Trish Neely, CFCI

Take a minute to review and answer the following questions. If you answer no or I don’t know, then the Department of Labor (DOL) has a new tool you should want to know more about.

Summer Shorts

Outlook for Tax Favored Accounts: What is their future post-Supreme Court Ruling?

Use it or Lose it: Is it time for this rule to go?

spacer

With Reform, Size Matters

When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, size does matter; unfortunately for employers it’s not as simple as one size fits all. Depending upon the provision, you may be small if you have less than 200 employees, less than 100, less than 50, less than 49, less than 25, or less than 250. How does an employer keep it straight?
spacer

spa

PPACA: It’s Constitutional . . . Time to Refocus

If, as an employer, you took time out from implementation awaiting the Supreme Court ruling, it is time to resume compliance activities due this year and begin preparing for requirements coming due in 2013. August, September, January and March all include milestone dates that must be met by most employers. Are you ready?
spacer

spacer

Health Care Reform for You, Me & Our Families

The Supreme Court ruled that health care reform legislation passed in 2010 is Constitutional. The legislation applies to major medical health plans regardless if you receive your benefits at the workplace or purchase directly with an insurer for yourself and/or your family. Putting aside the continued controversy and vows of repeal or change, it is important that we understand how certain of the reforms and mandates, as they exist today or that are soon to be implemented barring repeal, will impact our access to care.
spacer

spacer

New FMLA Guide for Employees: It’s also useful for Employers!

The Department of Labor (DOL) through its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently issued a new FMLA Guide for Employees. FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) provides unpaid, job-protected leave. FBMC’s Monique Akanbi, HR Specialist speaks frankly with the author and provides her perspective on FMLAs advantages to employees and challenges for employers.
spacer

spacer

QR Wins i-COMM

FBMC’s Quarterly Review newsletter has been awarded Employee Benefits News’ (EBN) i-COMM Best Print or Online Employee Newsletter award in 2012. For the past 22 years, the Quarterly Review has educated clients, friends and employees about industry news and trends or regulatory changes made by government agencies.
spacer

The Supreme Court ruled that health care reform legislation passed in 2010 is Constitutional.  The legislation applies to major medical health plans regardless if you receive your benefits at the workplace or purchase directly with an insurer for yourself and/or your family. Putting aside the continued controversy and vows of repeal or change, it is important that we understand how certain of the reforms and mandates, as they exist today or that are soon to be implemented barring repeal, will impact our access to care. If you receive group benefits through your employer it is important to know if your employer’s plan is a grandfathered plan since a grandfathered plan is not required to comply with all of PPACA’s mandates and patient protections. How do you know?  Your plan materials must include a notice to this effect.

There is good news for non-grandfathered plan sponsors of fully insured plans. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 2011-1 addresses the timing of the application of the PPACA provisions of prohibiting insured group health plans from discriminating in favor of highly compensated individuals and delays enforcement in the event a fully insured plan fails to comply with the new rules.

Benefits Alert 2010-11

It was quite a shock to learn that just changing carriers would cause a plan to lose its grandfathered status under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Just in is some good news if you have not yet made any changes.

We have just learned that an amendment to the grandfather regulations has been forwarded to the Federal Register for publication. Under this amendment, a change in contract, policy, or certificate of insurance does not result in loss of grandfather status for a group health plan as long as there have been no other changes that trigger a loss of grandfather status. This relief will apply to changes in carriers as well as to a new policy, certificate or contract with the current carrier.