Association Health Plans Expansion The Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a final rule that gives small businesses more freedom to join as a single group to purchase health insurance in the large group market or to self-insure. These arrangements … Continue reading →

ACA Affordability Percentages Will Increase for 2019 The IRS recently issued a Revenue Procedure to index the contribution percentages used to determine the affordability of an employer’s plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These updated affordability percentages are effective … Continue reading →

How to Handle an ACA Penalty Letter The IRS has begun issuing letters to employers who are not offering health coverage to full-time employees. Under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer shared responsibility rule, applicable large employers must provide affordable … Continue reading →

Spending Resolution Affects ACA Taxes On Jan. 22, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a short-term continuing spending resolution into law to end the government shutdown and continue funding through Feb. 8, 2018. The continuing resolution impacts the following three taxes … Continue reading →

Two Major Employee Benefits Changes On Dec. 22, 2017, the IRS issued a notice that delays the furnishing deadline for 2017 Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting and President Donald Trump signed the tax reform bill, called the Tax Cuts and … Continue reading →

DOL Delays New Rules for Disability Benefit Claims On Dec. 16, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule to strengthen the claims and appeals requirements for plans that provide disability benefits and are subject to the Employee … Continue reading →

Benefit Plan Limits for 2018 Announced Many employee benefits are subject to annual dollar limits that are periodically increased for inflation. The IRS recently announced cost-of-living adjustments to the annual dollar limits for various welfare and retirement plan limits for … Continue reading →

Latest ACA Repeal Bill Withdrawn The Graham-Cassidy bill, the most recent Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was withdrawn from a vote on Sept. 26 due to lack of support in the Senate, effectively dooming … Continue reading →

Court Orders EEOC to Reconsider Wellness Rules The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has directed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to reconsider its final wellness rules under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic … Continue reading →

HIPAA Cyber Attack Response Checklist Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a covered entity that experiences a ransomware attack or other cyber-related security incident must take immediate steps to prevent or mitigate any impermissible release of protected … Continue reading →