BenefitsLink.com

Compliance Specialist
Verisight
in AL

Pension Administrator
ACCG - GEBCorp
in GA

Insurance Compliance Analyst
GuideStone Financial Resources
in TX

Administration Specialist
Administration Partners, L.L.C.
in AL

Manager of Retirement Programs
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
in FL

Post Your Job

View All Jobs

RSS Feed: All Jobs

SIMPLE and SEP IRA Plans
April 16, 2015 WEBCAST
(McKay Hochman Co., Inc.)

Advanced Boot Camp for Pension Practitioners
April 21, 2015 in CA
(NIPA - San Diego Chapter)

401(k) Plan Workshop 2015
May 7, 2015 in OR
(SunGard Relius)

401(k) Plan Workshop 2015
May 7, 2015 in MN
(SunGard Relius)

View All Webcasts and Conferences

Text of IRS Notice 2015-30: Penalty Relief Related to Incorrect or Delayed Forms 1095-A (PDF)
"This Notice provides penalty relief for taxpayers who received a Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, that was delayed or that the taxpayer believes to be incorrect and who timely filed their 2014 income tax return, including extensions. Specifically, this Notice provides relief from the penalty under section 6651(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code for late payment of a balance due, the penalty under section 6651(a)(3) for failure to pay an amount due upon notice and demand, the penalty under section 6654(a) for underpayment of estimated tax, and the accuracy-related penalty under section 6662. This relief applies only for the 2014 taxable year." (Internal Revenue Service [IRS])

[Advert.]

Join us at the 2015 IHC FORUM & Expo in Atlanta June 23-25

The 6th Annual IHC FORUM & Expo Atlanta is part of the ONLY conference series 100% dedicated to HealthCare Consumerism?where employers, brokers, health plans, TPAs, consultants & providers gather under ONE roof to LEARN, CONNECT and SHARE!

CMS Issues 2016 Medicare Part D Benefit Parameters
"CMS has released the following 2016 parameters for the defined standard Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit: Deductible: $360 (a $40 increase from 2015); Initial coverage limit: $3,310 (a $350 increase from 2015); Out-of-pocket threshold: $4,850 (a $150 increase from 2015) ... These parameters will be used by group health plan sponsors to determine whether their plans' prescription drug coverage is creditable for 2016." (Thomson Reuters / EBIA)

Are Declining HSA Contributions Caused by the ACA?
"[I]n 2014, employees saw a 10-percent decrease in their average single health-savings-account employer contribution from the previous year, from $574 in 2013 to $515 in 2014. On the employee contribution side, average family contributions also decreased seven percent during the same period, from $958 to $890. [Survey results] also reveal a correlation between enrollment in HSAs and Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs), linking higher HSA contributions to increased enrollment in the cost-saving plans." (Human Resource Executive Online)

No Liability for Late COBRA Election Notice Accompanied by Request for Lump Sum Premium for Retroactive Coverage
"Although this employer escaped liability, plan administrators should carefully consider the amount and timing of the initial COBRA premium payment, especially when providing a late election notice. It may not be wise to demand -- as a condition of providing COBRA coverage -- that the qualified beneficiary pay several months of premiums in one lump sum. While some courts have upheld charging a lump sum for retroactive COBRA premiums, at least one reported case suggests that an employer might be required to provide full retroactive COBRA coverage while the qualified beneficiary pays monthly installments going forward." (Thomson Reuters / EBIA)

DOL Will Not Enforce Final FMLA Regs Regarding Same-Sex Spouses in Four States
"Following that court order, the DOL now has represented that it will not enforce the rule in the four states covered by the decision -- Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Nebraska.... [T]he DOL confirmed it will enforce the rule as to employers located in the other 46 states.... Best wishes to that poor employer with operations in multiple states, including some inside and outside those four states.... [According to a press release from the Texas Attorney General,] the court [has denied] the DOL's motion to reconsider the court's earlier ruling prohibiting enforcement[.]" [ State of Texas v. U.S. , No. 7:15-cv-00056-O (N.D. Tex. Mar. 26, 2015)] (FMLA Insights)

[Advert.]

