Click here for PDF Year-End To-Do List Now that everyone has finished their Thanksgiving dinner and gotten through Black Friday, it is back to work. http://bit.ly/1lU3xiJ http://bit.ly/1Tg7qJb These are two pretty good year-end checklists to ensure that all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted before year’s end. IRS Form 1095 Reporting for Union Employees By now everyone should be aware of the fast approaching reporting requirements under health care reform (i.e. IRS Form... Read More
Click here for PDF Holiday Gift Giving Ideas Each year I suggest the perfect gift for that special someone on your Holiday list and I am pleased to announce that the current version of my book, the 2015/2016 Welfare Benefits Guide, is now available. http://tmsnrt.rs/1RQTu82 This two-volume set makes the perfect gift and, for those on a budget, you can buy the books on the monthly payment plan. EEOC & GINA and Wellness Programs Sometimes... Read More
Click here for PDF October 20, 2015 — As you are aware, the Employer Mandate requires that applicable employers offer their full-time employees and their full-time employees’ dependents affordable coverage that is of minimum value, or else the employer may be subject to a penalty in the event a full-time employee goes to the Exchange and obtains a subsidy. In order to determine whether an employee is full-time for purposes of the Employer Mandate, employers... Read More
Click here for PDF IRS Issues Final 2015 Forms 1094 and 1095 and Instruction – Good News The IRS released the final versions of Forms 1094 and 1095 with revised instructions, and the good news is that the IRS has eliminated the need for employers to report most Health Reimbursement Arrangements. The draft instructions required all employers sponsoring HRAs to prepare and distribute the forms. However, the final instructions say only those employers that integrate... Read More
Click here for PDF It’s All in One Place Now Few, if anyone, will say that health care reform is not complicated. The government continues to issue various guidance in a variety of formats. The IRS has just released a webpage that tries to put all the resources in one place. http://1.usa.gov/1Lct008 I am not saying this webpage makes it any easier to comply but it is a good starting place for applicable large... Read More
Click here for pdf TeleDoc Continues to Grow One way to help control costs and save time is telemedicine. That is, when the person calls the doctor rather than actually going to the physician’s office. A telemedicine visit is usually cheaper and, in the case of an employee, the person does not have to leave work. http://onforb.es/1Q3opxn TeleDoc, a large telemedicine company, went public this year and reported a 78% increase in revenue. You may... Read More
Click here for PDF AUGUST 15, 2015, COMPLIANCE UPDATE More Cadillac Rules Beginning January 1, 2018, all size employers’ group health plans (grandfathered, nongrandfathered, insured and self-funded) will be subject to the Cadillac tax. The government continues to issue rules on this 40% nondeductible excise tax. http://bit.ly/1DJJ0FD http://bit.ly/1KhsNnD http://bit.ly/1JIJ757 Some people are predicting the Cadillac tax will just go away. It certainly is unpopular, but if they take away the Cadillac tax they will have... Read More
Click here for PDF We know that we have been flooding you with a lot of information the past couple of weeks so we limited this edition of the newsletter to only four topics and two pages. PCORI Fee and Form 5500 Deadline Fast Approaching Employers sponsoring self-funded health plans (including HRAs) have to report and pay the PCORI fee by the end of this month regardless of the plan year or policy renewal date.... Read More
Click here for PDF US Supreme Court Issues Two Major Rulings The US Supreme Court issued two major rulings the week of June 22, 2015, that impact employer sponsored benefit plans. King v Burwell The US Supreme Court (the “Court”) announced the King decision on June 25, 2015. This case involved the premium subsidies under health care reform. By way of background, health care reform provides government subsidies to low- and moderate-income individuals... Read More
Click here for PDF US Supreme Court to Rule on ACA Again The US Supreme Court will rule later this month on whether individuals getting their coverage through a federally run health care exchange or marketplace are eligible for government subsidies to help pay for their coverage. www.fas.org It is impossible to predict how the Court will rule. It would be a relatively easy fix for Congress to remedy the problem. However, with this... Read More