PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - New Round of COVID-19 Relief Expands Assistance for Employers
Nowhere to spend child care FSA funds
COVID-19 Impact for Health & Welfare Plans (Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton COVID-19 Issues for Employers Podcast Series)
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - COVID-19 Edition; New Opportunities for Health Flexible Spending Arrangements and Cafeteria Plans
SECURE 2.0 Act - As part of a large year-end piece of legislation, the provisions known as SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”) were enacted into law. SECURE 2.0 represents a broadly bipartisan piece of legislation that...more
In a previous post, we reported on the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which reversed Roe v. Wade, and renders a woman’s right to make decisions regarding, and seek medical treatment...more
Relief from the strict employee benefit cafeteria plan mid-year election changes rules has finally arrived. In Notice 2020-29, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance providing cafeteria plan participants with...more
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued two important notices allowing employer-plan sponsors to amend their §125 cafeteria plans to provide employees with increased flexibility for elected benefits and account...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
Notice 2015-87 (the Notice) provides recent government guidance on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer mandate and market reforms. The Notice contains 26 frequently asked questions (FAQs) from the Internal Revenue Service...more
On March 21, 2016, FinCEN and the federal bank regulatory agencies published Guidance to issuing banks on the CIP requirements applicable to prepaid cards. While the Guidance referred to “prepaid cards,” footnote 5 to the...more
With the end of 2015 fast approaching, employers should be aware of certain issues under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and...more
Beginning in 2014, a violation of certain healthcare reform rules, such as offering a health plan with annual dollar limits or not providing full preventive care with no employee cost, requires employers to pay an excise tax...more
Last year, the Department of Labor and the Treasury Department/IRS (Departments) issued guidance on the application of certain of the Affordable Care Act’s insurance market reforms to health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs),...more
What Is a Health Plan Identifier (HPID)? A health plan identifier is a standardized 10-digit number that is unique to a plan. Who Must Obtain an HPID in the Coming Weeks? Large “controlling health plans”...more
Group health plan sponsors turn their attention to completing 2013 tasks, implementing upcoming 2014 changes, preparing for the ACA Shared Responsibility requirement in 2015, and documenting recent extensive plan changes....more
In This Issue: - Labor and Employment and ERISA Class Actions After Wal-Mart and Comcast — Practice Points for Defendants (Part I – Commonality)* - Agencies Release Guidance on HRAs, FSAs, and Employer Payment...more
On September 13, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, collectively, issued guidance (the "Health Funding Guidance") on the application of two of the...more
Recently issued guidance clarifies the application of certain provisions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to health reimbursement arrangements, employer payment plans, health flexible spending arrangements and employee...more
Plan sponsors should review their health reimbursement arrangements, employer payment plans, health flexible spending arrangements, and employee assistance programs to ensure they comply with ACA market reforms....more
On September 13, 2013 the U.S. Department of the Treasury (IRS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), collectively referred to herein as the Departments, coordinated...more
Health & Welfare Plans - Health Care Reform: FAQ Part XVI Addresses Insurance Exchange Notice and 90-Day Waiting Period Requirement. The Treasury, the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human...more
On Friday, September 13, 2013, the IRS released Notice 2013-54 and the DOL issued Technical Release 2013-03 in substantially identical form. This guidance, which is generally effective January 1, 2014, provides much needed...more
On September 13, 2013, the Department of Labor and the Treasury Department/IRS (the “Departments”) issued coordinated guidance on a handful of items relating to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (the “Act”),...more
On September 13, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new guidance1 relating to the applicability of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to certain kinds of...more
The Affordable Care Act establishes a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute as a private nonprofit corporation to assist patients, clinicians, purchasers and policy makers in making informed health decisions using...more
The new healthcare reform law includes a number of new taxes and fees which are rarely mentioned by the law’s supporters. On December 5, IRS announced final regulations governing new fees on health insurers and employer...more
Laws Providing Leaves of Absence - Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - The FMLA, as relevant here, requires covered employers to provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave due to a serious...more