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Risk Management & Insurance news for the well-informed business leader
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February 2014
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A New Era Has Begun for The McCart Group, an EPIC company
 In January of 2014, The McCart Group merged its operations with EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center) as part of EPIC's exciting national expansion strategy. EPIC is one of the nation's premier retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firms. EPIC's unique and innovative approach has led to a company unlike any other in our space. Together, EPIC and The McCart Group will work to build something extraordinary in the insurance brokerage business. We now operate as The McCart Group, an EPIC company, and with more than $100 million in revenue, are ranked among the top 30 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Headquartered in California, EPIC is now the 8th largest broker based in the U.S. West with approximately 450 team members operating from 9 offices across California and in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York.
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Employer Services
Group Benefits Consulting
Payroll & Benefits Administration
Health Management & Wellness
Compliance / Health Reform
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W-2 Health Insurance Reporting Review
It's that time of year again, and large employers need to remember to include the cost of health insurance in employee W-2s. The ACA requires employers to report the "aggregate cost" of certain types of employer provided health coverage on an employee's W-2.
- Benefit Comply
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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| Final Mental Health Parity Regulations Released
The DOL, IRS and HHS jointly released final rules regarding the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). For those group health plans offering both medical/surgical benefits and mental health (MA) or substance abuse (SA) benefits, the plans must provide MH and SA benefits at least equal ("in parity") to the medical/surgical benefits provided.- Benefit Comply
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| Excepted Benefit Rules Changed
The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS (the Departments) have released proposed rules that would amend regulations regarding excepted benefits. Excepted benefits are generally exempt from the requirements of HIPAA and the ACA. The proposed rules address the requirements necessary for dental and vision plans, and Employee Assistance Plans (EAPs), to be treated as excepted benefits.- Benefit Comply
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Health Care Costs Remain CFOs' Top Concern
Executives foresee continued health-cost shifting to employees
For the third year in a row, chief financial officers (CFOs) in the U.S. cited rising health care costs as their No. 1 concern, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2014 CFO Outlook survey. - Society for Human Resource Management
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9 Tactics for Workplace Wellness Success
Technology has taken over the wellness space in recent years. Employers and consumers have purchased breaking-edge technology in health and mobile spaces to improve wellness through everything from biometric screenings to incentive design. Now, many employers are getting back to basics and focusing on improving the company's culture of health and workplace environment to change unhealthy behavior. - Employee Benefit News
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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 |
New OSHA Recordkeeping Proposal Includes Corporate-Wide Injury Reporting
Employers with as few as 50 workers at multiple worksites could be required to submit company-wide injury and illness information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as part of the agency's proposal to rewrite its recordkeeping regulations.
- Bloomberg BNA - Occupational Safety & Health Reporter™
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In order for an employee to be classified as exempt (not entitled to overtime), the employee must be eligible for one of the exemptions which are provided under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable state laws. |
Safety Guide for Worldwide Outdoor Events Lauded
A comprehensive safety guide for outdoor concerts that was spurred by the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse will now bring lessons from that tragedy to venues worldwide.
The Event Safety Alliance announced the release of the first guide in Las Vegas recently and says it provides best practices for emergency planning, weather preparedness, and temporary staging, rigging and special effects. - Claims Journal
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Chemical Audits
Every year, many organizations fail to pass audits of their workplace chemicals because those chemicals and related supplies are not managed and controlled in a safe manner in accordance with regulations.
Chemical safety deficiencies continue to prevail in the workplace, causing audit failure. One of the main causes for this is the large number of requirements that govern chemical-related work.
- 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
IRS Issues Guidance on Same-Sex Spouses in Cafeteria
Plans and HSAs
The IRS has issued Notice 2014-1 which provides guidance in the form of Q&As on the application of the rules under §125 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) (relating to cafeteria plans, including health and dependent care Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs)), and section 223 of the Code (relating to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)), as they apply to same-sex spouses following the Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor ("Windsor decision").
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 Please take a moment to respond to this month's poll question:
Last month, we asked:
Is your organization planning to host first quarter meetings, presentations, or seminars to inform employees about the 2014 implications of the Affordable Care Act?
11% Yes, we are; 44% No, we have already provided them with all the information they need; 44% We will wait and see if further communication is required.
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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. |
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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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www.mccart.com
The McCart Group 2405 Satellite Blvd.
Suite 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. | |
The McCart Group keeps its contact database strictly confidential.
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