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Compliance Recap October 2023 | WI Employee Benefits Team

ADJUSTED CIVIL PENALTIES The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently announced adjustments to civil penalties related to violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) rules. These penalty adjustments take into account inflation and are applicable to violations … Continued

Compliance Recap July 2023 | WI Employee Benefits Agency

PROPOSED CHANGES TO SHORT-TERM, LIMITED-DURATION INSURANCE On July 7, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury proposed changes to modify the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) and the conditions for fixed indemnity insurance to be considered an excepted benefit. The … Continued

Compliance Recap – April 2023 | WI Benefits Agents

2024 BENEFIT PARAMETERS FOR MEDICARE PART D CREDITABLE COVERAGE DISCLOSURES ANNOUNCED The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Fact Sheet announcing the 2024 benefit parameters for Medicare Part D. These factors are used to determine the actuarial value of defined standard Medicare Part D coverage under CMS guidelines. Each year, Medicare Part D requires … Continued

Compliance Recap: March 2023 | Wisconsin Benefits Group

IRS RELEASES 2024 EMPLOYER SHARED RESPONSIBILITY PROVISION PENALTIES The dollar amount used to calculate the employer shared responsibility provision penalties (ESRP) has been provided for 2024. As background, the penalties can be assessed under Code § 4980H(a) if an applicable large employer (ALE) fails to offer minimum essential coverage to the required number of full-time … Continued

PCORI fees are due by Monday, August 1, 2022 | WI Employee Benefits Agency

By way of background, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study clinical effectiveness and health outcomes. To finance the Institute’s work, a small annual fee—commonly called the PCORI fee—is charged on group health plans. Grandfathered health plans are not exempt. Most employers do not have to take any … Continued

Transparency Rules Require Plan Sponsors to Act Now Before July 1 Deadline | WI Employee Benefits Agency

The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) released Transparency in Coverage (TiC) rules in late 2020 that will require fully insured and self-funded plan sponsors of non-grandfathered group health plans to make important disclosures about in-network and out-of-network rates beginning July 1, 2022. To be ready to meet that deadline, … Continued

EEO-1 Data Collection | WI Employee Benefits Agency

The EEO-1 Component 1 report is a mandatory annual data collection that requires all private sector employers with 100 or more employees, and federal contractors with 50 or more employees meeting certain criteria, to submit demographic workforce data, including data by race/ethnicity, sex and job categories.  The filing by eligible employers of the EEO-1 Component … Continued

Health Plan PCORI Fees Are Due August 2 | WI Employee Benefits Team

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

Compliance Requirements for a Remote Workforce | WI Employee Benefits Group

According to Gallup, the number of days employees are working remotely has doubled during the pandemic. Some companies are even considering making a remote work arrangement permanent. While there are no laws that exclusively apply to remote workplaces, remote work does come with additional compliance risks. Below is our general guidance for employers. Logging Hours and … Continued

Ask the Experts: Marijuana and the ADA | Madison Employee Benefits

Question: Is medical marijuana use protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? If so, what accommodations would be considered reasonable? Answer: You are not required to accommodate medical marijuana use under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Even though medical marijuana is legal in many states, under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), marijuana … Continued

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