On June 19, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor released its Final Rule regarding Association Health Plans (AHPs). AHPs are not new, but they have not been widely available in the past and, in some cases, they have not been successful. The Final Rule is designed to make AHPs available to a greater number of … Continued
On May 21, 2018, the IRS announced that the affordability percentage under the Affordable Care Act’s play or pay rules will increase to 9.86% for 2019 plan years. This is an increase from 9.56% for 2018 plan years. By way of background, the ACA’s employer shared responsibility provision – often called the employer mandate or … Continued
Do you offer coverage to your employees through a self-insured group health plan? Do you sponsor a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)? If so, do you know whether your plan or HRA is subject to the annual Patient-Centered Research Outcomes Institute (PCORI) fee? This article answers frequently-asked questions about the PCORI fee, which plans are affected, … Continued
States that permit carriers to renew medical policies without adopting various Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements may continue to do so through 2019, according to abulletin released April 9, 2018, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The bulletin extends transitional relief for non-ACA-compliant policies for another year. The affected category of non-ACA-compliant … Continued
Taking control of health care expenses is on the top of most people’s to-do list for 2018. The average premium increase for 2018 is 18% for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. So, how do you save money on health care when the costs seems to keep increasing faster than wage increases? One way is through … Continued
The ACA requires employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan. Reporting the cost of health care coverage on Form W-2 does not mean that the coverage is taxable. Employers that provide “applicable employer-sponsored coverage” under a group health plan are subject to the reporting requirement. This includes businesses, tax-exempt … Continued
