Summary Plan Description Distribution

To satisfy ERISA's electronic disclosure rules when posting SPDs on a company intranet site requires, among other things, that the plan administrator provide a written or electronic notice to employees directing them to the website and describing the SPDs significance and the right to request a paper copy. Read more

IRS Releases Publications on Individual and Employer Shared Responsibility

With the individual tax filing deadline for 2014 approaching, and the employer shared responsibility rules now in effect for 2015, the IRS seems to be ramping up its communications efforts.  Publication 974 provides detailed information for individuals, while the other three publications provide general, high level information for individuals and employers alike. Their collective release shows that the IRS is continuing to implement the individual and employer shared responsibility provisions, even as the Supreme Court is poised to rule on the validity of IRS regulations providing for premium tax credits on both state and federal Exchanges:

• IRS Publication 974-Premium Tax Credit (PTC)
• IRS Publication 5200-Affordable Care Act: What Employers Need to Know
• IRS Publication 5208-Affordable Care Act: Are You an Applicable Large Employer?
• IRS Pulication 5209; (Preparing Your 2014 Return: The Shared Responsibility Payment...What You Need to Know

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

It is a time to learn about alcohol and the health and social problems caused by drinking too much. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) encourages the public to dedicate this month to understanding how excessive drinking can affect health and to evaluating their own drinking habits.

Many adults drink moderately and responsibly without complications, and there are indications from research that some can derive modest health benefits. At the same time, alcohol-related problems, which result from drinking too much, too fast, or too often, are among the most significant public health issues in the United States and internationally.