The Department of Health and Human Services’ (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights recently published a final rule (the “Final Rule“) which provides additional privacy protections related to the use and disclosure of reproductive...more
On November 1, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2023-75, which sets forth the 2024 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The...more
11/21/2023
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
457(b) Plans ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Contribution Limits ,
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) ,
Employee Benefits ,
ESOP ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
HDHP ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Qualified Retirement Plans ,
Tax Planning
As explained in Part I: Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration series, the Public Health Emergency (PHE) and National Emergency (NE) are coming to a close. While the Biden Administration had initially...more
As explained in part I of our Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration series, the Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) and National Emergency (“NE”) are coming to a close. While the Biden Administration had...more
On December 23, 2022, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued FAQs providing relief from prescription drug and health care spending reporting requirements. The FAQs are...more
Recently Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (“2023 CAA”). Among other things, the 2023 CAA extends, for a second time, the telehealth relief provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act permitted high...more
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) took effect on January 1, 2020, providing rights and protections to California consumers regarding their personal information and how it may be processed by certain businesses....more
On October 21, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2022-55, which sets forth the 2023 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans....more
On March 15, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (“2022 CAA”) was signed into law. Among other things, the 2022 CAA temporarily restores the telehealth relief provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act...more
3/23/2022
/ CARES Act ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Employee Benefits ,
HDHPs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
HSA ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
As indicated in our January 11, 2022 blog post and alert, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (the “Agencies”) issued FAQs Part 51 on January 10, 2022, requiring group health...more
2/9/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
New Regulations ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Safe Harbors ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On May 18, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released much-anticipated guidance on premium subsidies for continuation coverage under Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) provided by the...more
6/1/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
IRS ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. Under ARPA, certain employees and their dependents who lost group health coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the...more
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) into law. Under ARPA, certain employees and their dependents who lost group health coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the...more
4/12/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Cafeteria Plans ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “ARPA”) into law. Many of the provisions in this sweeping legislation bring changes to the employee benefits world of which employers should...more
4/1/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
COBRA ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retirement Plan ,
Section 162(m) ,
Tax Credits
The Department of Labor has issued final regulations that will enable employers to electronically provide required information and documents to more plan participants. Although employers have been able to electronically...more
On March 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which addresses the public economic and health crisis related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)....more
4/1/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
HRA ,
HSA ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which addresses the public economic and health crisis related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)....more
3/31/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Distribution Rules ,
Employee Benefits ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Pensions ,
Relief Measures ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Waivers
The U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) collectively, the "agencies," issued a press release Friday, March 20 updating employers required to provide paid leave to...more
3/21/2020
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
IRS ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
U.S. Treasury
On November 6, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2019-59, which sets forth the 2020 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The...more
11/7/2019
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
457(b) Plans ,
Cafeteria Plans ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Contribution Limits ,
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) ,
Defined Contribution Plans ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Contributions ,
ESOP ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Popular ,
Retirement Plan ,
Tax Planning
The Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Services (“VETS”) issued a new fact sheet (“Fact Sheet”) to help employers better manage their pension obligations under the Uniform Services Employment and...more
8/13/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Labor Regulations ,
Military Service Members ,
New Guidance ,
Pensions ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rulemaking Process ,
USERRA ,
Veterans ,
VETS
New guidance helps plan sponsors and employers manage and operate AHPs -
The Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released guidance related to the DOL's June 28th final rule on association...more
8/28/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
COBRA ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
IRS ,
MEWAs ,
Reporting Requirements