Looking to Connect with other EB Professionals? Start a New WEB Chapter!

Are you are a leader in employee benefits? Interested in developing qualifications of others in the field, while enhancing your own credentials? Contact us about joining a team of like-minded professionals to start a new WEB chapter in your geographic area.

Eighth Circuit Voids Missouri Restrictions on ACA Certified Application Counselors
"The court held unanimously that challenged provisions of the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace Innovation Act (HIMIA) limiting the activities of certified application counselors (CACs) were preempted by federal regulations promulgated under the ACA and were thus unenforceable under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause." [ St. Louis Effort for AIDS v. Huff , No. 14-1520 (8th Cir. Apr. 10, 2015)] (Health Affairs)

Paid Sick Leave Laws Gain Momentum, White House Urges Federal Mandate
"Between September 2014 and February 2015, 11 jurisdictions joined the rapidly expanding list of states and localities that mandate paid sick leave for private sector employees.... The momentum could continue as other jurisdictions, including Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland and New York, have introduced paid sick leave legislation this year." (Towers Watson)

Hospitals and Prescription Drugs Leading Health Spending Acceleration
"National health spending grew by 5.2% in 2014, and preliminary estimates show 6.6% growth in February 2015 compared to February 2014. The health spending share of gross domestic product was 17.9% in January, slightly below the 18.0% all-time high rate hit in December 2014. Spending in February 2015, year over year, increased in all major categories. Prescription drugs grew the fastest, by 10.5%, and hospital spending also rose rapidly at 9.0%." (Altarum Institute)

Top Health Insurance CEO Pay Exceeds $10 Million in 2014
"The CEOs of the Big Five for-profit health insurance companies all took home at least $10 million in 2014, according to each insurers' annual filings with the [SEC]. Payer CEO compensation ranged from $10.1 million for Humana CEO Bruce D. Broussard to more than $15 million for Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini. Compensation for the Anthem, Cigna and UnitedHealth CEOs also fell in that range.... [E]ach company performed well in 2014 -- health insurance stocks hit an all-time high in January 2015 and have continued to climb since then." (FierceHealthPayer)

Olympic Athletes' Health Plan Fails to Meet ACA Rules
"It might seem like common sense that top U.S. Olympic athletes would have excellent health insurance to cover potentially serious injuries and illnesses. But it turns out that the health plan for about 900 elite athletes -- provided through the U.S. Olympic Committee -- fails to meet minimum requirements of the Affordable Care Act.... When it became apparent in recent months that athletes could face penalties for the 2014 tax year for having inadequate coverage -- through no fault of their own -- federal health officials decided to grant exemptions to all affected athletes who apply[.]" (The Washington Post; subscription may be required)

Why the Private Health Insurance Industry Has to Go
"After five years' experience with the ACA, we now know that insurers themselves are a major barrier to achieving the kind of access to affordable care that our population so desperately needs. Here are some of the major reasons why private health insurers warrant no further bailout by government and taxpayers. [1] Continued discrimination against the sick.... [2] Fragmentation, inefficiency, and exorbitant administrative overhead.... [3] Increasing costs for less coverage ... [4] Gaming the ACA for profits more than service to patients ... [5] Private insurance has priced itself out of the market.... [6] As their business plan dictates, insurers are leaving unprofitable markets without regard for patients' needs." (Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP])

Gilligan's Pension, or The Tale of an Island Actuary
"For the most part, these are nonqualified pensions. Companies often do not contribute to them annually in the same way that they do with broad-based pensions. And, for the most part, the companies have not changed a thing. Economic conditions changed. Life expectancies are constantly increasing, and this happens to be the year that a major new mortality table was released. My suggestion is this. Provide all the information that a media person needs in simple tabular form." (John H. Lowell, via Bloomberg BNA Pension & Benefits Daily)

Bruce Ferris Named Chairman of the Insured Retirement Institute Board of Directors Prudential Financial, Inc.

Ineffective Sales Tools Frustrating Benefits Brokers, TPA?s, Insurance Carriers Virtual Management Systems

View All Press Releases