Benefits Buzz
Posted February 5th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
2016 will be the first year that most Americans will receive a Form 1095. As you would suspect, several people are wondering which forms will be provided and when. Here is some basic information to help answer those questions.
Posted January 29th, 2016 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Insurance companies are concerned that some people are abusing the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that is available in the individual marketplace. They have indicated at least some people are delaying enrollment in coverage until they get sick, applying for coverage only once they need it, and then canceling the coverage after treatment. They further argue that there aren’t enough rules in place to verify if a person actually experienced a qualifying event which would trigger a SEP.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires most employers, who offer health and welfare benefits, to provide a written plan document to participants. The plan documents that are issued by insurance companies and other benefits providers are typically standardized and don’t include all of the customized, employer-specific language that the ERISA law requires.
The New Year is expected to bring more regulatory changes which will impact employers and group health plans alike. Here are five predictions of things that are likely to happen in 2016.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Notice 2016-4 which extends the deadlines to complete the new Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting requirements. The reporting is used to help the IRS enforce the Individual and Employer Mandates, and it’s also used to help the IRS administer subsidies in the Exchange. It applies to insurers and certain employers effective for the 2015 calendar year and moving forward. The new deadlines are as follows:
Posted December 23rd, 2015 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
You may have heard that President Obama recently signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, a $1.1 trillion spending bill, avoiding a shutdown and funding the federal government through September 30, 2016. The President also signed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 which provides nearly $700 billion in tax breaks. Here’s what it means to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and transit reimbursement plans.
Cadillac Tax
- The Cadillac Tax has been delayed by two years until 2020.
