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IRS Delays W-2 Health Coverage Mandate
As companies further consider the cost of health care reform and scramble to comply with early provisions of the law during their open enrollments, some welcome relief arrived for employers this month in the form of a delay in a key reporting requirement. Click here to continue.
Guidance on External Review for Self Insured Plans
The U.S. departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services on Aug. 23, 2010, issued a notice providing an interim enforcement safe harbor for nongrandfathered self-insured group health plans not subject to a state external review process and subject to the federal external review process. Click here to continue.
Agencies Issue Health Care Reform FAQs on Grandfathered Health Plans and Lifetime Limits
The DOL, HHS, and IRS have jointly issued another set of FAQs (Part IV) on the implementation of health care reform. Click here for the highlights.
Health Care Tax Relief for the Self-Employed
This year a new law will let solo business owners fully deduct health insurance premiums for the first time. Here's how it works.
Pension/Retirement Plan Limits for 2011
The IRS recently cost of living adjustments for pension plans and other retirement plan related items for tax year 2011. Click here to continue.
DOL Updates and Broadens Definition of Fiduciary
DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration has announced a proposed rule to update the definition of "fiduciary" to more broadly define the term as a person who provides investment advice to plans for a fee or other compensation. Click here to continue.
DOL Issues Final 401(k) Fee and Expense Disclosure Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced a final rule to give the estimated 72 million participants covered by 401k-type retirement plans greater information regarding the fees and expenses associated with their plans in order to better manage their retirement savings. Click here to continue.
Early Retiree Reimbursement Program to Start Accepting Claims
A $5 billion government program to partially reimburse employers for health care claims incurred by enrollees in their early retiree health care plans has started accepting reimbursement claims. Click here to continue.
Question of The Week: GHP Mandates & Cafeteria Plans
QUESTION: One of our employees will be taking unpaid FMLA leave next month. He participates in our cafeteria plan and wants to prepay his share of the cost of his coverage under our major medical plan on a pre-tax basis. Can we allow this? Click here for the answer.
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Employers Guide to Health Care Reform
The brochure is filled with details about current and upcoming health care reform provisions that affect groups. Inside you'll find helpful information including
ü A year-by-year look at the effective dates of the reform law provisions
ü A chart outlining how the law affects different types of health plans
ü Details on special programs and cost savings created by the law
ü Definitions of significant health care reform law terms.
Click here to download the Small Group (2 - 50 lives) Reform Brochure and here to download the Large Group Reform Brochure.
Grandfathered Health Plans: To Stay or Not?
Employers May Win U.S. Health Law Exemption to Switch Insurers
Employers may be allowed to switch their health insurers and still be shielded from costly coverage changes mandated in President Barak Obama's health-care overhaul. Click here to continue.
How Health Care Reform Adversely Impacts Executive Health Care and COBRA Subsidy Arrangements
Employer-provided COBRA, other medical subsidies, and perquisites affecting medical care are common components of many executive employment and severance agreements. However, many of these arrangements will not comply with the nondiscrimination requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Health Care Reform").
Click here to continue.
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Health Benefits Appear on the Rise According to a report by Bernstein Research in New York, the percentage of employers with between three and nine workers and which are offering health insurance has increased to 59% this year, up from 46% last year. Click here to continue. Consumer Driven Health Care: What is it and What Does it Mean for Employees and Employers? Some employers are considering the switch to consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) in order to reduce the cost of providing health insurance benefits to their employees. Because CDHPs generally have lower premiums, they might be a popular choice for some employees. Employers and employees will need to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of CDHPs compared with more traditional health insurance plans before deciding which type of plan to use. Click here to continue. Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Report Click here to download the report, which provides an overview of US trends in prescription drug coverage, plan design, utilization and drug costs. November Marks Long Term Care Awareness Month
It's November, which means three things: open enrollment, turkey dinners and long term care. Click here to continue. |
403(b) Plan Compliance Issues Unearthed
In the past, unless a 403(b) program was subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, it had no documentation requirements and, even if subject to ERISA, very few reporting obligations. The last several years changed all that. Click here to continue.
401(k)s Under Pressure as Other Options Vanish
Like a summer bungalow now being lived in year-round, 401(k) plans are being called on to serve a function never anticipated by their architects when they drew up the blueprints more than 30 years ago. Click here to continue.
Improving Employees Financial Literacy
While many employers offer some form of investment advice, a recent national survey shows that employees are slow to tap that expertise. One Minneapolis-based construction company has been able to better connect with employees by hosting a series of financial workshops. Click here to continue.
Making Retirement Savings Last
With companies continuing to shift away from pensions toward 401(k)s, many CFOs no longer have to worry about a long stream of future obligations draining their corporate coffers. They may, however, find themselves with a new worry: retired employees draining their own coffers. Click here to continue.
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Bollinger's Risk Management Services Newsletter
Click here to read the most recent issue.
Cyber Risk: Top 3 Myths About Security and Privacy Liability Insurance
Click here to continue.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Releases Guide on Cyberthreats
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday released a guide to help business owners and managers identify cyberthreats, as well as adopt solutions to reduce threats and increase network security. Click here to continue.
The 'Long Tail' of On-the-Job Injuries
The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that a man's former employer is responsible for a 2007 medical condition because it was related to treatment for a 1993 workplace injury. While that already is the situation in some states, it is not in others -- although their courts or regulatory agencies may start seeing claims with such arguments popping up. Click here to continue.
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Monitor Your Teen's Driving
Automobile accidents are easily the leading cause of death for teenagers across America, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For both genders, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group. NHTSA data also show that unaccompanied 16- and 17-year-olds crash nine times more often than adults. Click here to continue.
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Crucial Benefits for Businesses: Key Person Disability Insurance
Key Personal Disability Insurance provides crucial benefits for any functioning business in order to protect the company from financial hardship that may result from the loss of a key employee due to disability. Click here to continue. |
