Benefits

In August 2021 Delta Airlines announced that starting in 2022 it was imposing a $200 per month premium surcharge for any COVID-19 unvaccinated employee. Other employers quickly began asking if this was allowable under a myriad of employee benefit laws. The answer is "yes," but...

Posted on September 8, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Administration, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
HR Compliance, 
Total Rewards

In IRS Information Letter 2021-13, the agency reiterates that Flexible Spending Account claims paid on an FSA debit card must have the required substantiation containing all of the information normally required for a claim submitted for reimbursement through other means such as mail, e-mail, or fax.

Posted on July 27, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefit Card, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)

As we explained last year, funding for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was supposed to end with filings and fees for plan years that began before October 1, 2018. Nope.

Posted on May 18, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA), 
Qualified Small Employer HRA (QSEHRA)

Last year's Consolidated Appropriations Act and this year's American Rescue Plan provided employers optional flexibility for their Dependent Care FSAs. But they also created a potential tax hurdle. The IRS fixed (most all of) it.

Posted on May 11, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Team Rewards, 
Total Rewards

On the last possible workday on which to provide needed guidance before health plan sponsors had to fend for themselves on when the COBRA and HIPAA Outbreak Period ended, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, part of the US Department of Labor, issued Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01.

Posted on February 26, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COBRA, 
COVID-19, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
HR Policies and Procedures

The US Department of Labor (DOL) is the responsible agency for overseeing compliance with ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Penalties for a variety of ERISA violations are contained within the law and are indexed annually for inflation. They've increased substantially.

Posted on February 22, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Administration, 
All Articles, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
HR Compliance, 
IRS Form 5500 Services (BDA), 
IRS Form 5500 Services (RPS), 
Retirement Plans

We provided information at the end of April, 2020 about the IRS' and DOL's determination that the "pause" button was hit on a number of regular timing and payment due dates relating to COBRA, health plan claims (including health care FSA claims), and HIPAA Special Enrollment Periods. Is it ending?

Posted on February 18, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COBRA, 
COVID-19, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)

The Consolidated Appropriations Act contains many benefit changes, all of which are optional on the part of the employer. We know this is coming long after open enrollment has ended for most plans, but employers will want to pay close attention and decide which (if any) they'd like to adopt.

Posted on December 28, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA), 
HR Compliance, 
Retirement Plans, 
Team Rewards, 
Total Rewards

The IRS has now released all of the 2021 benefit limits. Earlier this year, they also released the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA) limits.

Posted on October 26, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Administration, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Defined Contribution Plan, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Retirement Plans

Employers that offer prescription drug benefits are required to provide an annual notice to all Medicare-eligible plan participants and qualified beneficiaries before October 15th of each year, the start of the Medicare open enrollment period. Most send it to all participants.

Posted on October 2, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
HR Compliance, 
Total Rewards

Much has been written about the calculations necessary to compute the amount of payroll costs that must be a major component of PPP loan forgiveness. In fact, at least 60% of the forgivable amount (previously 75%) must come from allowable payroll costs. So what constitutes payroll costs?

Posted on June 8, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Compensation, 
COVID-19, 
Defined Contribution Plan

In two new IRS Notices (2020-29 and 2020-33), there are temporary changes to the rules governing Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) through 2020 due to COVID-19, and permanent changes to both FSAs and certain Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) that will begin this year. 

Posted on May 13, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Administration, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COVID-19, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA), 
Total Rewards