On March 30, 2021, the IRS, in its released Announcement 2021-7, notified taxpayers that personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased for the purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19 are now to be treated as a covered medical care amount under Section 213(d) of the IRS code. This includes masks, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves and sanitizing wipes. [...]
On March 10th, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021(ARPA) was passed by both chambers of Congress and is expected to be signed by the President this week. The Act addresses several COVID relief provisions including another round of direct stimulus payments, unemployment compensation payments continuation, COVID-19 vaccine funds, and extension of the paycheck protection [...]
The Department of Labor (DOL) on February 26, 2021 issued the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 which provides guidance on the length of COVID-19 relief to be allowed under the Timeline Extension Rule. Background: On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency related to COVID-19 and established that the [...]
As a way to give small businesses the opportunity to offer their employees a workplace-based retirement savings option that is easy and inexpensive to maintain, the Department of Labor moved to establish rules for Pooled Employer Plans or PEP. According to the law, pooled plan providers will need to register with the Labor and Treasury [...]
With enrollment in Medicare Part D and specialty drug costs exploding, it’s no surprise that forecasts predict 7 percent annual growth for PBMs over the next several years. Two trends noted in the report were the continued acquisition or startup of PBMs by insurance carriers and the need for employers to better understand their options [...]
On June 25, 2019, Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Connecticut’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law (CTPFML). Below are some highlights from the new law updated with the most recent developments. Employers were required to begin collecting contributions from employees in January 2021. The new CTPFML program will expand the existing Connecticut Family and Medical Leave [...]
In late January 2020, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a public health emergency declaration. Several payment policies and regulatory adjustments are attached to the public health emergency, including the Medicare inpatient 20% add-on payment, Medicaid matching rates, and requirements that insurers and health plans cover COVID-19 testing without cost-sharing, and waivers [...]
In an effort to revive an important promise made to the American people prior to his election in 2016, President Trump recently signed 3 executive orders aimed at bringing the cost of prescription drugs more in line with what consumers in other countries pay. One order, directed at Medicare Part D plans, would require that [...]
On December 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA). The Act contains several provisions that impact healthcare plans and also includes several rules extending COVID relief. Below is a brief summary of the CAA provisions pertaining to employer sponsored health and welfare plans. CAFETERIA PLANS: The CAA allows [...]
When you consider that laws governing travel and social distancing vary from state to state, with a couple having no such laws at all, determining how your organization will regulate and discipline off-duty conduct is very challenging. And when an employee travels to another state that has different laws, which take precedence? Some experts have [...]
