Breaking the Code of ERISA Fiduciaries: A Plan Sponsor’s Guide by The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C. on 5/17/2012 When you are purchasing a home computer these days, it can often be confusing if you are not well versed in the jargon. While selecting between a Mac and a PC or a laptop vs. a desktop is easy, the other details can be...more
Legal Alert: COBRA Audits Updated by Ford & Harrison LLP on 5/16/2012 Executive Summary: The IRS recently issued revised guidelines for field agents who are conducting reviews of employers' COBRA compliance. Under the new guidelines, the IRS requires that any COBRA audit should at least...more
Hidden Problems within Sabbaticals and Other Professional Development Leave Programs by Mintz Levin - Employment, Labor & Benefits on 5/16/2012 From corporations to prestigious research universities, employers sometimes permit employees to take time away for extended periods. The names of these programs may vary, e.g., they may be related to a sabbatical or...more
Tax: Recent News Highlights - Montenegro by Karanovic & Nikolic Law Office on 5/14/2012 I. Amendments to the Law on Corporate Income Tax (page 2) The duration of the tax exemption period for investment in underdeveloped regions has been extended (page 2) — Certificates of tax residency finally introduced...more
Health Plans Have an Added Mandatory Disclosure under ERISA by Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP on 5/14/2012 Summary of Benefits and Coverage. Health care reform expands ERISA's disclosure requirements by requiring that group health plans provide a summary of benefits and coverage (“SBC”) to plan participants and beneficiaries...more
How ESOPs Can Be Beneficial for Construction Companies by Sedgwick LLP on 5/10/2012 What Is an ESOP? First and foremost, an ESOP is an employee benefit plan that is qualified for tax-favored treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (IRC). However, an ESOP can also be a tool of...more
IRS Asks for Comments on Employer Reporting of Health Insurance Coverage Under Affordable Care Act by Mintz Levin - Employment, Labor & Benefits on 5/10/2012 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Act) imposes new, substantive requirements on health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets and employer-sponsored group health plans. In two recently issued...more
Solving the Mystery of What a TPA does by The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C. on 5/10/2012 When people ask my wife what I do for a living, she says she doesn’t know. Half the time I think she’s joking and half the time I think she is serious that she doesn’t know what an ERISA attorney does. The same thing goes...more
Healthcare Update - May 2012: Independent Contractor Or Employee? by Fisher & Phillips LLP on 5/9/2012 A perennial issue for businesses both in and out of the healthcare industry is the classification of individuals as independent contractors or employees. In an effort to save money in a tight economy and limit liability, many...more
Does Your 401(k) Plan Have an Investment Policy Statement? That's Great, But Do Your Fiduciaries Follow It? by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP on 5/7/2012 Although investment policy statements are not required by the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), it is highly recommended that every 401(k) plan have one. An investment policy statement (IPS) can protect...more
IRS Requests Comments on Minimum Value and Reporting Requirements by McDermott Will & Emery on 5/7/2012 The Internal Revenue Service recently issued requests for comments in advance of issuing proposed regulations on health care reform reporting and minimum value requirements....more
CMS, CCIO, and IRS Release Guidance Proposals on Employer Health Insurance Coverage by Mintz Levin - Health Law on 5/7/2012 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released four important documents related to the implementation of...more
Health Care Reform: IRS Releases Guidance on Comparative Effectiveness Research Fee by Proskauer Rose LLP on 5/4/2012 On April 12, 2012, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") issued proposed regulations regarding the payment of fees by insurers and plan sponsors of group health plans to fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute...more
IRS Seeks Public Comment on Tax Law by Darrin Mish, Tampa Tax Attorney on 5/3/2012 The IRS, along with the US Department of the Treasury, are inviting you to submit your comments on certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There are three provisions you can comment on under...more
Marketing Tips for Retirement Plan Financial Advisors and TPAs by The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C. on 5/3/2012 Even if you offer the greatest product or service, it doesn’t matter if you poorly market that product or that service. GM basically killed off the Oldsmobile brand with the “this is not your father’s Oldsmobile” ad campaign...more