New SBC Template Required For Use On or After April 1

New versions of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) template, instructions, uniform glossary, and related documents are required for use on or after April 1, 2017. Under the Affordable Care Act, group health plans and health insurance issuers are generally required to provide a written SBC to plan participants and beneficiaries at specified times…

Revised Model CHIP Notice Now Available

A revised model notice is now available for all employers that provide group health coverage in states with premium assistance through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or Medicaid, to inform employees of potential opportunities for assistance in obtaining coverage. The employer CHIP notice must be furnished to all employees annually before the start of…

SIMA at the ALA

SIMA was delighted to share information and good times with the members of the Association of Legal Administrators at their annual retreat this past month in Williamsburg, Virginia. Consultant Chris Nagle and Marketing Coordinator Kerri White discussed ways in which administrators in legal offices can work smarter, not harder, to alleviate many of the burdens…

An EAP can keep your top players on the floor

A good basketball team is at its best when its top players are on the floor. Similarly, a company is the most productive, efficient and innovative when its best employees are in the right positions, doing great work. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for good employees to battle personal problems, such as substance dependence, financial and…

Medicare Part D Online Disclosure to CMS Due Mar. 1

The Medicare Modernization Act requires employers that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible individuals to complete the Online Disclosure Form to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to report whether such coverage is creditable prescription drug coverage (“creditable coverage”). Creditable coverage is coverage that is expected to pay, on average, as much…

Certain Small Employer HRAs Exempt From ACA Market Reforms

A new law allows certain small employers–those with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees who do not offer a group health plan–to offer new “qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements” to reimburse employees for qualified medical expenses, including individual health insurance premiums, for years after December 31, 2016. The law also includes a notice requirement…