November was a busy month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released draft 2019 instructions for Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C. The IRS also released health plan limits and various compensation, benefit, and contribution levels under qualified retirement plans for 2020. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released […]
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IRS Releases Draft Forms and Instructions for 2019 ACA Reporting
Background Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), applicable large employers (ALEs) are required to offer health benefits to their full time employees and individuals are required to have health insurance, although the penalty is $0 for failing to have minimum essential coverage starting in 2019. Reporting is required by employers with 50 […]
Read moreProposed Rules on Coverage and Transparency and Final Rules on Hospital Price Transparency
On November 15, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (collectively, Departments) released proposed rules on coverage transparency. The proposed rules seek to give an estimate of plan participants’ potential cost-sharing liability for covered items and services they might receive from a particular […]
Read moreSummary of Benefits and Coverage Highlights and Frequently Asked Questions
A Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a four-page (double-sided) communication required by the federal government. It must contain specific information, in a specific order and with a minimum size type, about a group health benefit’s coverage and limitations. For fully insured plans, the insurer is responsible for providing the SBC to the plan administrator […]
Read moreWebinar: What Employers Need to Know About IRS Reporting in 2020
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT Register Now The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s reporting requirements are rapidly approaching for employers with group health plans or with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees. This webinar will provide an overview of the reporting process, what we learned from […]
Read moreHR Elements: How to Handle Pay-History Inquiries —The Right Way
We’ve all been there. You’ve gotten deep into the job interview process, and then you’re face-to-face with the awkward question: would you share your previous salary? Whether the question rears its head in a digital application or during initial in-persons, none of us like answering it. Many people, especially young people, are less committed to […]
Read moreCompliance Recap – October 2019
by Deanna Sizemore, Bim Group Director of Compliance October was a relatively quiet month in the employee benefits world. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas vacated portions of the current rule implementing Section 1557 that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and pregnancy termination. The U.S. Court of […]
Read moreUpdate on Nondiscrimination Regulations Relating to Sex, Gender, Age, and More
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Section 1557 provides that individuals shall not be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any health program or activity which receives federal financial assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on the basis of race, color, national […]
Read moreHR Elements: 4 Steps to a Pet-Friendly Workplace
If your team is waving goodbye to doggy day-care and the days of leaving furry friends at home, congratulations! The trend of bringing dogs to work started soon after what is widely considered the most influential research on dog-friendly offices, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Among the many benefits, […]
Read moreWebinar: Group Health Plan Tasks that Employers Should Complete by the Plan Year-End
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT Register Now This webinar will discuss tasks that employers should complete by the end of the plan year: Determine whether an employer’s size during the year will require it to offer coverage in the subsequent year Describe the information an applicable large employer will […]
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