April 7, 2021
DOL Issued Model Notices to Aid Employers in Their Compliance Obligations Under ARPA’s COBRA Subsidy Provision April 7, 2021 One of the provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes a 100% fully subsidized COBRA premium for certain individuals beginning on April 1, 2021 and ending on September 30, 2021(subsidy …
April 6, 2021
California Updates COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Leave Statute April 2, 2021 Beginning on March 29, 2021, Senate Bill 95 (SB 95) required employers to begin providing additional supplemental paid sick leave to employees because of COVID-19. SB 95 is much more robust than its predecessor, AB 1867. It expands the number of employees eligible for …
April 6, 2021
ERISA’s Record Retention Requirements for Health and Welfare Benefit Plans April 1, 2021 Employers often wonder how long they are required to retain certain records relating to their employee health and welfare benefit plans. For plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), these rules are detailed in ERISA §107. …
March 12, 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act: Key COBRA, FSA and Tax Provisions Friday, March 12, 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. ARPA is the latest COVID relief package intended to deliver a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus aimed at providing financial …
March 1, 2021
Modifications Announced to COVID-19 Relief for Group Health Plan Deadline Extensions Monday, March 1, 2021 As previously detailed in our Benefits Bulletin in Spring 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued mandatory guidelines aimed at providing extended deadline relief for group health plans subject to the Employee …
February 19, 2021
IRS Clarifies FSA Relief and Provides Flexibility for Health Plan Elections February 19, 2021 On February 18, the IRS released Notice 2021-15 (the Notice) to clarify the application of the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) relief provided for under the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Tax Act of 2020 (the Act). The Notice …
January 27, 2021
Opt-Out Arrangements: Employer Compliance Considerations Wednesday, January 27, 2021 Employers are often looking for ways to manage rising health care costs. One common approach they may consider is offering an opt-out arrangement to their employees. In such an arrangement, an employer offers a financial incentive or an opt-out payment to employees who waive …
January 6, 2021
Domestic Partner Benefits: A Short Course for Employers January 6, 2021 As part of its employee benefits offering, an employer may choose to extend coverage under its group health plan to the domestic partners of employees. An employer may make this decision to more effectively recruit and retain talent, or it may do …
December 29, 2020
New COVID-19 Relief Bill: Highlights for Employers Tuesday, December 29, 2020 On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the much-anticipated COVID-19 relief bill (the “Bill”), which was approved by Congress a week earlier. The Bill, a follow-up to the March 2020 CARES Act, provides a second round of stimulus dollars and …
November 11, 2020
Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines: Agencies Issue Interim Final Regulations November Benefits Bulletin As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) signed into law in March 2020, most group health plans are required to provide no-cost coverage for COVID-19 preventive services, including vaccinations. On November 6, the Internal Revenue …
