A second round of FAQs recently issued by the Labor Department, the IRS, and the Department of Health and Human Services provides plan sponsors and insurers with additional implementation guidance relating to health coverage...more
7/13/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
New Guidance ,
Notification Requirements ,
Telehealth ,
Virus Testing ,
Wellness Programs
Businesses struggling with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis received good news late last night when the Senate passed an unprecedented piece of legislation aimed at providing a massive stimulus to...more
3/31/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retention ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Paid Leave ,
Payroll Taxes ,
Small Business ,
Small Business Loans ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour
The Senate passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act today, an economic stimulus plan aimed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Americans and introducing paid sick leave and an expanded family and...more
3/18/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Testing ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) are account-based health plans funded with employer contributions to reimburse eligible participants and dependents for medical expenses. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, HRAs were...more
9/13/2019
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Contributions ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
HRA ,
New Regulations ,
Notice Requirements ,
Opt-Outs ,
Reimbursements ,
Tax Credits ,
U.S. Treasury
As free meals have become the norm at technology companies, an unexpected byproduct of such a perk is the decreasing customer base for local restaurants. In an attempt to thwart this trend, Mountain View and San Francisco...more
Every year, the IRS announces the annual limits for various types of employee benefits, such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). The IRS has already changed the 2018 annual limits for HSAs twice this year, which may have...more
6/12/2018
/ Contribution Limits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Excise Tax ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Medical Expenses ,
Revenue Procedures ,
Tax Planning
As health care costs increase, employers have been exploring new types of health coverage options, one of which is reference-based pricing (RBP). This method typically does not involve a traditional insurance carrier or...more
Retirement plans are permitted, but not required, to provide in-service distributions of elective deferrals to participants if they can show financial hardship, which is defined as a hardship that is “deemed to be on account...more
Until very recently, employers were at risk of receiving steep fines if they reimbursed employees for non-employer sponsored medical care – the Affordable Care Act (ACA) included fines of up to $36,500 a year per employee for...more
3/6/2017
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Affordable Care Act ,
COBRA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Medical Reimbursement Plans ,
Minimum Essential Coverage ,
Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Plan (QSEHRAs) ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Tax-Free Transfers
As the end of the calendar year approaches, so does the fiscal year or “plan year” for many employee benefit plans. Between complying with continuing annual deadlines while integrating new rules and regulations, employers...more