The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provides a 100% federal subsidy of COBRA premiums from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021, for certain COBRA participants known as Assistance Eligible Individuals (AEIs). Our...more
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes a number of provisions requiring immediate action by employers. One such provision provides for a 100% federal subsidy of COBRA premiums (including the up-to-2%...more
3/26/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
CARES Act ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
IRS ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Refunds
Much of the previous relief that had been granted to cafeteria plans during the COVID-19 pandemic was set to expire after 2020. In late December, though, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), which...more
3/4/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Cafeteria Plans ,
Carryover Basis ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dependent Care ,
Eligibility ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Grace Period ,
IRS ,
Relief Measures
President Donald Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Omnibus Bill) on December 27, 2020. The Omnibus Bill has received a great deal of media coverage due to its massive size (nearly 6,000...more
12/31/2020
/ Cafeteria Plans ,
CARES Act ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
IRS ,
New Legislation ,
Retirement Plan ,
Student Loans ,
Trump Administration
Employee benefits professionals have faced many challenges in 2020. We have seen remarkable changes to state and local requirements, an onslaught of new benefits legislation and governmental policies, shifting reporting and...more
12/10/2020
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cybersecurity ,
Deferred Compensation ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Final Rules ,
Investment Funds ,
IRS ,
Power of Attorney ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors ,
SECURE Act ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule establishing a new “safe harbor” method for satisfying ERISA and DOL’s requirements for electronic distribution of certain ERISA-governed retirement plan documents....more
Many employers have sought to leverage or make changes to their employer-sponsored benefits to address economic and health-related burdens faced by their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Until now, however, employers...more
5/22/2020
/ Cafeteria Plans ,
Carryover Basis ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
FSA ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
New Guidance ,
Popular
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued revised model general and election notices on Friday, May 1, 2020. The notices can be used by plan administrators to address the notification requirements imposed by the Consolidated...more
Many employee benefit plan sponsors, administrators, and fiduciaries have been asking about regulatory relief in response to administrative challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, the U.S. Departments of...more
5/5/2020
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Extensions ,
U.S. Treasury
As federal and state governments respond to COVID-19, employers and plan fiduciaries must also address the evolving issues arising under employer-sponsored health plans. The specific considerations covered in this update are...more
3/23/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Essential Health Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Fiduciary ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
New Guidance ,
PHI ,
Plan Administrators ,
Self-Insured Health Plans
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued proposed regulations on October 23, 2019, providing for a new electronic-delivery safe harbor applicable to certain required disclosures for ERISA-governed retirement plans. Though...more
11/14/2019
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Electronic Communications ,
Electronic Filing ,
Electronic Reporting ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Notice Requirements ,
Pensions ,
Plan Administrators ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Safe Harbors ,
Summary Plan Description