Kohl, CEBS
VP of Sales – Strategic Accounts, Vida Health
“The CEBS designation has helped me accelerate my career and has given me the knowledge needed to succeed.”
Sarah Holm, CEBS
Senior Associate, Health & Benefits, Mercer
“Earning the CEBS designation was a personal capstone. I have increased confidence.”
Rhonda Jackson, CEBS
Pension Associate, Ford-UAW Retirement Board
“Community. Confidence. Connections.”
Paul Stephens, CEBS
Director, Group Benefits, British Columbia, Manulife
“The CEBS designation has allowed me to be the best employee I can be for my company, so I do not have to rely on the expertise of brokers and consultants.”
Marcella Kaminski, CEBS
Director Benefits Planning, Pilkington North America Inc.
“Earning my CEBS designation has opened new career opportunities with my current employer, leading to increased responsibility as well as a promotion. I also feel confident in my ability to advise senior leaders on benefit issues and considerations.”
Caitlin Leidy, CEBS
Senior Benefits Specialist, Lehigh University
“The comprehensive nature of the CEBS program as well as the top-shelf networking with peers has kept me in the forefront of industry challenges.”
Michael Picard, CEBS
Chief Financial Officer, SWBR Architecture, Engineering and Landscape Architecture, D.P.C.
“The CEBS designation has given me confidence in the knowledge I’ve acquired while working in the benefits space for many years.”
Charles Azu, CEBS
Global Comp and Benefits, Stellantis
“My career trajectory has advanced to heights that I would have never achieved without my CEBS designation.”
John Lim, CEBS
Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, Social Solutions Global
“It has given me a great understanding of group benefit and retirement plans. I like knowing what I’m talking about.”
Jessica Rybka, CEBS
Group Medical Underwriter, Empire Life
“The CEBS designation has made me a desirable candidate for jobs. Employers like to see this credential.”
Jennifer Bergman, CEBS
Senior Program Manager, Zendesk
“My opinions seem to have more weight now with the CEBS designation for support.”
Francoise Cassidy, CEBS
Director Payroll Pensions & Benefits, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.
“I feel a strong sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. With the CEBS designation, I feel more confident in my abilities and myself.”
Diana Almeida, CEBS
Pension Analyst, IWA Forest Industry Pension & LTD Plans
“It has given me credibility. The CEBS designation is the true gold standard to have if you are in the consulting field.”
Glenn Kehrer, CEBS
President, Group Benefits Consulting of Canada
“Earning my CEBS designation has helped me to stand out among my colleagues because it shows determination, knowledge and dedication to continued learning.”
Teresa Babcock, CEBS
Principal Benefits Analyst, First American Financial Corp.
“Earning the CEBS designation has given me a great deal of personal satisfaction, validation of my many years in the industry and access to IFEBP and ISCEBS resources and peers.”
Robin Wolf, CEBS
Retirement Compliance & Communications Officer, Harvard University—HHR Benefits
“Securing a CEBS designation elevated me in my organization. I took on increasing responsibilities in benefits-related activities so that I was prepared to take on a leadership role when one became available.”
Dottie Dykstra, CEBS
Manager – Employee Benefits, TDS
”It provided me with the knowledge and confidence to have the most impactful conversations with my prospects and clients.”
Andrew Burgess, CEBS
Regional Manager, Group Benefit Solutions, High Net Worth Insurance Services, RBC Insurance
“Earning the CEBS designation has intensified my knowledge and understanding of employee benefits design and regulations, making me the go-to expert for all things benefits for our organization.”
Karen Giammalvo, CEBS
Benefits Manager, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
“The CEBS designation gives you a leg up when you are a candidate for a position.”
Celeste Humphreys, CEBS
Senior Benefits Administrator, Sodexo
“The CEBS designation has provided me with professional recognition among my peers and clients and increased subject matter knowledge.”
Paul Stoehr, CEBS
Partner, Ledbetter Parisi LLC
“I graduated from college and landed my first job in employee health and benefits consulting in client management. There was so much that I learned the first year that I pushed myself to complete the CEBS program, which I did in December 2021. This designation gave me the background to catch myself up education-wise with my counterparts as well as gain credibility with my clients.”
