On April 9, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a one-year extension to the transition policy (originally announced November 14, 2013 and extended several times since) for individual and small group health plans that allows issuers to continue policies that do not meet ACA standards. The transition policy has been extended [Read More]
On February 20, 2018, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services (Agencies) released proposed regulations that expand the availability of short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI). STLDI is offered in the individual (non-group) insurance market and is generally used by individuals such as students or individuals between jobs. Therefore, the direct impact to employers [Read More]
In Rev. Proc. 2018-18, the IRS has released adjusted contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) due to changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). As shown below, the new HSA contribution limit for individuals with family high deductible health plan (HDHP) coverage is $6,850, a $50 reduction from the previously announced [Read More]
On January 22, 2018, President Trump signed H.R. 195: Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018, which is a short-term spending bill that re-opened the federal government after a three-day shutdown. As discussed below, the bill: Extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years, through the fiscal year 2023; Extends the existing suspensions of [Read More]
President Trump Executive Order issued intended to minimize the economic and regulatory burdens of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). The order is somewhat symbolic and has no immediate effect on employers, many of whom are in the process of complying with the ACA’s onerous reporting requirements (Forms 1094 and 1095), which are not rescinded by [Read More]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced its decision for April 1, 2018, as the applicability date for ERISA-covered employee benefit plans to comply with a final rule (released in December 2016) that imposes additional procedural protections (similar to those that apply to health plans) when dealing with claims for disability benefits. In October 2017, [Read More]
On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed what is popularly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) (the “Bill”), overhauling America’s tax code for both individuals and corporations and providing the most sweeping changes to the U.S. Tax Code since 1986. The House and Senate Conference Committee provided a Policy Highlights of [Read More]
In an opinion dated December 20, 2017, in American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) v. EEOC, the federal court in the District of Columbia vacated, effective January 1, 2019, the portions of the final regulations that the EEOC issued last year under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) [Read More]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Notice 2018-6, extending the deadline for furnishing Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals from January 31, 2018 to March 2, 2018, as well as penalty relief for good-faith reporting errors. The due date for filing the forms with the IRS was not extended and remains February 28, 2018 [Read More]
On August 1, 2017, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed H.3822, which increases the existing Employer Medical Assistance Contribution (EMAC) and imposes an additional fee (EMAC Supplement) on employers with employees covered under MassHealth (Medicaid) or who receive subsidized coverage through ConnectorCare (certain plans offered through Massachusetts’ Marketplace). The increased EMAC and the EMAC Supplement are [Read More]