June 19, 2020
California Paid Family Leave (PFL) Extended On June 27, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California’s 2019-20 state budget, which included an expansion of the state’s family temporary disability insurance program administered through the Employment Development Department (EDD). Senate Bill (SB) 83 provides certain workers with up to eight weeks, up from six weeks, …
June 19, 2020
PCORI Fee Deadline Just Around the Corner The Affordable Care Act requires health insurers and sponsors of self-funded group health plans (including health reimbursement arrangements) to pay a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee. Originally, the law provided that the PCORI fee would not be assessed for plan years ending after September 30, …
May 29, 2020
2021 HSA and HDHP Limits The IRS recently released Revenue Procedure 2020-32 issuing the new inflation-adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and qualified high deductible health plans (HDHPs) for 2021. The limits are as follows: Key HSA Issues There are several issues to address in offering a qualified high deductible health …
May 19, 2020
Increase to Health FSA Carryover Limit The IRS announced on May 12, 2020, an increase to the carryover limit permitted of Health Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs). This increase is not provided in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, nor is it a temporary adjustment. Employer-sponsors may adopt the increase beginning with FSA …
May 15, 2020
IRS Provides Temporary Flexibility for Cafeteria Plans, Health FSAs, and DCAPs As part of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) continued response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, it released Notice 2020-29 on May 12, 2020. This Notice provides employer-sponsors with temporary flexibility with respect to certain aspects of Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, Health Flexible …
May 12, 2020
Qualified Medical Child Support Orders Compliance for Group Health Plans Group health plans subject to ERISA are required to comply with qualified medical child support orders (QMCSOs), which includes medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as Health Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). When a plan receives a QMCSO, …
May 1, 2020
U.S. Department of Labor Issues COVID-19 Relief for Employee Benefit Plans On April 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance for employee benefit plans aimed at providing relief to plan participants and qualified beneficiaries during the COVID-19 national health emergency. Specifically, the DOL’s goal is to minimize the possibility of …
April 30, 2020
Group Whole Life Insurance New Benefits for Prevailing Wage Contractors Prevailing wage contractors are in a competitive environment, both in the bidding process and in their ability to attract and retain employees. And becoming a top employer in your industry means finding the balance between savings and offering a strong, competitive benefits package. …
April 17, 2020
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Benefits Considerations in Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) *Astrix indicates which FAQ is new or updated from our previous version.* Q1. Is an employer restricted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) from disclosing that an employee tested positive for COVID-19? A1. HIPAA imposes strict rules on covered …
April 7, 2020
Group Health Plan Dependent Eligibility Audit At the outset, employers should have two main objectives regarding their group health plan’s eligibility provisions: (1) drafting clear plans and policies to reflect their intended eligibility rules, and (2) administering and monitoring these eligibility provisions consistently. In order to achieve the second objective, an employer may …
