Blog Archives

• TeleMedicine – The NextGen Benefit of Minor Healthcare

  Posted on April 17, 2017

  It’s not surprising that 2017 stands to be the year many will have an experience to share using a Telemedicine or a Virtual Doctor service. With current market trends, government regulations, and changing economic demands, it’s fast becoming a more popular alternative to traditional healthcare visits.  And, as healthcare costs… Read more »

• New Administration, New Rules: “Am I a fiduciary or not?”

  Posted on March 20, 2017

  As anticipated, and consistent with his stance on reducing government regulation, President Trump signed an executive order late last week directing a review of the retirement plan fiduciary rule (the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed in 2010). The fiduciary rule, developed under the Obama Administration, imposes strict… Read more »

• The Overtime Rule Saga Continues…

  Posted on March 20, 2017

  All the hullabaloo about the potential new Department of Labor overtime rules was for naught as the implementation of the law has been delayed again. President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) requested extensions to the appeal process to determine its strategy and finalize its standpoint on the proposed regulations. Some… Read more »

• Long-Awaited Repeal and Replacement Plan for ACA Unveiled

  Posted on March 20, 2017

  On March 6, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee released a proposed budget reconciliation bill, entitled the American Health Care Act, to replace portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If enacted, the American Health Care Act would provide some relief from provisions of the ACA… Read more »

• President Trump Makes First Moves Towards ACA Repeal

  Posted on February 16, 2017

  One of President Donald Trump’s first actions in office was to make good on a campaign promise to move quickly to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He issued Executive Order 13765, Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal. The one-page executive order… Read more »

• Ask the Experts: Expiring Work Permits

  Posted on February 16, 2017

  Question: What is the appropriate procedure when a newly hired employee’s employment authorization document (EAD, or “work permit”) for his Form I-9 expires two months after his date of hire? Do we require him to provide new documentation upon expiration? Read More

• The IRS Clarifies Tax Treatment of Fixed-Indemnity Health Plans

  Posted on February 16, 2017

  While many Americans will remember January 20, 2017 as the day the 45th President of the United States was sworn into office, employee benefits experts will also remember it as the day the IRS Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) released this memorandum that clarifies, among other things, the tax treatment… Read more »

• DOL Increases Penalty Amounts to Adjust for Inflation

  Posted on January 23, 2017

  For the second time in less than a year the Department of Labor (DOL) has increased the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by the DOL. The increases were announced in a final rule issued by the DOL on January 18, 2017. The increases were made pursuant to the Federal… Read more »

• Officials Provide New ACA Guidance in FAQ #35

  Posted on January 23, 2017

  On December 20, 2016, federal officials released FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part 35 (FAQ #35) in an ongoing series of informal guidance regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This FAQ addresses several topics: Special enrollment rules. Preventive services. Qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements.   Read More…

• 2017: What HR Can Do to Prepare for a Big Year of Change

  Posted on January 23, 2017

  Employers saw unprecedented changes to human resources management in 2016, including Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance, new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations, parental leave laws and a push for equal pay. With a new year and a new president taking office, 2017 is sure to usher in some major… Read more »