Employers

Posted January 31st, 2019 in Producers, Employers

A stand-out strategy for small businesses:  Voluntary benefits enable small companies to do more with less

The competition for talent is fierce for small businesses. One in four say the talent pool for their open positions is poor, [1] and the Society for Human Resource Management lists retaining employees as one of the top three issues facing companies with 3-99 employees (along with employee productivity and controlling health insurance costs).[2]

Posted January 29th, 2019 in Employers, Producers

Agency officials were busy last week releasing updated forms and publications while also proposing new rules that would generally impact health plans in 2020. Here are three important releases which are now available:

Posted January 22nd, 2019 in Employers, Producers

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires employers to provide a Summary Plan Description (SPD) to employees if they offer health, dental, vision, life, disability or other benefits.

Posted January 17th, 2019 in Employers, Producers

This does not apply to all employers. Please read full article below for details.

2018 ACA Reporting Deadlines are Approaching

It’s that time of year where applicable large employers (ALEs) and certain other employers need to focus on completing their reporting obligations required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Here are some helpful tips and reminders.

Posted January 3rd, 2019 in Employers, Producers

Whether it be to inflation adjustments, new laws, tweaks to existing regulations or other reasons, each new year brings changes to health plans and other benefits. Here is a summary of 10 important changes taking effect in 2019.

1) There will be no penalty under federal law if you don’t have health insurance. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made the cost for not having health insurance $0 starting in 2019.

Posted December 31st, 2018 in Producers, Employers, Individuals

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) allow eligible individuals to put money aside tax-free to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses, but HSAs work differently than other tax-advantaged accounts. Here are 10 helpful tips and reminders as the year comes to an end. 

Posted December 17th, 2018 in Employers, Producers, Individuals

Last Friday, a federal judge in Texas ruled the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) unconstitutional.

The judge’s decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by 20 Republican state attorneys general earlier this year. The lawsuit was filed after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act zeroed out the Individual Mandate penalty. The lawsuit claimed the Individual Mandate was so essential to Obamacare, and without it, all of Obamacare must go. The judge agreed.

Posted December 4th, 2018 in Employers, Producers

Many employers offer a cash payment to employees who waive health insurance coverage. These cash payments are always taxable to employees who waive health insurance coverage, but did you know employees who elect the health insurance coverage may be subject to paying taxes on the cash payment that they didn’t receive?

Wait! What?

Posted November 20th, 2018 in Employers, Producers

It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the trees are mostly bare, the holidays are just around the corner and open enrollment is in full swing. If you’re like most benefits professionals, you probably head into open enrollment with a mixture of enthusiasm and dread.

Posted November 16th, 2018 in Employers, Producers, Individuals

On November 15th, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2018-57 which includes inflation adjustments for certain employee benefit programs and other items. 

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