The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires all employers with 50 or more full-time employees to offer affordable health care coverage to their employees and their dependents or pay penalties. For many companies, especially those not far above the 50-employee cutoff line with seasonal or lower-paid employees,...

Health care exchanges, a foundation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), launch in five months, yet there is still great uncertainty about how effective they will be among legislators, insurance brokers and advisors. The central idea of the exchanges is “more choices, greater competition.” Yet, when...

Given that the potential benefits of wellness programs include reigning in runaway health care costs, decreasing turnover and improving productivity, it’s no surprise that companies are eager to increase employee participation. The most popular way of raising participation rates is through incentives. This is primarily done through rewards and...

It has been estimated that over 16,000 new Internal Revenue Service Agents (IRS) will be hired by the time health care reform is fully implemented in 2014.  Clearly, the IRS will play a dominate role in health care reform and be the enforcement arm of the government – even...

The largest movie theatre chain in the nation, Regal Entertainment Group, recently announced that thousands of their employees will have their work hours cut.  The movie chain joins a list of major employers that are preparing for the added costs of the new health care reform mandates, some of...

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued two versions of a model exchange notice and basic instructions on issuing the notice.  These have been provided as temporary guidance and model notices that employers can use to inform their employees about the Exchanges. Technical Release No. 2013-02 It should be...

As a result of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW12), below is a brief summary of changes that will go into effect on October 1, 2013 as part of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).  For further details on how these changes will impact flood insurance...

According to MetLife’s 11th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends, employees who gave their companies a benefits communication grade of A or B cited the following as the most-valued benefits communication strategies: Post-enrollment confirmation of benefits elections – 58% Personalized messages and materials reflecting individual needs and/or life stages...

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury issued a FAQ that responds to questions about whether a change in plan or policy year would extend the waiver period for a plan that received a temporary waiver of the annual limit requirement.  (The waiver primarily affects...

The IRS has issued the 2014 limits for health savings accounts.  PPACA requires that this out-of-pocket limit be the maximum out-of-pocket for all health plans in 2014.  The minimum deductible only applies to high deductible health plans integrated with an HSA. The limits are:   Limit 2014 2013 Maximum...