President Biden announced the COVID-19 National Emergency will extend beyond March 1, 2022. It is important to note the public health emergency is different from the national emergency. The public health emergency was recently renewed on January 16, 2022 and extends for 90 days. The extension of the National Emergency …
DOL & IRS ARPA FAQs Released
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. It provides a 100% subsidy of applicable COBRA premiums for eligible beneficiaries and their dependents, for the time period beginning April 1, 2021 and ending no later than September 30, 2021. COBRA …
ARPA COBRA Subsidy Provisions
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law March 11, 2021, provides a 100% subsidy of applicable COBRA premiums for eligible beneficiaries and their dependents, for the time period beginning April 1, 2021 and ending no later than September 30, 2021. Who is Eligible? An Assistance Eligible Individual (AEI) …
What You Need to Know About the American Rescue Plan
The $1.9 trillion relief bill, known as the American Rescue Plan, was signed by President Biden on Thursday, March 11, 2021. Additional information surrounding Emergency Paid Leave and Health Insurance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is included in the bill and outlined below. Emergency Paid LeaveSigned into law on …
COVID-19 Relief Extends COBRA, HIPAA & Other Plan Deadlines
On April 28, 2020, the Departments of Labor (DOL) and the Treasury issued deadline relief to help employee benefit plans, plan participants and plan service providers impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Thereafter, on February 26, 2021, DOL Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 clarified the duration of this relief. The deadlines were …
Laid-Off Workers Granted More Time to Sign Up for COBRA
According to a recent federal rule, individuals who have been laid off or furloughed will now have additional time to decide whether to continue with the same employer-sponsored health insurance. With the new rule’s extended timeframe, individuals will have at least 120 days to decide whether they want to elect …
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Reporting: Avoid COBRA and Controlled Groups Classification Challenges
At Creative Benefits, helping employers with Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting is a top priority. During these early days of the ACA, employers have a steep learning curve. Creative Benefits consultants support clients as they learn how to comply with the new laws and help avoid common potholes. To that …