The federal government may continue to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s preventive-care mandates, thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. In a 6-3 bipartisan opinion written by...more
7/22/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Appointments Clause ,
Article II ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Kennedy v Braidwood Management Inc ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) ,
SCOTUS
Don’t have the energy to slog through the 1,127 (or so) pages of the legislative text, amendments, and explanatory materials that comprise the final version of the “Big Beautiful Bill” to see how it impacts labor and...more
7/8/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Taxes ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Income Taxes ,
Medicaid ,
Over-Time ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
Financial wellness programs are becoming one of the most in-demand employee benefits and are the focus of this year’s National Employee Benefits Day. Employers can use April 2 as a day to evaluate the effectiveness of their...more
It’s hard enough to juggle a career and childcare responsibilities — but many employees with young children also have aging parents who need their help, too. Expenses, time constraints, emotional decision-making, and...more
2/17/2025
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Caregivers ,
Child Care ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Elder Care ,
Employee Assistance Programs ,
Employee Benefits ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wellness Programs
Two new federal laws bring good news to employers subject to reporting and other requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). President Biden approved laws in December that not only ease the...more
1/28/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Applicable Large Employers (ALE) ,
Biden Administration ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
IRS ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Shared Responsibility Rule
A wave of ERISA class-action lawsuits is challenging tobacco surcharge programs in employer-sponsored health plans across the U.S. These cases center on potential fiduciary breaches, with plaintiffs arguing that surcharges...more
11/26/2024
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Breach of Duty ,
Class Action ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Popular ,
Premiums ,
Surcharges ,
Tobacco ,
Wellness Programs
Employees can contribute more pre-tax dollars next year to their retirement savings accounts, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, according to an IRS announcement made on November 1. Your eligible workers will be able to defer...more
Open enrollment season can put a spotlight on the many complex rules applicable to employer-sponsored health and welfare plans. As you announce your benefit offerings for the upcoming plan year and tirelessly work to inform...more
10/11/2024
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Applicable Large Employers (ALE) ,
Cafeteria Plans ,
COBRA ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Open Enrollment
Earlier this year, a cyberattack on a leading healthcare claims processing provider had an unprecedented impact on patients and healthcare providers across the country. While group health plans were not directly targeted in...more
7/5/2024
/ Covered Entities ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Popular
As we edge into the second quarter of 2024, we continue to see a steady stream of layoff announcements — and employers are still feeling the fallout of pandemic-related hiring frenzies, unpredictable economic conditions, and...more
Employers that sponsor retirement plans continue to have a lot on their plate. With SECURE Act 2.0 requirements now in play, this legislation continues to add more and more to your (already) overflowing plate. However, as is...more
2/14/2024
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
Automatic Enrollment ,
Deadlines ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Contributions ,
Hardship Distributions ,
Incentives ,
IRS ,
Pension Plan Amendments ,
Retirement Plan ,
Roth IRA ,
SECURE Act ,
Self-Correction Programs
Employers that sponsor 401(k) or 403(b) plans should be aware of eligibility and participation rules for their long-term, part-time (LTPT) employees. Historically, such plans could exclude employees who worked fewer than...more
2/1/2024
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Eligibility ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Contributions ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Former Employee ,
Part-Time Employees ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Retirement Plan ,
SECURE Act ,
Vesting
Get Ready For The New Year Ahead -
Employees can contribute more pre-tax dollars next year to their retirement savings accounts, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, according to an IRS announcement made on November 1. Your...more
11/7/2023
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Best Practices ,
Contribution Limits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Retirement Plan ,
Retirement Plan Providers ,
Tax Deferral
Most employers that operate health plans on a calendar-year basis kick-off open enrollment in November – which means you’re likely gearing up now for the annual influx of questions, benefit changes, and associated tasks....more
October is here. That means football is in full swing, pumpkin spice lattes are plentiful, and federal student loan payments will resume after being on pause since 2020. Employees with student loan debt are feeling the pinch...more
In welcome news to employers, recordkeepers, and payroll providers, the IRS announced last week that it is giving more time to comply with mandatory Roth catch-up contributions under the SECURE Act 2.0. As you may know,...more
8/30/2023
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
457(b) Plans ,
Comment Period ,
Contribution Limits ,
Employee Benefits ,
IRS ,
Public Comment ,
Retirement Plan ,
Retirement Plan Providers ,
Roth IRA ,
SECURE Act