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Additional FAQs Regarding Summary of Benefits Coverage Requirement
One of the new requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is that group health plan participants must receive a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC). The SBC is a concise...
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What Should Plan Administrators Do While Waiting For The Supreme Court To...
The speculation as to how the U.S. Supreme Court will decide in the case of the Department of Health and Human Services vs. Florida has begun. At issue, of course, is whether the health care reform...
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Health Care Reform Efforts Continue To Take Shape in Minnesota
While most of the attention on health care reform has been on the federal government, federal regulatory agencies and federal courts over the past 2 ½ years since the Patient Protection and Affordable...
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The IRS Letter-Forwarding Services for Missing Plan Participants Has Ended –...
A recurring challenge for employers is trying to locate plan participants that have long since terminated employment, but that are just now entitled to start receiving their retirement plan benefits....
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2013 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
On October 18, 2012, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2012 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan limitations. On April 27, 2012, the Internal Revenue Service announced...
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Full Steam Ahead for the Affordable Care Act
The Supreme Court has ruled and President Obama has been reelected to a second term. For employers, this means there is no time like the present to begin (or continue) planning for full implementation...
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ERISA Plan Sponsors and Changes of Address
A recent case illustrates how following reasonable administrative procedures can help protect ERISA plan sponsors and fiduciaries from liability. In Foster v. PPG Industries (10th Cir. 2012), Mr....
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IRA and Employee Benefit Provisions in “Fiscal Cliff” Legislation
On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 into law, avoiding the automatic tax increases and spending cuts that had been referred to as the “fiscal cliff.”...
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Upcoming Affordable Care Act Webinar Presentations
On Tuesday, February 12, 2013, and Tuesday, February 19, 2013, Steve Brunn will present “Understanding New Employer Obligations Under the Affordable Care Act” via webinar. Heath care reform under the...
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Does the Affordable Care Act Require Employers to Provide Health Insurance to...
This is a common question raised by employers. Fortunately, the specific answer is fairly straightforward. The Affordable Care Act does not require any employer to provide health insurance to its...
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What Employers Are Considered “Large Employers” under the Play or Pay Mandate...
As stated in a previous post to this blog, the Play or Pay mandate under the Affordable Care Act only applies to “large employers.” A large employer for this purpose is an employer that employs on...
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Changes to HIPAA Privacy Requirements
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has issued additional requirements for covered entities that maintain protected health information or contract with a business associate for health...
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Hold Everything: ACA Play or Pay Effective Date is Delayed
Ok, employers don’t need to hold everything. They should continue to prepare for the August 1 effective date of Minnesota’s new same-sex marriage law, and the September 23 effective date of new...
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2014 Cost-of-Living Adjusted Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
On October 31, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2014 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan limitations and limitations affecting certain fringe benefits. On May...
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Is the IRS’s New “Use It or Lose It” Rule a Trick or a Treat?
On October 31, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service got into the Halloween spirit by giving what at first appears to be nothing but a treat to health flexible spending account participants. The IRS, in...
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A Quick Primer on the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby Case
On the last day of its term, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., No. 13-354 (June 30, 2014) – a highly contentious case about whether closely-held for-profit...
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2015 Cost-of-Living Adjusted Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
On October 23, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2015 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan limitations. Earlier in 2014, the Internal Revenue Service announced the...
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Court Denies EEOC’s Motion For Preliminary Injunction Against Honeywell’s...
The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota recently denied a motion for a preliminary injunction against aspects of Honeywell’s wellness program. In EEOC v. Honeywell International, Inc.,...
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EEOC Challenge To Wellness Programs Becomes Political Issue
A leading group of chief executives is threatening political repercussions for the EEOC’s recent challenge to employer wellness programs. The EEOC has several pending lawsuits challenging aspects of...
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What Does the Anthem Breach Mean For You?
In early February 2015, Anthem, Inc. reported that on January 29, 2015, it had discovered that it was the target of “a very sophisticated external cyber attack.” Anthem believes the attack happened...
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