Bulletins

This month the DOL released a proposed rule intended to clarify how employers can determine if workers are employees or independent contractors. Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor has grave consequences for employers. Penalties can go back for three years and be as much as...

Each year attention is given to the October 15 deadline to provide Medicare-eligible health plan participants with a letter clarifying if your company-provided prescription drug coverage is as least as good as Medicare’s.

The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) recently released revised regulations affecting implementation of the emergency paid sick leave and emergency family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The amendments are effective...

Employers have an annual obligation to issue a CMS coverage notice to all Medicare-eligible plan participants, including dependents and retirees. The notice informs Medicare-eligible participants whether their prescription coverage is at least as good as Medicare’s.

Since 2013, employers have been responsible for providing employees one of two Insurance Marketplace notices summarizing their health insurance options. There is no annual obligation to provide the notice to all employees, rather employers must provide the notice to all new hires, regardless of...

Given the National Public Health Emergency has been extended to October 23, 2020, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) will maintain current COVID-19 policies through October 23:

The IRS recently raised the affordability threshold for the 2021 calendar year to 9.83% of household income from the 2020 threshold of 9.78%. This percentage is used to determine an individual’s eligibility for a premium tax credit and the affordability of employer-sponsored coverage. Failure to...

Recently, several statesadopted requirements forthe general publicto wear masksoutsidetheir homes.Because this includes the workplace, employers inthesestatesare advised to develop a compliant mask policy. 

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were the saving grace for many small businesses over the past two months. However, the forgiveness qualifications continue to evolve, leaving business owners confused and wondering if they’ll meet forgiveness requirements.

The pandemic interrupted processes globally, and employee health benefits are no exception. Certain deadlines temporarily changed for health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), COBRA and flexible spending accounts (FSAs).