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The McCart Group Newsletter
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Risk Management & Insurance news for the well-informed business leader
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October 2013
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Greetings!
Please take a moment to respond to this month's poll question if you are interested.
What Do You Know?
Last month, we asked:
Has your organization taken steps to mitigate the risks of social media
(Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube)?
50% Yes; 50% No.
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New Healthcare Reform Videos on The McCart Group Website
The McCart Group has posted three videos on its website to help employees understand changes in healthcare and benefits as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Go to www.mccart.com and click on the Healthcare Reform link on the left side of our home page under Current News and Events. You'll see the video icons on the right-hand side of the screen. Or view the videos on You Tube:
 | | Healthcare Reform Overview |
 | Marketplaces
(Exchanges) |
 | Individual
Mandate |
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Employer Services
Group Benefits Consulting
Payroll & Benefits Administration
Health Management & Wellness
Compliance / Health Reform
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Sending the Notice of Exchange to Employees
The ACA requires that employers provide employees with a written notice containing the information regarding exchanges and possible subsidies when purchasing individual coverage through a public exchange. Originally the ACA required the notice be provided to employees by March 1, 2013; however, the DOL issued guidance delaying the notice requirement.
Employers are now required to provide the notice to current employees no later than October 1, 2013. Employers are also required to provide the notice to each new employee at the time of hire.
As additional details and requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) emerge, The McCart Group will update you on provisions and deadlines that affect employers and employer-sponsored group health plans.
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| IRS Announces Special Procedures for Correcting Overwithholding on Same-Gender Spouse Benefit
 On Monday, in Notice 2013-61, the IRS took the next step to implement the Supreme Court's decision in Windsor v. United States striking down the provision of the Defense of Marriage Act that prohibited the recognition of same-gender couples as married for purposes of federal law. Notice 2013-61 provides simplified procedures for correcting overwithholding of federal income tax and Social Security and Medicare (FICA) tax on benefits previously provided to same-gender spouses on an after-tax basis.
(For a general discussion of the issues facing plan sponsors that provide benefits to same-gender spouses, see our Issue Brief dated Sept. 3, 2013 available here.)
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| Obama Administration Discloses 2014 Health Exchange Premium Rates
 The Obama administration is counting on signing up 7 million Americans in the first full year of reform through the state exchanges, including 2.7 million younger and healthier consumers who are needed to offset the costs of sicker members.
Americans will pay an average premium of $328 monthly for a mid-tier health insurance plan when the health exchanges open for enrollment next week, and most will qualify for government subsidies to lower that price, the Obama administration said Wednesday.
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Model HIPAA Privacy Notices Issued
 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a compilation of final regulations modifying and clarifying the privacy, security and enforcement provisions under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, as amended (HIPAA). Group health plans and business associates must comply with these final regulations starting September 23, 2013.
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IRS Issues Proposed Employer Reporting Rules
 The IRS has released proposed rules related to Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer and insurance carrier reporting requirements. The ACA created two new sections in the Tax Code, section 6055 and 6056. These sections require employers, plan sponsors, and insurers to report certain information designed to provide the IRS with the information necessary to administer the individual mandate "tax" and employer penalties under the ACA employer shared responsibility rules (often called "pay or play").
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Employer Services
Have Questions?
Our Benefits and Payroll professionals at The McCart Group can provide you with additional information on any of the topics covered under the Employer Services section of the newsletter.
We use an integrated approach to design and implement employee benefit plans, payroll & benefit administration services, technology- based HR information systems, and health management and wellness programs. For more information, call 770-232-0202 or visit www.mccart.com today! |
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Risk Management & Insurance
Property & Casualty Insurance
Risk Management Consulting Claims Management Risk Control & Safety |
Employers Concerned About Aging Workforce
 Employers are concerned about health and wellness issues connected with an aging workforce, but most haven't implemented strategies to manage safety and leave for an older population, according to a joint study released Tuesday by the Disability Management Employer Coalition and Cornell University.
In a survey of 522 employers, 85% of respondents said they are very or somewhat concerned about an aging workforce. However, 64% of respondents said they have not designed their absence and disability management programs around those concerns. The statistics coincide with a workforce that is growing older on average.
