The IRS has raised the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) limit from $2,650 to $2,700 for 2019. Additionally, Transportation Reimbursement Account (TRA) expense limits for parking and transit have been set at $265/month. The IRS publication, issued on Thursday, November 15, 2018, can be found here. If your renewal is 1/1/19 and you have already set […]
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Compliance Recap November 2017
November was a busy month in the employee benefits world. President Trump nominated Alex Azar for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated its guidance on employer shared responsibility penalty assessments and released guidance on Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSE HRA) implementation and […]
Read moreWhat You Need to Know about Health Flexible Spending Accounts
A health flexible spending account (FSA) is a pre-tax account used to pay for out-of-pocket health care costs for a participant as well as a participant’s spouse and eligible dependents. Health FSAs are employer-established benefit plans and may be offered with other employer-provided benefits as part of a cafeteria plan. Self-employed individuals are not eligible […]
Read moreCompliance Recap // May 2017
May was an active month in the employee benefits world. On May 4, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill titled the “American Health Care Act of 2017” (AHCA) to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released its Employer Shared Responsibility affordability percentage […]
Read moreCompliance Recap // March 2017
In March, the employee benefits world watched as the House Speaker unveiled a proposal to replace parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) with the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The AHCA bill was withdrawn from consideration by the full House on March 24 because it appeared that there would not be […]
Read moreCompliance Recap // July 2016
During the month of July numerous new regulations were issued or proposed by federal agencies, and existing forms and processes were updated. In particular, penalties for various ERISA violations were increased, a major overhaul to Form 5500 filings was proposed, and draft 1095-C and 1094-C forms were released. Proposed regulations were also released relating to […]
Read moreCompliance Recap // June 2016
June was another quiet month for federal agencies in relation to employee benefits. A tri-agency proposed rule regarding expatriate health plans, excepted benefits, and essential health benefits was released. UBA Updates UBA’s Human Resources department released a checklist and advisor on new OSHA requirements: OSHA Reporting Changes: Employer Checklist OSHA’s Final Rule on Electronic Tracking […]
Read moreSame-Sex Marriages and Group Health Benefits
From 2013 to 2015, a series of Supreme Court cases and government updates have changed the landscape of the way employers must consider same-sex spouses in relation to employee benefits. Most recently, in June 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, that the 14th Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between […]
Read moreCOBRA and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) requires employers to offer covered employees who lose their health benefits due to a qualifying event to continue group health benefits for a limited time at the employee’s own cost. COBRA provisions are found in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code (Code), and […]
Read moreIRS Issues Second Notice to Assist in Developing Cadillac Tax Regulations
The IRS has issued its second notice regarding the upcoming implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage, also known as the “Cadillac tax.” Beginning in 2018, plans that provide coverage that exceeds a threshold will owe the tax. The threshold generally will be $10,200 […]
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