COVID-19
September 4, 2020
Compliance Recap | August 2020
August was a relatively busy month in the employee benefits world. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released an updated report on health savings accounts (HSAs) that summarizes the principal rules governing HSAs and changes made to HSAs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ...
August 13, 2020
FFCRA Leave Department of Labor Temporary Regulations Update
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released temporary regulations implementing the Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The EFMLEA provides qualifying ...
July 14, 2020
Be Ready for ACA Penalty Letters
Employers should start gearing up for IRS penalty letters issued under the Affordable Care Act. According to an announcement posted on the IRS website, the IRS has “has postponed mailing and responding to Employer Shared Responsibility Payment (ESRP] related correspondence until after ...
July 9, 2020
The CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program
In response to the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act is the third phase in Congress’ response to COVID-19 following the Coronavirus Preparedness and ...
July 7, 2020
Compliance Recap | June 2020
June was a busy month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the updated patient-centered outcomes research institute (PCORI) fee amount and announced transition relief. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published a ...
July 3, 2020
FAQs on Health Plan Coverage under the FFCRA and the CARES Act Part 2
The Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the FFCRA), the Coronavirus Aid, ...
June 30, 2020
FAQs on Health Plan Coverage under the FFCRA and the CARES Act
The Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of the Treasury (Treasury) (collectively, the Departments) have released frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding group health plan coverage requirements under the Families First Coronavirus Response ...
June 22, 2020
What HR Teams Need to Know About Productivity Monitoring
Even before the pandemic, remote work was trending upward. From 2017 to 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 28.8 percent of college graduates were working from home for all or some of the work week. After COVID-19, that percentage has skyrocketed—roughly two-thirds of the ...
June 15, 2020
CMS Letter Summarizing COVID-19 Guidance for Non-Federal Governmental Plan Sponsors
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter highlighting COVID-19 guidance relevant to non-federal governmental plan sponsors. The letter highlights guidance that has previously been released and does not issue any new requirements. Requirement to Cover COVID-19 ...
June 12, 2020
Should Your Company Keep Its Telework Option?
Across America, states, cities and counties are gradually easing stay-at-home orders and expanding the industries that can now reopen their doors or return to work on premises. After months of teleworking, many employees will soon find themselves able to return to the office: it’s just that not ...
