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Summer Social: Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds
June 27, 2018 in GA
Worldwide Employee Benefits Network [WEB] - Atlanta Chapter

Consumer Experience & Digital Health Forum
December 11, 2018 in TN
America's Health Insurance Plans [AHIP]

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Amended New York City Earned Sick Time Law Requires Prompt Action by Employers

"The amended law took effect May 5, 2018, but the Department of Consumer Affairs only recently published the revised notice relating to Earned Sick Time Act and announced that the new notice must be distributed to employees by June 4, 2018.... To demonstrate compliance with the City's deadlines, employers will be required to retain records proving that they distributed the new policies and notices to current and new employees by June 4, 2018."
Hodgson Russ LLP

Thomson Reuters Advanced Cafeteria Plans and Benefits Conference

Leading attorneys address best practices, legislative and regulatory developments, and advanced compliance issues for employer health and cafeteria plans, account-based plans, and wellness programs. Join us in Seattle, July 10-12.

The DOL's FMLA Forms Are Expiring -- Are Employers Still Required to Use Them?

"The DOL's model FMLA forms and notices are about to turn into the proverbial pumpkin come midnight this Friday, June 1, 2018.... Earlier this year, DOL filed an extension request with OMB to renew the forms without any proposed changes. In the event that OMB does not finish its review of the proposed forms by the deadline, it will automatically extend the expiration date of the forms on a month-by-month basis. As OMB extends the deadline on a month-by-month basis (until it completes its review), DOL will do the same and change the date on its forms every 30 days until OMB has had its say." FMLA Insights

New Jersey Mandates Paid Sick/Safe Leave for Workers

"Starting on October 29, all New Jersey employers must provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year. The PSSL law prohibits localities from adopting their own paid sick leave laws going forward. Multistate employers may want to establish one leave policy that satisfies all (or most) requirements in their jurisdictions." Willis Towers Watson

Mental Health Parity: Are You in Compliance?

"Some examples of these less favorable restrictions (also called 'nonquantitative treatment limitations') are as follows: [1] Medical management limits or excluding benefits based on medical necessity. For example, applying guidelines more strictly for substance use disorder (and mental health?) than other medical conditions. [2] Prior authorizations. Excluding inpatient coverage for eating disorders does not comply with MHPAE. [3] Refusal to pay for higher cost therapies until it is proven that lower cost treatment is not effective." Hill, Chesson & Woody

Waiting for EEOC Wellness Regs: What's an Employer to Do?

"Consider these questions: What activities does your wellness program incentivize -- and why? ... What would happen if you stopped incentivizing the HRA and health screenings? ... What if you offered an incentive for ALL wellness activities?" Frenkel Benefits

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CBO Expects Higher Uninsured Rates, Defines Some Short-Term Plans as Private Health Coverage

"The new baseline incorporates the potential impact of recent federal proposed rules on [association health plans (AHPs)] and short-term, limited-duration insurance.... Beginning in 2023 -- the date when the effects of these rules are expected to be fully phased in -- an estimated six million additional people will enroll in either an AHP or a short-term plan. The CBO and JCT expect higher enrollment in AHPs (about 4 million people) than in short-term plans (about two million people)." Katie Keith, in Health Affairs

Ideas to Make Health Care Affordable Again (PDF)

"A start would be for members of Congress to take common sense actions to lower health care costs by focusing on six policy areas: [1] Empowering patients to reduce their health care costs; [2] Lowering health insurance premiums; [3] Ending health care monopolies by increasing competition; [4] Decreasing drug costs for patients; [5] Eliminating administrative burdens and costs; [6] Reducing costs through primary care, prevention, and chronic disease management. Focusing on these areas will provide relief to families, improve state and federal budgets, and give America a sustainable health care system that puts patients first." U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA)

Why Employers Need to Offer Retiree Healthcare Benefits

"Employees may postpone their retirement date to save more and maintain coverage through their employer's health plan. This may affect the employer's ability to renew the workforce or bring in new talent. This could also impact total compensation strategies and active health insurance risk pools, as older workers typically earn more and drive higher overall health insurance costs than younger employees." Voya

Text of IRS Proposed Regs: Filing Requirements for Information Returns Required on Magnetic Media (Electronically)

"This document contains proposed regulations amending the rules for determining whether information returns must be filed using magnetic media (electronically). The proposed regulations would require that all information returns, regardless of type, be taken into account to determine whether a person meets the 250-return threshold and, therefore, must file the information returns electronically. The proposed regulations also would require any person required to file information returns electronically to file corrected information returns electronically, regardless of the number of corrected information returns being filed." Internal Revenue Service [IRS]

Pension and OPEB Underfunded Status of Michigan Local Government Plans under the 'Protecting Local Government Retirement and Benefits Act' (PDF)

"[U]ntil the state treasurer publishes the first set of annual assumptions, considerable uncertainty remains as to what the impact will be on each plan's liability. In fact, it is possible that a particular plan might be considered fully funded under the current actuarial assumptions that are being used for determining contributions to the plan or for satisfying financial reporting requirements, yet be considered underfunded based on new mandated assumptions. This paper aims to help stakeholders of Michigan's many local government pension and other post-employment benefit (OPEB) programs develop informed expectations, based on the range of outcomes that could result from the state treasurer's decisions." Milliman

2018 ERISA Advisory Council Issue Statement: Evaluating Regs and Guidance on ERISA Bonding Requirements and Exploring Reform Considerations (PDF)

"[EBSA] has asked the Council to evaluate the effectiveness of the Department's regulations and sub-regulatory guidance promulgated under section 412 of ERISA in safeguarding plan funds or other property against losses caused by acts of fraud and dishonesty and to explore ways in which the current bonding requirements could be improved."
Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA], U.S. Department of Labor [DOL]

Reasons to Integrate Health Savings Into Your Retirement Plan Offering

"[1] Health Savings Accounts address concerns about future costs ... [2] Health Savings [Accounts] are triple tax-free now and in retirement ... [3] HSAs can be easily integrated into an existing plan ... [4] Health Savings Accounts can boost employee recruiting and retention." Bronfman Rothschild

Press Releases

WellCare to Acquire Meridian for $2.5 Billion WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Groom Receives Chambers USA Award for Excellence for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Groom Law Group

Former CMS Chief Data Officer Joins MPIRICA's Board of Advisors MPIRICA

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