After Congress declined to extend certain relief allowing first-dollar coverage of telehealth services by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), health plan sponsors may need to make immediate changes to preserve employees’ health savings account (HSA) eligibility.
Articles about the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and other issues relating to employee benefit topics
2025 ACA Compliance Updates: Essential Insights for Employers
As we turn the page to 2025, employers and HR professionals are turning their attention to ensuring compliance with the reporting and disclosure requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Traditionally, this process required preparing and mailing Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to all full-time employees—a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. In
Workers May Enjoy Wider Range of Benefits Plans for Allocating Employer Contributions
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has taken the position that employers may incorporate health savings accounts (HSAs) and student loan payments among the allocation options for employer contributions offered outside of cafeteria plans.
OCR Proposed Tighter Security Rules for HIPAA Regulated Entities, including Business Associates and Group Health Plans
As the healthcare sector continues to be a top target for cyber criminals, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued proposed updates to the HIPAA Security
Affordable Care Act Reporting Changes: Good News for Plan Sponsors
Congress recently passed the Employer Reporting Improvement Act and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act (the Acts), which are now awaiting President
Catching Up on 401(k) Catch-Up Changes for 2025
Under current law, most 401(k) plans permit catch-up contributions that are equally available to all participants who are age fifty or over. Starting in 2025, the SECURE 2.0 Act allows eligible participants who are ages sixty to sixty-three to make “super-catch-up contributions” of up to the greater of: $10,000, or
Florida Healthcare Provider Faces $1.19M HIPAA Penalty Following Independent Contractor Breach
A healthcare provider delivering pain management services in Florida and other states faces a $1.19 million civil monetary penalty from the U.S.
Don’t Overlook Year-End HDHP Changes to Telehealth Cost-Sharing
Employers providing health plan coverage through a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) may need to amend their HDHP before year-end to remove first-dollar telehealth coverage. Although prior regulatory relief permitted employers to provide telehealth coverage without cost sharing, that relief is due to expire at year-end. Absent an extension of that
Potential Shifts in Employee Benefits: A Guide for Employers Under Trump
As we prepare for another change in Administration in the White House, it is crucial for employers and plan sponsors to stay informed and prepared. While much of what lies ahead is speculative, understanding these possible changes can help employers navigate the uncharted waters of employee benefits. Following is an
Hybrid Workplaces + Regulatory Obligations: What FINRA Members Need to Know About the RSL Rule and Remote Inspections
TakeawaysFINRA member firms can designate private residences as Residential Supervisory Locations (RSLs) if certain conditions are met, allowing them to participate in FINRA’s Remote Inspections Pilot Program and manage inspection burdens remotely.The next deadline to opt-in to FINRA’s Remote Inspections Pilot Program is Dec. 27, 2024.For home offices that qualify as RSLs, firms must comply with additional recordkeeping and submission requirements.Related link
2025 Will See COLAs for Qualified Retirement Plans Comparable to 2024
On November 1, 2024, the 2025 calendar year cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to the contribution and compensation limits for tax-qualified retirement plans were released by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Notice 2024-80.
IRS Interim Guidance Under Secure 2.0 On “Inadvertent Benefit Overpayments”
Among the provisions of SECURE 2.0 (effective December 29, 2022) welcomed by plan sponsors were the additions to the Internal Revenue Code that allow qualified plans to refrain from trying to recoup an “inadvertent benefit overpayment” (referred to here as an IBO), and from having to restore such payments to
HIPAA Reproductive Health Care PHI Rules: Compliance Date Approaching
Cybersecurity Considerations for Employers Sponsoring ERISA Plans
Cyber-criminals often steal funds and personal data from employee benefit plans. Employers face increasing liability for failures in cybersecurity of the employee benefit plans they sponsor, including for the security of plan assets and data managed by service providers. The DOL has updated its detailed guidance on cybersecurity for ERISA-covered
2025 Cost of Living Adjustments for Retirement Plans
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced its cost-of-living adjustments applicable to dollar limitations on benefits and contributions for