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Developing a Small Business Disaster Recovery Plan
 Businesses that are forced to close down following a disaster run the risk of never being able to open their doors again. While there's no way to lower the risk of a natural disaster like a hurricane, there are critical measures that can be taken to protect your company's bottom line from nature's fury. A disaster plan and adequate insurance are keys to recovery.
No matter how small or large a business, a business impact analysis should be developed to identify what an operation must do to protect itself in the face of a natural disaster.
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Fall Cleaning: Align Employee Handbook Policies
 The time to start reviewing employment policies so you can roll out a new handbook by January 2014 is now, according to Amy Burton Loggins, an attorney at Taylor English in Atlanta. Examining the actual wording of policies may take less time than sounding out managers on which policies are helping them and which ones they are stumbling through. HR professionals should start the conversation with business operations now, she said. And they should be prepared to speak with several layers of management, particularly about performance management and discipline policies. - Society for Human Resource Management
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Proper Use of Electrical Flexible Cords
 Whether it is through a McCart Group safety audit or an OSHA inspection, wiring violations do come up from time to time. Aside from the more common OSHA violations, such as frayed cords and missing ground pins, there are situations that sometimes need further explanation.
Although various situations may arise, an electrical safety expert should be consulted for unusual circumstances.
- The McCart Group, Risk Control & Safety
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Risk Management & Insurance
Have Questions?
Our P&C and Risk Management professionals at The McCart Group can provide you with additional information on any of the topics covered under the Risk Management and Insurance section of the newsletter.
Addressing the complex risk management issues and property & casualty insurance needs of public and private companies, our services include property & casualty insurance program analysis and design, merger & acquisition due diligence, workers' compensation programs, risk control, safety, and claim management. For more information, call 770-232-0202 or visit |
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Compliance Matters
Guidance Issued on HRAs, FSAs, and Premium Reimbursement Plans
The DOL recently issued Technical Release 2013-03 which answers a question that has been unclear since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed. Can employers pay for the purchase of individual health insurance plans for employees on a tax free basis? The DOL's answer to this question is no.
Beginning in 2014 the individual heath insurance market will change dramatically. Individual health insurance policies will be offered with no medical underwriting and no pre-existing limitations. Individuals who qualify may also be able to collect subsidies (federal premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions) when purchasing individual health insurance through a public (State and Federal) Exchange.
Read Full Issue Brief
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 Health and Wellness Good health, an active lifestyle, and general well-being are important to
The McCart Group! Look here each month for links to the latest health and wellness news and information. |
The McCart Group News Clips ...
The McCart Group Named One of Atlanta's Best
Places to Work
 The McCart Group has recently been ranked by The Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the Top 30 Best Places to Work in Atlanta in the medium employer category.
On September 13, Atlanta Business Chronicle named the 2013 Atlanta's Best Places To Work. Each year, Atlanta Business Chronicle, in partnership with Quantum Workplace, surveys the metro area's employers to find those that have discovered how to become one of Atlanta's Best Places To Work.
This year more than 560 companies and organizations were nominated and more than 400 participated in the surveys. Quantum used analytical tools to rank the top employers in three categories: the top 10 in the large employer category (501 employees or more in the metro area), the top 30 in the medium employer category (101 to 500 employees) and the top 60 in the small employer category (10 to 100 employees).
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Since 1971, The McCart Group has been solving complex risk management, insurance, benefits, and payroll / administrative support problems for public and private companies. For more information, visit www.mccart.com.
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The McCart Group is proud to be the exclusive Assurex Global Partner in Georgia, since 2005. Assurex Global is an international insurance, risk management, and financial services enterprise of independent broker partners, combining the experience, expertise, products, and services of professionals around the world.
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www.mccart.com
The McCart Group 2405 Satellite Blvd. # 200
Duluth, GA 30096
770-232-0202
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This newsletter is a periodical publication of The McCart Group and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only, and you are urged to consult a lawyer or other professional advisor concerning your own situation and any specific facts and circumstances that apply. | |
© 2013 The McCart Group. All rights reserved. The McCart Group keeps its contact database strictly confidential.
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