Hospitals that are “church-affiliated” may be breathing easier this week, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Monday that defined benefit qualified retirement plans (a/k/a pension plans) are not subject to the...more
An Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision that is often-overlooked by the media, but has impacted the ability of insurers and their non-insurance related entities, in their role as employers, to take tax deductions for certain...more
3/9/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Compensation ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Insurance Industry ,
IRS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Tax Deductions ,
Trump Administration
Matt welcomes his colleague Beth Alcalde to discuss Obamacare – stripped of political rhetoric. In the first of this two-part podcast, Matt and Beth discuss the ACA's operational functionality, ways in which it succeeded,...more
In a concerning development for universities and other institutions of higher learning nationwide, a growing number of schools, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Yale University, Johns...more
Employers who sponsor employee wellness programs must plan now to comply with a new notice requirement that takes effect soon. Beginning with the first plan year on or after January 1, 2017, employers sponsoring wellness...more
Many employers offer some type of “wellness program” to their employees as a way to improve employee health and reduce healthcare spending. Wellness programs can be called many different things, including “weight loss...more
Many employers offer some type of "wellness program" to their employees as a way to improve employee health and reduce healthcare spending. Wellness programs can be called many different things, including "weight loss...more
On December 28, 2015, the IRS announced in Notice 2016-4 that the deadlines for complying with the new reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be temporarily extended for purposes of 2015 coverage....more
On December 28, 2015, the IRS announced in Notice 2016-4 that the deadlines for complying with the new reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) will be temporarily extended for purposes of 2015 coverage....more
With ACA reporting deadlines quickly approaching, many employers should be preparing to address the various reporting requirements in order to avoid the significant fines and penalties associated with non-compliance. As of...more
Business leaders and human resources and employee benefits professionals are well aware of potential minefields for employer group health plan sponsors under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Large employer plan sponsors are...more
8/7/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Best Practices ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Full-Time Employees ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Part-Time Employees ,
Wage and Hour
There are two time sensitive updates affecting employer sponsored retirement plans that companies should be aware of and review to determine whether action is needed. The first update applies to employers that sponsor a...more
Currently, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) have no comprehensive federal framework under which to offer employment tax collection and remittance services to their clients. The Small Business Efficiency Act (“SBEA...more
With the Affordable Care Act's Employer Mandate (Pay-or-Play penalties) now officially in effect, employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time-equivalent employees should have already made all significant changes to their...more
2/19/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance ,
King v Burwell ,
Pay or Play ,
Popular ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Subsidies ,
Summary of Benefits and Coverage
As 2014 winds down, plan sponsors are likely thinking ahead to some of the significant changes that will take effect in 2015, most notably, the employer "pay or play" mandate under the ACA. However, there are two deadlines...more
Certain employers hoped that they had discovered a way to "have their cake and eat it too". In response to the looming employer mandate for employers with 50 or more employees – the requirement to offer full - time employees...more
Employers in all industries are well aware of the complexities of the Affordable Care Act, and the seemingly constant barrage of guidance that interprets the health care reform requirements that apply to them. We have a...more
As we approach the end of the year, employers and plan sponsors of qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans should take time to meet various upcoming deadlines. Failure to comply with the deadlines may result...more
11/25/2013
/ 401k ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Cafeteria Plans ,
COBRA ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
DOMA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
GINA ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hurricane Sandy ,
IRS ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
W-2 ,
Year-End Planning
What is the "temporary reinsurance fee"? The Affordable Care Act ("ACA") requires the creation of a transitional reinsurance program for the first three years (2014-2016) of the state health insurance exchanges to help...more
Many employers offer health flexible spending account arrangements ("Health FSAs") through cafeteria plans to their employees. Historically, Health FSAs have been subject to a "use it or lose it" requirement, meaning that...more
The United States Supreme Court ruled on June 26 in United States v. Windsor, U.S., No 12-307, that the definitions of “marriage” and “spouse” contained in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) excluding same-sex partners are a...more
7/8/2013
/ Civil Unions ,
DOMA ,
Domestic Partnership ,
Due Process ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Health Benefits ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Marriage ,
Qualified Retirement Plans ,
Retirement Plan ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
US v Windsor
Traditional employment laws often interact with traditional employee benefit laws. One such example is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)'s impact on employer-sponsored group health plans. As group health plan costs...more
4/3/2013
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Disability ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Discrimination ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
GINA ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Hiring & Firing
2013 is shaping up to be a very busy year for employers in all industries, with the continued implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA"). Recognizing that in 2014, applicable large employers will...more
Many important aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA") will go into effect in 2014, including the implementation of health insurance exchanges, and the requirement for certain employers to offer...more
As the end of the year approaches, employers and plan sponsors of certain retirement plans, health and welfare plans and deferred compensation arrangements have a number of year-end tasks and deadlines. Failure to comply with...more