Employee Benefits

Posted November 8th, 2023 in Employers, Producers, Individuals

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires plan sponsors of health and welfare benefit plans (e.g., medical, dental, vision, HRA, FSA) to provide a Summary Plan Description (SPD) to plan participants at certain times. An SPD is a written document that summarizes the material provisions of a plan and describes how the plan operates.

Posted August 1st, 2023 in Employers, Producers

Cafeteria Plans allow employees to elect “qualified benefits” offered by their employer, and those qualified benefits may be paid for with pre-tax contributions by employees. Employees generally save on state income taxes, federal income taxes, and FICA taxes (i.e., Medicare and Social Security taxes). Employers also reduce their FICA taxes when a Cafeteria Plan is in place, so it is usually a win-win for all parties.

Posted July 20th, 2022 in Employers, Producers

The COVID-19 national emergency was set to expire on July 15, 2022; however, a 90-day extension of the national emergency was issued, and the national emergency is now set to expire on October 13, 2022 (absent another extension).

Posted March 31st, 2022 in Individuals

Grandmothered plans are the name commonly used for health insurance plans in the individual and small group markets that were issued after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law (March 23, 2010) and before the so-called full implementation date of the law (January 1, 2014).

Posted March 18th, 2022 in Employers, Individuals

President Jospeh Biden has issued an executive order instructing the Department of Treasury (DOT) to review regulations that pertain to subsidy eligibility on the Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace). The primary purpose of the executive order is to determine if regulatory changes can be made to fix the so-called “family glitch.”

Posted March 7th, 2022 in Employers, Individuals

The COVID-19 national emergency was set to expire on March 1, 2022; however, President Joseph Biden issued an extension of the national emergency on February 18, 2022. It is unknown at this time when the national emergency will be declared over.

Posted December 14th, 2021 in Producers, Employers

Overview

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) are self-funded group health plans that provide tax-free reimbursements to employees and their family members for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

Posted December 3rd, 2021 in Employers, Producers

On August 27, 2021, the State of Illinois passed a law called the Consumer Coverage Disclosure Act (CCDA). The CCDA requires a new written disclosure to be provided by every employer who has employees in the State of Illinois and who also provides group health insurance coverage to its employees.

Posted May 13th, 2021 in Employers, Producers

Everyone knows that Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) save employees money on healthcare and dependent care expenses. But did you know that FSAs save employers money as well?

FSAs are one of the few benefits an employer can provide that often pays for itself—and then some! While there are expenses that will be incurred by the employer when using a third-party administrator for the FSA, there are also payroll tax savings that will offset some or all those expenses.

Posted April 23rd, 2021 in Employers, Producers

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) can be a great way for employers to control their benefits budgets without sacrificing quality of coverage for their employees. There are several different types of HRAs available in the market, but perhaps the most popular is the Integrated HRA. These HRAs work alongside a group health plan to reimburse employees for out-of-pocket expenses. Only those employees enrolled in the group health plan can participate in the HRA.

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