Participant Extensions A final rule extends the timeframes for health plan participants to: Request special enrollment under HIPAA;Elect COBRA continuation coverage, pay COBRA premiums and notify the plan of a COBRA qualifying event; andFile benefit claims and appeals and request external review of denied claims.   COVID-19 Relief Extends Certain Employee Benefit Plan Deadlines On […]

As the number of reported cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rise, employers are increasingly confronted with the possibility of an outbreak in the workplace. Employers are obligated to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees, but are also subject to a number of legal requirements protecting workers. For example, […]

OVERVIEW On July 17, 2019, the IRS released Notice 2019-45 to add care for a range of chronic conditions to the list of preventive care benefits that can be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without a deductible. Individuals who are covered by an HDHP generally may establish and make contributions to a […]

OVERVIEW The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurance issuers and self-insured plan sponsors to pay Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fees (PCORI fees). The fees are reported and paid annually using IRS Form 720 (Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return). The PCORI fees do not apply for plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2019. […]

Beginning in 2020, employers of all sizes may implement a new HRA design – an individual coverage HRA (ICHRA) – to reimburse their eligible employees for insurance policies purchased in the individual market or Medicare premiums. Final rules released by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) permit employers […]

Analysts expect millennials to make up 75% of our workforce by 2025. Because of this, much attention has been given to them in analytics and speculation. These young employees bring with them new attitudes, expectations, and needs for which employers need to be prepared. What makes millennials unique is they are the first generation raised with technology–at […]

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reporting was crazy for many Fortune 1000 employers in the first year. The number one challenge to businesses was data as they tried to meet ACA requirements. According to a survey by Hager Strategic, ACA-reporting vendors saw that their clients (over 4,000 employers) were hampered by a variety of data […]

Most families these days spend more on their health insurance than any other household bill. That’s right, the cost of healthcare has surpassed that of many mortgages. If healthcare issues don’t linger near the top of your voting priorities in the 2016 presidential election, perhaps it’s time they should. In fairness, however, these issues have become a bit […]