Proposed IRS regulations would close a loophole that allowed certain employers to skirt the Affordable Care Act’s minimum value requirement, creating so-called “skinny plans.”. Background The Affordable Care Act applies to employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. It requires them to offer their full-time employees coverage that: Is affordable. The employee’s share of...
Read more
No Reimbursements for Individual Insurance
The U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury issued guidance that draws a bright line delineating employer group health coverage from individual coverage sold to those who aren’t covered by government or employer-sponsored health plans. Under the guidance issued November 6, employers cannot reimburse employees to cover individual policy premiums. “If the...
Read more
How to Insure Your Part-Time Workers at No Cost
Part-time and variable-hour employees are more likely to lack employer-provided benefits than other workers. Voluntary benefits let employers provide benefits to these workers at no cost. In October 2014, more than 7 million U.S. workers worked part-time due to “financial reasons.” Although they’d prefer to work full-time, these individuals work only part-time due to slack...
Read more
Can Association Plans Survive The Affordable Care Act?
Legitimate association plans can help smaller businesses get quality coverage. [/caption]The Affordable Care Act did away with association health plans. Or did it? Can Association Plans Survive The Affordable Care Act after all? Some small employers have relied on association health plans (AHPs) to buy employee health insurance, rather than buying a small group plan....
Read more
How the Affordable Care Act Affects Dental Plans
Although dental plans are “excepted health plans” exempt from Affordable Care Act (ACA) reforms, two provisions in the ACA could affect dental plans. Coordinating dental coverage with the Affordable Care Act’s requirements poses some challenges for plan designers and sponsors. Essential Health Benefits The ACA requires all health plans sold on the individual and small...
Read more
How to Avoid Wellness Program Pitfalls
In August, the EEOC filed its first lawsuit against an employer regarding a wellness program. In October, it filed another. Here’s what you need to know to avoid wellness program pitfalls. The first lawsuit, EEOC v. Orion Energy Systems, alleges that Orion’s wellness program violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Orion...
Read more
Your ACA Reporting Requirements
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires certain employers to provide “minimum essential” health coverage to their full-time employees. It also requires them to make certain reports. What are your ACA reporting requirements? W-2 Reporting The ACA requires employers that provide health coverage to calculate and report the cost of that coverage on employees’ W-2 forms....
Read more
Employee Assistance Programs
EAPs can co-exist with employer health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Here’s what you need to know about employee assistance programs. An employee assistance program, properly implemented, can provide a significant return on investment and can help you raise the productivity of your workforce, lower absenteeism rates, reduce accidents and help resolve workplace conflicts...
Read more
COBRA and the Affordable Care Act
COBRA has presented administrative challenges to employers since 1985. The Affordable Care Act promises to make health insurance available and affordable for all Americans. This eliminates employers’ need to offer COBRA continuation coverage. Or does it? The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) did not eliminate COBRA or change the COBRA rules. In fact,...
Read more
Skinny Health Plans—Good Idea or Not?
So-called skinny health plans could give larger employers a way to minimize shared responsibility penalties under the Affordable Care Act. Beginning in 2015, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will require all employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees to offer their full-time employees coverage that is affordable and meets a...
Read more