News & Analysis as of

Employer Group Health Plans Internal Revenue Service

Bricker Graydon LLP

You May be Able to Increase Health Plan Premiums and Stay Affordable in 2025

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For the first time in four years, the IRS adjusted the affordability percentage used for the shared responsibility penalties. The IRS recently announced that the affordability percentage for 2025 will be 9.02%....more

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

Benefits Monthly Minute - August 2024

The August Monthly Minute highlights new IRS guidance addressing student loan matching programs, HHS’s increases to civil monetary penalties and Form 5330 paper filing updates....more

Hall Benefits Law

Federal Agencies Issue Updated Instructions for Annual Submission of Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation

Hall Benefits Law on

​​​​​​​The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have updated the Submission Instructions and User Manual for the Gag Clause Prohibition...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Health Plan Hygiene Part 1: A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

During the next several weeks, we will publish a series of articles that dive deeply into “health plan hygiene” relating to health and welfare benefit plan fiduciary issues and how employers can protect themselves in this...more

Woodruff Sawyer

Navigating Mid-Year Benefit Election Changes

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One of the most common questions that we receive is whether an employee can change their benefits elections after the plan year has already started (also referred to as a mid-year change).  The answer is very fact-specific...more

McDermott Will & Emery

IRS Announces 2025 Limits for Health Savings Accounts, High-Deductible Health Plans and Excepted Benefit HRAs

McDermott Will & Emery on

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced (see Revenue Procedure 2024-25) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and...more

Maynard Nexsen

Advantages and Disadvantages of Offering a Level-Funded Group Health Plan

Maynard Nexsen on

While level-funded group health plans are not entirely new, their adoption has expanded rapidly over the last few years, particularly among small to midsized employers. According to an annual KFF survey, among employers with...more

Alston & Bird

Year-End Health Benefits Roundup 2023

Alston & Bird on

It was a lively year for health benefits. Our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group unpacks 2023, from the end of the COVID-19 emergencies to the much-anticipated Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act...more

Foster Swift Collins & Smith

IRS Announces 2024 Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirement Plans and for Health and Welfare Benefit Plans

The IRS has announced the 2024 cost-of-living adjustments for retirement plan and health and welfare benefit plan limitations. The charts below set forth the applicable limitations. Retirement Plans - Similar to...more

Snell & Wilmer

2023 End-of-Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists (Part 1) Health and Welfare

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We are pleased to present our annual End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we present our “To Do” Lists in four separate Employee Benefits Updates. This Part 1 covers year-end health and welfare plan issues....more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Employers May Have to Pay More in 2024 as Affordability Threshold Hits New Low for Second Year in a Row

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has announced adjustments decreasing the affordability threshold for plan years beginning in 2024, which may cause employers to have to pay more for ACA compliant coverage in 2024. The IRS...more

Williams Mullen

IRS Reduces 2024 Affordability Percentage

Williams Mullen on

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) decreased the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability percentage for 2024 to 8.39%. This percentage is used to assess whether an applicable large employer’s (ALE) lowest-premium health plan...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Planning for Open Enrollment? Note the ACA Affordability Threshold Drop

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC on

On August 23, the Internal Revenue Service issued Rev. Proc. 2023-29, announcing that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability threshold will be 8.39% for plan years beginning in 2024, a substantial decrease from the 9.12%...more

Baker Donelson

ACA Affordability Test Will Be More Difficult to Pass in 2024

Baker Donelson on

As employers are preparing for 2024 open enrollment, they should be aware that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability safe harbors are going DOWN for 2024. The IRS has just released Revenue Procedure 2023-29, which...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

You May Need to Lower Employees’ Premiums to Keep Your Plan Affordable Under the ACA

Bricker Graydon LLP on

For the third year in a row, the IRS adjusted the affordability percentage used for the shared responsibility penalties down. The IRS recently announced that the affordability percentage for 2024 will be 8.39%. This is down...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

‎2024 Healthcare Affordability Percentage Makes Benefits More Expensive for Employers‎

The employee benefits 2024 open enrollment season is quickly approaching and, with newly released IRS guidance, employers should be careful to ensure the health plan they offer employees is considered affordable. According to...more

Snell & Wilmer

Three Facts Every Employer Should Know about Code Section 4980H Penalties

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If you need help determining whether you are an “applicable large employer” subject to these rules or estimating the extent of potential penalty exposure, our Employer Shared Responsibility Penalty Checklist for Employers may...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

My Insurance Doesn’t Cover That? Agency Guidance on “Junk Insurance”

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: Fresh on the heels of the IRS Chief Counsel Memorandum on wellness and indemnity products, discussed in our prior post here, the agencies have weighed in with more formal and more expansive guidance...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

COVID-19 Relief for High Deductible Health Plans Expires in 2024

Employers’ high deductible health plans (HDHPs) can continue to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment without violating the eligibility rules for health savings accounts (HSAs)—but only through 2024—under new Internal Revenue...more

Groom Law Group, Chartered

IRS Chief Counsel Advice Says Wellness Indemnity Payments Are Taxable If No Unreimbursed Medical Expenses Related to the Payment

On June 8, 2023, the IRS released Chief Counsel Advice 202323006 (the “CCA”) addressing the tax treatment of wellness indemnity payments made by employer-funded fixed indemnity insurance policies. The CCA generally provides...more

Woodruff Sawyer

Compliance Alert: Reminder PCORI Fees Due By July 31, 2023

Woodruff Sawyer on

Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2023 deadline for paying fees that fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes...more

Poyner Spruill LLP

Cafeteria Plan Check-In: Claims Substantiation

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A recent memorandum from the IRS Office of Chief Counsel serves as a helpful reminder to check in on cafeteria plan administration and ensure all processes—including claims substantiation for medical expenses and dependent...more

Ruder Ware

2024 HSA Limits Are Announced

Ruder Ware on

On May 17, 2023, the IRS announced the Health Savings Account limits for 2024.  With respect to contribution limits, the limits are higher than the ones for 2023 and the required deductible and out-of-pocket maximums have...more

Trusaic

Employers Will See Increased ACA Penalties in 2023

Trusaic on

Employers, take note: 2023 brings heftier IRS penalties for failure to comply with the ACA’s Employer Mandate. Under the ACA’s Employer Mandate, ALEs, or employers with 50 or more full-time and full-time equivalent...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Employers Prepare for Thawing ERISA Deadlines

With the pandemic winding down, deadlines for employee benefit plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) will be resuming. Two different emergencies affect employer-sponsored group health plans:...more

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