To The Point Podcast

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created a general business tax credit for eligible employers of all sizes that provide paid family and medical leave to their employees for tax years 2018 and 2019 only. For employers that already provide paid short term disability, this might be low hanging fruit, and that’s why we’re addressing this as part of a benefits podcast.

On Nov. 7, 2018, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury finalized two rules expanding certain exemptions from the ACA’s contraceptive coverage mandate. The first final rule expands the exemption for employers that object to providing contraceptive coverage based on their sincerely held religious beliefs. The second final rule provides an exemption for certain employers that object to providing contraceptive coverage based on their non-religious moral convictions. Listen in to learn more about these final rules and their implications.

Open enrollment is such an important time of year! Don't overlook some important compliance reminders. Listen to this podcast for a few dos and don'ts to help make sure your company is all set for a new plan year.

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This question comes up often. Before extending these type programs to your non-medical plan participants, be sure to listen to this podcast to become aware of reasons this could be potentially problematic, and to learn a couple solutions.

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The House Ways and Means Committee recently approved 11 bills that increase the flexibility of HSA and FSA plans and also focus on delaying the implementation of some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Employers may need to be ready to act nimbly should these bills come to fruition by the end of 2018. Listen in to learn what might be impacted.

In October 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order including 3 things aimed at unraveling pieces of the Affordable Care Act when efforts in Congress failed to do so. One of those items was to seek more relaxed regulations on association health plans as a way to allow individuals and businesses the opportunity to purchase policies across state lines and avoid some ACA requirements. However, there are a few things employers should understand before forming or jumping into an association. Tune in to this podcast to learn more.

The IRS recently released the HSA contribution limits, HDHP deductible and out of pocket limits, and the ACA out of pocket limits for 2019. The interaction of these limits can be confusing due to embedded OOP requirements and other considerations. Tune in for a brief explanation from our ERISA attorney on how to design a compliant plan with these new limits in 2019.

There has been an uptick in the volume of DOL audits in recent years. The timeframe to respond to an audit notice is short and it is important to be prepared. Tune in to this podcast to learn how to be ready and to debunk some DOL audit myths.

The IRS recently lowered the maximum annual HSA family contribution limit for 2018 to $6,850, a $50 decrease from the prior limit of $6900. Listen to learn why this happened and what action needs to be taken by employers and any individuals who may have already or intend to max-fund their account.

The DOL has been talking for a while about applying new claims regulations to ERISA covered disability plans. These regulations were originally to apply to claims filed on or after January 1, 2018, but a 90 day delay modified the effective date to April 1, 2018. To learn what these new regulations are, what plans are impacted and what action employers need to take, be sure to listen to this podcast.