Alexandra Then, CEBS
Client Manager, Marsh & McLennan Agency
Are you ready to say hello to a bright future? Click here to learn more about taking charge of your career trajectory with the industry’s most respected credential—the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation.
Join us and learn more at a free webinar in January 2023!
Your Complete Guide to Earning the CEBS Designation
Canadian Webinar: January 11, 2023 – 1:00 pm ET
U.S. Webinar: January 17, 2023 – 12:00 pm ET
Updated on November 22, 2022
ISCEBS Membership–Say Yes to ISCEBS!
Working with the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists for my entire tenure, I have worked with many members in a variety of capacities. But before the stories, let me tell you about ISCEBS!
The Society (we go by all three names, but most often “The Society” or “ISCEBS”) is the professional organization for CEBS graduates and students. Society members come from all industries and professions throughout North America. We are an incredibly diverse group of benefits professionals who either hold or are pursuing the CEBS designation.
Why should you say yes and join ISCEBS? What’s in it for you? Simple answer: a lot!
Say Yes to the Benefits
The Society and our community of local chapters offer a bevy of benefits, services and opportunities. The benefits and services are what you might expect from an organization: free webcasts, unlimited information requests to our research library, discounts on purchases, members-only discussion forums and more. But it’s the opportunities you should be really interested in! Let me explain.
Similar challenges and similar resolutions
Picture it: You’re sitting at an educational conference and your tablemate strikes up a conversation about the topic you’ll be hearing about. Through the conversation, you learn you both work in the same geographic region, know the same groups and are facing similar challenges. Before the end of the session, you have exchanged information and are planning a joint education event with your two organizations.
That happened to two attendees at the 2022 ISCEBS Employee Benefits Symposium.
Local leadership opportunities
A unique aspect of ISCEBS is our community of local chapters. More than 40 local chapters throughout the United States and Canada provide not only specialized education focusing on regional benefit issues, they also provide volunteer leadership opportunities.
Picture it: You’re a new CEBS graduate and looking for “whatever comes next.” You get a call (or email) from a local CEBS professional congratulating you on your designation and inviting you to come to a local event. You think “what the heck, why not?” and you go. When you get there, you get congratulated so much you start to lose count. The education offered is truly great; it’s not a sales pitch and you can already see how a couple of the strategies could fit into your organization. You hear about the next event and pencil it into your calendar. When you attend the next event, the chapter president mentions the need for volunteers. You think about it but aren’t sure if it’s for you. You see a person you met at the first event, and they ask you if you’re interested in volunteering. You ask some questions and learn a little more about it. You decide to take the leap and volunteer to start out on a committee.
Not only does your personal and professional contact list grow, but you’re also organizing meetings and events and you’re able to leverage that info your professional life. Your boss is impressed with your initiative and you two begin talking about career moves and options.
All because you said “yes” to help a local chapter.
Personal connections = professional enhancements
The Society’s annual education event, the ISCEBS Employee Benefits Symposium, has been described by attendees as “a family reunion” that adds new family members every year. Attendees come from all 50 states, the Canadian provinces and some foreign countries. Attendees mingle at mealtimes, at receptions and during session breaks. You get to know not only the person sitting next to you at session but the person eating lunch with you.
Picture it: You meet someone from another country. While your businesses likely don’t overlap much (if at all) they are pretty awesome, and you connect on a personal level. You exchange information and keep in touch after the Symposium.
Now imagine your role at work changes. Maybe you’re a Canadian benefits professional who now has to administer benefits to a U.S. workforce. Maybe you’re a U.S. benefits professional whose company was acquired by a firm in Germany, and you need to pivot and work with a global workforce. Where do you even BEGIN to start with these situations?
Then you remember your friend from the Symposium. That friend who has experience in this area. Or maybe they know someone who does. So you reach out, and within ten minutes and one phone call you have a solid action plan in place.
Say Yes to Investing in Yourself
The benefits of joining the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists are numerous and extend far beyond the services offered by ISCEBS. See for yourself and say yes to ISCEBS. Join today.
Jennifer Mathe, CEBS Compliant
Director, Member Services
International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists