The Internal Revenue System (IRS) recently announced the 2020 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 …
Amazon Announces Virtual Medical Clinic for Its Employees
Amazon has announced that it’s launching a virtual health clinic for Seattle-based employees and their families. What is the goal of this virtual health clinic? It will aim to provide telemedicine, in-person services, in-home follow-up appointments for employees, as well as serve as a vehicle for prescribing medications. This new …
Federal Agencies Finalize Resources for Mental Health Parity Compliance
The Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services and the Treasury Departments have finalized resources to promote compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). These resources include: Final FAQs on mental health parity; A final model form that plan participants may use to request information …
We Made the List
Creative Benefits, Inc. has been recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal!  Coming in at… #11 on PBJ’s 2019 Employee Benefit Consultants Firms Ranked by Number of Employee Benefit Professionals List #13 on PBJ’s 2019 Women-Owned Businesses in the Philadelphia Region Ranked by Revenue List As the eleventh largest firm …
Knowing Your HSAs Key Features for 2020
What Is An HSA? An HSA is your Health Savings Account, available to individuals enrolled in high deductible health plans (HDHPS). Individuals can use their HSAs to pay for expenses covered under the HDHP until their deductible has been met, or they can use their HSAs to pay for qualified …
California Enacts Employer Notice Requirement for FSAs
Beginning in 2020, a new California law requires employers that sponsor flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to notify employees of any deadline to withdraw FSA funds before the end of the plan year. This requirement applies to the following types of flexible spending accounts (FSAs), but is not limited to, dependent …
ACA Health Insurance Fee Will Increase in 2020
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes an annual, non-deductible fee on the health insurance sector, allocated across the industry according to market share. The applicable amount in the past for each fee year was: $8 billion for calendar year 2014; $11.3 billion for calendar years 2015 and 2016; $13.9 billion …
Pay or Play Penalties Will Increase for 2019 & 2020
The IRS has updated their Questions and Answers (Q&As) on the employer shared responsibility rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), to include adjusted penalty amounts for 2019 and 2020. According to the FAQs, the penalty amounts will be increased as follows: For calendar year 2019, the adjusted $2,000 amount …
Our New Website Has Launched!
We are pleased to announce the successful launch of Creative Benefits’ new website! In alignment with our ongoing commitment to invest in our brand and technology, we decided to refresh our website to reflect how we’ve evolved over the last 35 years. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight …
What If the Employer Mandate Is Repealed?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer affordable, minimum value health coverage to their full-time employees in order to avoid possible penalties. Because this employer mandate has been criticized as burdensome for employers and an impediment to business growth, it seems likely that its repeal …
A Successful Insurance Renewal & Open Enrollment: Part II
Employers may feel relieved when insurance renewals are over, but the fact is their job is only half done. The next step en route to the finish line is Open Enrollment. During Open Enrollment, employees learn about benefits, select coverage, fill out enrollment forms and receive identification cards. It takes …