Employee benefits stands among the most complex and relevant issues in the business world. Failure to understand the implications of benefits offerings can prove costly in a variety of ways, from employee retention and absenteeism to regulatory fines and penalties. To learn more about benefits principles, services, and regulatory updates, check out a few of […]
Read More...The Departments (Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury) released proposed changes to the regulations regarding SBCs (Summary of Benefits and Coverage) and the uniform glossary that goes with it. These proposed regulations amend the final regulations that were published on 02/14/2012 (the 2012 final regulations) and includes revisions to the templates, […]
Read More...On December 19th, President Obama signed TIPA (The Tax Increase Prevention Act) into law. This law began as a bill on December 1st, passed the House on December 3rd and the Senate on December 16th. While it attempts to do many things, this post will focus on what it does and doesn’t do for Employer-Sponsored […]
Read More...Effectively communicating an employee benefits package to potential and current employees is essential to attracting and retaining talented employees. This is especially true for large employers. Every step in the communication process adds complexity to an already challenging process. Communicating new benefits plans and offerings while addressing issues as they arise is a critical component […]
Read More...AP Benefit Advisors General Counsel and Vice President-Compliance, Patrick Haynes, reviews the EEOC’s litigation against employer’s wellness plans. Wisconsin based Orion Energy Systems is accused of violating federal law by requiring an employee to submit to medical exams and other inquiries that, according to the EEOC, were not consistent with business necessity as part of […]
Read More...The Advantage Program is designed to identify opportunities to increase ROI or identify risks with regard to regulatory compliance and other benefits-related issues. A unique, consultative approach to analyzing benefit plans is fundamental to this process. We have identified 11 critical indicators that differentiate a “high performing” employee benefit plan from a “non-high performing” plan. The Advantage […]
Read More...From EBIA The IRS has issued final regulations on health care reform’s individual mandate—the requirement for individuals to either maintain minimum essential coverage (MEC) or pay individual shared responsibility penalties, unless an exemption applies. The regulations provide further guidance on the exemption that applies when employer-sponsored MEC is considered unaffordable. For this purpose, affordability is […]
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