Our thoughts and prayers are with the devastated Kentucky communities that have been impacted by last week’s flooding. Please see below for various disaster relief resources: Teladoc Disaster Hotline Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund Shelter information and resources Anthem – Help for Members Impacted by Flooding in Kentucky
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The Play-or-Pay Penalty and Counting Employees under the ACA
Since 2015, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has required applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer their full-time employees health coverage or pay one of two shared responsibility penalties (ESRP or “play-or-pay”). An employer is an ALE if it employs 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees. Final IRS regulations provide guidance to help employers […]
Read moreHHS Issues Proposed Rules under ACA Section 1557 to Clarify Scope of Discrimination Protections
READ TIME: 7 MINUTES The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in certain health programs and activities. The Proposed Rule is the […]
Read moreGet By with a Little Help from Your Friends: “Tend and Befriend”
READ TIME: 2 MINUTES Most people are familiar with the fight-or-flight response to stress – when adrenaline surges and you either prepare for battle or run for safety. These reactions may be well suited to a surprise meeting with a bear in the woods but don’t help manage a surprise meeting at work. The fight-or-flight […]
Read moreWebinar: The Impact on Employer Benefit Plans of the Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 1 – 2PM CST Register Now The U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24. With that ruling, the Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended nearly half a century of federally protected abortion rights. Following Dobbs, states will now have the authority […]
Read moreCompliance Recap: May 2022
READ TIME: 10 MINUTES The month of May again brought relatively little major employee benefit compliance guidance from federal agencies. However, there was plenty of activity in the courts to provide useful insight into steps employer plan sponsors can take to safeguard against benefits. Department of Labor Provides Mental Health Condition Guidance under FMLA The […]
Read moreAn Employer’s Guide to Workplace Protections for Abortion-Related Decisions
READ TIME: 6 MINUTES Employers likely have questions about abortion-related employment protections and healthcare benefits after Friday’s SCOTUS controversial decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Given the ruling, people in states with strict abortion limitations may end up traveling to other states to receive abortion-related care. Can employees take job-protected leave to obtain such services? […]
Read moreWebinar: ERISA Plan Documents – What Employers Need to Know
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 2:00PM EST Register Now The ERISA plan document requirements can be confusing for many employers. In this webinar, we will dig into the ERISA written plan document requirements and discuss the documents employers need to adopt and maintain to satisfy these seemingly complex regulations. We will also discuss how to distribute […]
Read moreCompliance Recap: April 2022
READ TIME: 10 MINUTES After several very quiet months this year, April saw renewed compliance activity. The IRS provided guidance on transportation fringe benefits unused due to COVID-19 workplace changes and announced inflation-adjusted amounts for HSAs and HRAs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Medicare Part D rates and the parameters and […]
Read moreGetting Clarity on Transparency: What Health Plan Sponsors Need to Know about Publishing Machine-Readable Files
As of July 1, 2022, group health plans must clear one of the first major compliance hurdles required by the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Transparency in Coverage (TiC) Final Rules. By that date, plans and insurance carriers must have prepared and posted two machine-readable files (MRFs) to a public website. There is still some confusion surrounding […]
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