Life Happens: A Quick Guide to Midyear Benefit Changes Open enrollment is great, but life doesn’t always wait for a specific window on the calendar. Whether an employee is getting married, welcoming a new baby, or experiencing a shift in…
A common question that employers have when an employee takes a leave of absence is whether the employee remains eligible for group health plan coverage. The answer depends on several factors, including whether the leave qualifies for protection under federal,…
Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits group health plans and group health insurance issuers from applying any waiting period that exceeds 90 days. This waiting period limit does not require an employer to offer coverage to any…
Employers are seeing an increase in lawsuits from former employees alleging deficient Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) election notices, with statutory penalties of up $110 per person per day. These lawsuits are generally class actions and can result in…
Employers must comply with numerous reporting and disclosure requirements throughout the year in connection with their group health plans. This Compliance Overview explains key 2022 compliance deadlines for employer-sponsored group health plans. It also outlines group health plan notices that…
Many employers offer high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to control premium costs, and then pair this coverage with health savings accounts (HSAs) to help employees with their health care expenses. An HSA is a tax-favored trust or account that can be…
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a dollar limit on employees’ salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) offered under cafeteria plans. This dollar limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments and may be increased each year. On Nov.…
Employers are increasingly using electronic media in connection with their employee benefit plans, including their group health plans. In general, federal law allows employers to provide most health plan notices electronically, provided they comply with certain rules regarding electronic delivery.…
Beginning in 2020, California imposed a state individual mandate that requires individuals in California to maintain acceptable health coverage or pay a penalty. The California law largely mirrors the federal individual mandate requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that…
How Employers Should Handle MLR Rebates The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established medical loss ratio (MLR) rules to help control health care coverage costs and ensure that enrollees receive value for their premium dollars. The MLR rules require health insurance…
