ACA Replacement Bill Withdrawn, Now What? In late March 2017, Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives withdrew the American Health Care Act (AHCA)—their proposed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Because the House was … Continue reading →

ACA and Employer Health Plans Under President Trump President Donald Trump has made dismantling the Affordable Care Act (ACA) one of the cornerstones of his administration. Steps have already been taken to begin the process. The initial steps, including an … Continue reading →

New Stand-alone HRA Option Available for Eligible Small Employers Due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most stand-alone health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs)—an HRA that is not offered in conjunction with a group health plan—have been prohibited since 2014. However, on … Continue reading →

Overtime Rule Delayed Until Further Notice On Nov. 22, 2016, a federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction, halting the enforcement of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rule nationwide until further notice. The rule, which was set … Continue reading →

2017 Marketplace Plan Premiums Rise 25 Percent The open enrollment period for obtaining health coverage for 2017 through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace begins Nov. 1, 2016, and ends Jan. 31, 2017. The 2017 Marketplace looks a bit different … Continue reading →

Health FSA Limit Will Increase for 2017 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a dollar limit on employees’ salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) offered under cafeteria plans. This dollar limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments and … Continue reading →

Compliance Date Approaching for Employer-sponsored Wellness Programs In May 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) finalized rules for employer-sponsored wellness programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Some provisions of the … Continue reading →

Get Ready for ACA Reporting Deadlines Last year, employers had extra time to complete their Section 6055 and 6056 reporting, thanks to transition relief from the IRS. This year, it’s unlikely that the IRS will provide any relief from the … Continue reading →

Significant Changes Proposed to Form 5500 On July 21, 2016, federal regulators published a proposed rule that aims to improve the Form 5500 annual report filed by employee benefit plans. Under the proposal, all ERISA-covered plans that provide group health … Continue reading →

U.K. Votes to Leave the European Union On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union (EU)—a decision that sent shockwaves across the world. While it was a close vote, British citizens ultimately chose to back … Continue reading →