The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Revenue Procedure 2021-36 which indexes the contribution percentages for 2022 for purposes of determining affordability of an employer’s plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, employer-sponsored coverage will be considered affordable if the employee’s required contribution for self-only coverage does [...]
On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted updated and expanded guidance relating to COVID-19 and the workplace. According to the EEOC, federal laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace “do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19.” Specifically, the guidance addressed: Federal [...]
With the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) COBRA subsidy coming to end on September 30, 2021, questions are arising as to the plan administrators next steps. Below you will find some of the more common FAQs: Subsidy Expiration Notification To ensure compliance, plan administrators must provide a timely notice to those AEIs who wish to [...]
In April, the DOL issued FAQs discussing the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) COBRA subsidy. The FAQs left many with questions that were not addressed in the DOL’s guidance. On May 18, 2021, the IRS issued its guidance in Notice 2021-31 and a series of 86 FAQs that solve many of the points left unanswered in the [...]
The Internal Revenue Service released its 2022 Health Savings Account Inflation Adjustment Limits. A comparison of the 2022 and 2021 limits are listed below. The ACA maximum out-of-pocket limits have also been adjusted. The ACA uses a different adjustment calculation than the IRS when setting H.S.A. limits year over year. 2022 2021 Change HDHP Minimum [...]
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) that was passed on December 27, 2020 is known primarily for its third round of direct payment stimulus checks. However, there were additional health benefit related provisions including: (1) expanded relief for health and dependent care flexible spending arrangements; (2) new reporting requirements for commission and similar compensation; [...]
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has been made aware of postcards being sent to healthcare organizations informing the recipients that they are required to participate in a “Required Security Risk Assessment,” and they are being directed to send their risk assessment to the following URL below (DO NOT click on the link below or [...]
Early this month, the DOL issued the model notices to be used for the COBRA subsidy that is part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). In addition, the EBSA has issued FAQs that address some of the outstanding items surrounding the subsidy. This initial guidance does not include details on administering the employer tax credit [...]
Connecticut Democrats and Governor Ned Lamont have both put forth proposals that would levy an annual assessment on the state’s insurance carriers and self-funded plans. The Democratic plan includes a public insurance option for small employers (less than 50 employees) in the state and have recommended levying an assessment on the state’s insurance companies that [...]
Historically worker’s compensation does not cover community spread diseases (i.e., common cold/flu) because they generally cannot be tied back to a workplace. With the COVID-19 pandemic, some workers and workplaces have been deemed essential and present a unique problem when considering worker’s compensation coverage. As a result, some states recently have implemented amendments to their [...]
