The IRS released the 2024 penalty amounts regarding the employer shared responsibility (pay or play) rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For the 2024 calendar year, Penalty A will be $2,970 (an increase of $90 per employee from 2023). Penalty B will be $4,460 (an increase of $140 per …
The Department of Labor (DOL) released a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) providing guidance on how eligibility rules are applied under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when employees telework or work outside an employer’s facility. FMLA leave is provided by employers who have at least 50 employees. Eligible employees …
The IRS released a final rule on February 23, 2023, expanding the requirement to file certain information returns electronically. This includes the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) reporting requirements under Sections 6055 and 6056 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Taxpayer First Act of 2019 is affected by the final rule’s …
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created federal reporting requirements for employers and health plans. These reporting requirements provide the government with information to administer ACA mandates, like the large employer shared responsibility penalty and the individual mandate. The ACA’s individual mandate, updated January 1, 2019, requires individuals to have minimum …
On April 1, 2023, states that maintained continuous Medicaid enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic could start terminating coverage for ineligible individuals. While some of these individuals will enroll in subsidized coverage through the Exchange, federal regulators expect around 5 million people will seek employer-sponsored health coverage. Therefore, employers can expect …
On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA) was signed into law. This allows high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to offer benefits for telehealth and other remote services prior to meeting the deductible without jeopardizing health savings account (HSA) eligibility. Plan years between December 31, 2022, and January …
The New York Paid Family Leave Law will consider siblings (i.e., biological, adopted, half, or step-siblings) as covered family members, effective January 1, 2023. This expansion is due to Governor Hochul signing S.2928-A on November 1, 2021. Siblings do not need to reside in New York to qualify. It’s important …
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2022-59 to increase the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee amount. This fee amount affects plan years ending on or after October 1, 2022, and before October 1, 2023, with the amount increasing to $3.00 multiplied by the average number of lives covered …
During the fall and winter seasons, respiratory infections become more common as people spend more time indoors. Already, there has been an increase of COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases. Knowing the differences and similarities between these three will help you stay healthy and vigilant. Causes It is …
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a dollar limit on employees’ salary reduction contributions to flexible spending accounts, or FSAs. An FSA is a tax-advantaged account, sponsored by the employer, which allows employees to pay for qualified expenses. The account works on an annual basis and is funded through regular …
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended an existing transition policy indefinitely for health plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This extension applies to policy years beginning after October 1, 2022. Until the HHS announces that the coverage must come into compliance with …
Massachusetts’ COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave program expired March 15, 2022. This law required employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave for certain COVID-19-related reasons. In late February, the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance alerted employers that reimbursements for the program were reaching their …
A new model Employer Chip Notice with information from January 21, 2022, was just released by the Department of Labor (DOL). The model notice is updated each year to reflect changes in states offering premium assistance programs, along with the contact information for those states. The Children’s Health Insurance Program …
The Department of Justice (DOJ) released answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to businesses under specific circumstances related to the pandemic. These FAQs highlight compliance with Titles II and III of the ADA relating to state and local governments and businesses …
The Supreme Court ruled to stay the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) testing and vaccination emergency temporary standard (ETS) on January 13, 2022. The ETS would have established a mandatory vaccination policy for private employers with 100 or more employees. According to the majority of the Supreme Court, OSHA …
