Notwithstanding the current economic uncertainty, corporate transaction activity has remained steady, meaning buyers continue to address issues relating to a target company’s qualified retirement plans, such as a 401(k) plan....more
Beginning in 2023, Colorado employees whose employers do not offer a retirement plan will have access to an optional retirement savings plan through a state-facilitated retirement savings program, the Colorado SecureSavings...more
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) issued a new audit standard for employee benefit plans in July 2019. The new standard is commonly referred to as SAS 136, but its official name is “Statement on...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2021 had far-reaching effects on employee benefit plans. One of the more onerous changes introduced by the CAA relates to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) published EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 in the nick of time on February 26, 2021. EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 was released...more
4/1/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
New Guidance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Relief Measures ,
Time Extensions
Employers are facing uncertainty as to the expiration of the COVID-19 relief the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued in a joint guidance on May 4, 2020. The joint guidance requires...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2021, enacted late in 2020, imposes a new requirement on group health plans to ensure compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Unlike many of the...more
1/28/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Third-Party Service Provider
Employers will now have additional options to address participants’ unspent contributions to dependent care or health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Consolidated Appropriations...more
With a recent uptick in mergers and transactions, we thought it would be worthwhile to provide a refresher on some coverage testing issues related to retirement plans. Although a seemingly mundane topic, coverage testing...more
Small businesses and self-employed individuals may soon have more options for obtaining affordable group health coverage. As directed by Executive Order 13813, on January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released...more
On September 21, 2017, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a status report with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in response to that court’s August 22, 2017, ruling against the...more
On August 22, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued its decision in the American Association of Retired Persons, Inc.’s (AARP) challenge to the wellness program regulations issued by the U.S. Equal...more
The question of whether a wellness program violates the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been unclear for some time. The Chicago District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity...more
For some time, employers have faced uncertainty about the status of their wellness programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and...more