Deadlines are a large part of employee benefit plan administration. The past 12 – 18 months have contributed to potential confusion about standard deadlines and added new deadlines plan administrators will not want to overlook. During this period, the IRS created a one-time window deadline, published extensions for some plans’
Articles Discussing General Topics In Employee Benefits.
Reopening Health Plan Elections Mid-Year? IRS Leaves it up to Employers
On May 12, 2020, the IRS issued guidance temporarily suspending long-standing federal regulations that limit when an employee can make mid-year changes to employer-sponsored health coverage.
Under the normal IRS rules, employees elect health coverage before each plan year during open enrollment, and may not change those elections except
IRS and DOL Issue Sweeping Deadline Relief for Benefit Plan Participants and Plan Sponsors
In accordance with emergency powers granted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and US Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued guidance temporarily extending a number of benefit plan-related deadlines and providing other relief for participants and plan sponsors having difficulty complying with these
IRS Reverses Course on Employee Retention Credit for Qualified Health Plan Expenses
The IRS has changed its position and will allow employers to receive a tax credit for paying health care plan premiums for employees on furlough.
What is the American Health Care Act?
What We Know Late in the evening on March 6, 2017, the House Republican leadership introduced a budget reconciliation bill that repeals certain parts of the Affordable Care Act and offers new provisions that would affect employer-sponsored health coverage. The […]
Special COVID-19 Health Insurance Enrollment Windows and Waivers
As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are observing all sorts of never-before-seen changes in the fully-insured group health plan space. Many insurers are liberally waiving their normal rules to accommodate the continuation of coverage to employers and employees in their time of need. Although the accommodations are
Employee Benefits Issues to Consider Before Deciding to Furlough or Terminate Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With the combination of our nation’s response to COVID-19 and the resultant economic downturn, employers of all sizes face the moral and financial dilemma of evaluating employee headcounts while businesses are grappling with the reality of the current situation. Many employers are considering furloughs, or other types of approved leaves
Implications of COVID-19 on Your Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
Employers are grappling with employee benefit issues in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”). Efforts are being made to pave the way for widespread testing by eliminating cost barriers such as deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or High Deductible Health Plan restrictions to ensure employees and their families are proactively being
IRS Issues Proposed Rule on Business Expense Deductions
On February 26, 2020, the IRS published proposed regulations implementing changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) regarding the elimination of deductions for entertainment and the limitation on food and beverage expenses. The regulations largely track prior IRS guidance, Notice 2018-76, on these issues.
Lawmakers Secure Signatures on the SECURE Act
In late December 2019, President Trump signed appropriations bill H.R. 1865, which includes tax and retirement plan provisions from the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act, the Act). Most observers felt that the Act had little chance to pass in 2019, but it was attached to a must-pass appropriations bill, which did the trick. A summary of the major changes and a table with effective dates follow.
Health Plan Sponsors – Have You Updated Your Vendor Agreements for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Confidentiality Regulations?
Employers that sponsor group health plans (medical, dental, vision, HFSA) are used to negotiating detailed administrative services agreements with vendors that provide services to those plans. Many also are familiar with “business associate agreements” required under HIPAA that must be in place with certain vendors, such as third-party claims administrators (TPAs), wellness program vendors, benefits brokers, etc. However, many plan sponsors may not be aware of a contract requirement with respect to the confidentiality of patient records relating to a substance use disorder (SUD). If applicable, these contract provisions must be in place by February 2, 2020.
The SECURE Act, at Last
On December 19, 2019, the Senate passed, as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020 (Public Law No. 116-94), the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act (Division O pg. H.R. 1865-604). It is touted as the most significant retirement act since the Pension Protection Act of 2006. President Trump signed the bill December 20, 2019.
Employee Benefits for Employers – Winter 2019
Has DOL Put Final Nail In Coffin of ‘Substantial Compliance’ Doctrine for Disability Claims?
Professional Tax Preparers – You Need A Written Information Security Plan, Says the IRS and FTC
Tax season soon will soon be upon us and many not-so-eager taxpayers will share sensitive personal information about themselves, their dependents, their employees, and others with their trusted professional tax preparers for processing.
The IRS Doesn’t Disappoint…Again
As imagined by plan sponsors of closed defined benefit pension plans, the IRS issued Notice 201-49, the fifth extension for an additional year of the temporary nondiscrimination relief for “closed” defined benefit pension plans originally announced by the IRS during 2014. The extended relief applies to plan years beginning before 2021 for those “closed” plans that satisfy certain conditions in Notice 2014-5. The relief for “closed” defined benefit plans refers to those defined benefit plans amended prior to December 13, 2013, to limit ongoing accruals to some or all employed participants in the plan as of a particular date, thus no longer admitting new participants into the plan.
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