The health savings account (“HSA”) has become, since its creation in 2003, an increasingly popular option for employers to subsidize employee group health costs. Employees with HSAs can save money, on a tax-free basis, for medical expenses that aren’t otherwise covered. The account’s interest earnings and distributions (for qualified medical expenses) are also tax-free.
2014 Transitional Reinsurance Fee Reporting Deadline Extended to December 5, 2014
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that the 2014 deadline for reporting the number of participants covered under a health plan for purposes of paying the 2014 Transitional Reinsurance Fee has been extended from November 15, 2014 to December 5, 2014. Insurers and sponsors of self-insured plans who have not already
Premium Reimbursement Arrangements – Employers Beware
The Department of Labor (DOL) has just published a series of FAQs regarding premium reimbursement arrangements. Specifically, the FAQs address the following arrangements:
An arrangement in which an employer offers an employee cash to reimburse the purchase of an individual market policy.
Where an employer provides cash reimbursement for the purchase of an
Employers – Review Your Controlled Group to Assure ACA and Retirement Plan Compliance
Beginning in 2015, certain employers that fail to offer affordable health insurance that provides minimum value to their full-time employees and their dependents may incur substantial Employer Shared Responsibility penalties under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). We previously wrote about the importance of properly classifying workers as employees or independent contractors to assure ACA compliance
Affordable Care Act Employer Penalties – Another Reason to Make Sure Workers are Properly Classified as Employees or Independent Contractors
Beginning next year, an applicable large employer that does not offer affordable minimum value group health coverage to its fulltime employees (and their children up to age 26) will be vulnerable to employer shared responsibility penalties under Internal Revenue Code §4980H. Whether an employer is an “applicable large employer” depends on its number of fulltime
Employer Action Item – Health Care Reform
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, beginning in 2015, certain large employers who do not offer affordable health insurance that provides minimum value to their full-time employees may be subject to significant penalties. Please refer to our article titled “Health Care Reform: Employers Should Prepare Now for 2015 to Avoid Penalties”
Dueling Decisions in the 4th and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals Spell More ACA Uncertainty for Employers
Just as employers are gearing up to prepare for compliance with the Shared Responsibility rules under the ACA, a pair of decisions from two federal appeals courts has thrown a curve ball into what was already a complicated assessment of risk for employers and raised new questions.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
Getting Ready for 2015: How Government Contractors, Health Care Reform, and the Family Medical Leave Act Intersect
It’s summer now, mid-year 2014. Open enrollment for the 2015 health plan year is just around the corner. . .
We want to make sure that all employers are ready. We want to ensure, as well, that government contractors specifically understand the intersection of the Service Contract Act (SCA) with other federal laws.
To be
Remember ERISA Basics: SPD and Eligibility
During the past 14+ years practicing employee benefits law, I’ve seen many changes, not the least of which has been the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, with all of the recent changes flowing from the ACA, it is important not to forget some very basic and long-standing aspects of plan compliance, design, drafting and
“Final” Obamacare Employer Penalty Rules Released
The US Treasury released the final regulations implementing the employer shared responsibility penalty provisions of the 2010 health care reform law on February 10, 2014. In many ways, the final regulations resemble the proposed regulations issued over a year ago but there are several – mostly welcome – changes and transition provisions for employers. (See