Articles Discussing General Topics In Employee Benefits.

The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (Kaiser/HRET) have released their annual survey of employer-sponsored health benefits. In the survey, Kaiser/HRET analyzes the responses provided by 2,067 public and private employers with three or more employees during the first five months of 2013. According to the survey results, while health plan premiums increased in 2013 by an amount consistent with prior year increases, coverage and offer rates did not vary significantly.

Executive Summary: The Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently released a series of final rules affecting health benefits provided through multiple employer welfare arrangements (“MEWAs”). Notably, the 2012 Form M-1 filing deadline has been extended to May 1. In addition, new guidance implementing portions of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) applicable to MEWAs has been released.

Executive Summary: As most everyone knows by now, Congress adopted, and President Obama signed, legislation – the American Taxpayer Relief Act (the “Act”) – that resolves many elements of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” i.e., the various tax increases and expiration of tax breaks, along with spending cuts, that were to have become effective with the new year. Much has been written and reported about applying the scheduled tax rate increases only to high-income taxpayers, changing the Alternative Minimum Tax so that it would not penalize the “middle class,” increasing estate tax for certain “large” estates, allowing the 2011 payroll tax cut to expire (along with other scheduled payroll tax increases), and other “newsworthy” aspects of the Act. Little has been mentioned, however, about the Act’s provisions applicable to benefit plans and programs. So here are a few of those provisions.

Executive Summary: In Announcements 2012-45 and 2012-46, the IRS has temporarily eased the eligibility requirements for employers to participate in the employment-tax Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (“VCSP”) that was begun last year. (See our Legal Alert dated 9/27/2011.) Specifically, employers may participate in a slightly modified version of the program (the “Modified VCSP”) even if they haven’t filed all required Forms 1099, as is required for the VCSP. In addition, the prohibition against participation by taxpayers under audit and the requirement to extend the limitations period for future assessments were both changed for purposes of the Modified VCSP.

Executive Summary: In addition to the other various employee benefit plan relief provided as a result of Hurricane Sandy, on November 16 the Internal Revenue Service announced, in Announcement 2012-44, that certain individual account plans, including Section 401(k) plans, Section 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities, and governmental Section 457(b) deferred compensation plans can provide plan loans and hardship withdrawals (including “unforeseeable emergency” distributions under 457(b) plans) to those participants who were (or who have certain family members who were) adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy. In addition, IRA owners may also qualify to receive distributions with reduced administrative procedures.

On October 18, 2012, the Internal Revenue Service announced cost of living adjustments affecting various limitations applicable to pension and other retirement plans (IR 2012-77). Many of the limitations remain unchanged because they are indexed in $1000 or $5000 increments, but several will change for 2013. Some of the better-known limitations are: