The Internal Revenue System (IRS) recently announced the 2022 dollar limits for employee benefits including: High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPS), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Transportation Benefits, and Adoption Assistance. As cost-of-living expenses continue to rise due to inflation, the IRS annually adjusts contribution limits to accommodate …
On November 6, 2021, a temporary stay was ordered by the fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The ETS was announced on November 4, 2021, requiring COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing in the workplace. The stay order blocks …
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a federal emergency temporary standard (ETS) on November 4, 2021. The ETS establishes certain requirements for large employers, those with 100 or more employees, in order to protect unvaccinated workers. Large employers are required to comply with most ETS provisions by December …
While the Biden administration proposed 12 weeks of paid family leave, the plan was altogether abandoned after facing Congress. The United States of America is only one of seven nations that doesn’t provide paid maternity leave. The only federal statute regarding parental leave is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which allows 12 …
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in 2010, many changes have been made. In 2022, there are changes for employers sponsoring group health plans. Plan Design Changes Grandfathered plan status A grandfathered plan is one that existed before the ACA was enacted on March 23, 2010. The Departments …
On October 20, 2021, the plan to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11 was released by the White House. The Biden administration is currently awaiting authorization from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this age group. However, in anticipation of the impending approval, vaccines have been obtained …
Creative Benefits, Inc. has received the 2021 “Top Employee Benefits Consultant Award” from Mployer Advisor for the Philadelphia area. Mployer Advisor independently researches each brokerage firm with the goal of providing employers with options based on data. Brokers were evaluated and selected based on “industry experience, company size, online ratings, and reviews.” …
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 was signed into law in December of 2020. It included the No Surprises Act, which bans surprise medical bills. What is “Surprise Medical Bills”? When patients receive care unexpectedly from out-of-network health care providers, they can get hit with surprise medical bills. This can happen …
At the start of the pandemic, much about COVID-19 was unknown: how to treat the virus, when would a vaccine be developed, and the costs of effectively treating the virus. Previously, insurers waived the costs of specified COVID-19 related services (i.e., emergency room copayments, testing charges, and hospital stay deductibles). However, …
Due to the pandemic, many people were forced to transition to a remote work style. As part of this transition, new technologies were introduced at record pace. Learning new technology can be difficult, especially when multiple platforms are being utilized. Working remotely also disrupted the elusive work-life balance so many …
Creative Benefits, Inc. recently placed #10 on Philadelphia Business Journal’s Women-Owned Business list ranked by 2020 revenue. The list contains contact information along with locations and the number of employees for 75 firms. In April 2020, Creative Benefits received The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Certification of a Women’s Business Enterprise. The certification …
What is a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Many employers offer their team the opportunity to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). FSAs allow employees to put away pre-tax dollars to spend on eligible healthcare products and services. However, when an employee puts money into their FSA, they must use …
Open enrollment is the only time employees can enroll in a health insurance plan or make changes to their current benefit elections, unless a specified life event occurs (marriage, childbirth, etc.). If an employee misses their opportunity to participate in open enrollment, they will have to wait until the following …
The 2020-2021 flu season was unexpectedly mild. This can be attributed to the efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Wearing face masks, washing hands, reducing in-person interactions, and increasing indoor ventilation was meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus; however, it also curbed the spread of the flu. …
On September 7th, 2021, the IRS issued Notice 2021-53 which provided guidance for employers on how to report sick and family leave wages for leave taken under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA). Employers who claim tax credits for leave wages under relevant legislation need to report qualified 2021 …
