Recruit and Retain: The Power of Voluntary Benefits

As health care costs continue to rise, so has the value of voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits allow employers to offer benefits that are attractive to employees without added cost to the company. Many employers consider expanding their voluntary benefits to compensate for employees’ increasing health care costs. Employees benefit because they have a variety of…

Small Businesses May Be Able to Keep Existing Non-ACA Compliant Health Coverage Through 2020

Policies Renewed Under Extended Non-Enforcement Policy Must Comply by January 1, 2021 A previously extended non-enforcement policy which allows health insurance issuers, at their option, to continue group coverage that would otherwise be terminated or cancelled has been further extended to policy years beginning on or before October 1, 2020, provided that all policies come…

It’s Time to Prep for ACA Reporting in 2019

IRS Extends Form 1095 Distribution Deadline to March 4 On Nov. 29, the IRS extended the deadline for employers to distribute 2018 Forms 1095-C to employees by 30 days—until March 4, 2019, instead of Jan. 31. The delay also applies to self-insured small employers, insurers and others issuing Form 1095-B to covered individuals. See the SHRM Online article IRS…

Pay or Play Enforcement: What You Need to Know

In late 2018, the IRS began issuing enforcement letters to employers with generally 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees regarding their compliance with the employer shared responsibility rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the 2016 calendar year. These letters, known as Letter 226-J, inform employers of their potential liability for an…

Health FSA Limit to Increase in 2019

The ACA imposes a dollar limit on employees’ salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs) offered under cafeteria plans. This dollar limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments and may be increased each year. New Limit Amount In November 2018, the IRS increased the health FSA contribution limit from $2,650 to $2,700 for taxable…