Earlier this week, the COVID-19 testing coverage mandate was significantly expanded pursuant to FAQs issued jointly by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments). The...more
1/17/2022
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
CARES Act ,
Compliance Dates ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health Insurance ,
Reimbursements ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Virus Testing
Congress extended the availability of refundable tax credits for Eligible Employers who provide paid family leave or sick leave from April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 in connection with COVID-related illness. Under ARPA,...more
8/27/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Defined Contribution Plans ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Retirement Plan ,
Tax Credits ,
Vaccinations
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) provides that, for the period from April 1, 2021 until September 30, 2021, if an individual’s Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”) qualifying event is an...more
4/13/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) provides that, for the period from April 1, 2021 until September 30, 2021, if an individual’s Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”) qualifying event is an...more
3/26/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Notice Requirements ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
In the second quarter of 2020, we have seen employers faced with continued challenges as they manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses and begin the process of returning to normal operations. The flurry...more
7/23/2020
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Guidance Update ,
IRS ,
PBGC ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors
As any employer is keenly aware, the administration of an employee benefit plan (especially a group health plan) involves a number of different deadlines imposed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and...more
The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) provides legislative relief to participants impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. A summary of key provisions of the CARES Act, based on the current draft,...more
3/27/2020
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Diagnostic Tests ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Relief Measures ,
Retirement Plan ,
State of Emergency ,
Telehealth
As the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic grows, employers and others may be wondering how the public health emergency created by the outbreak affects information protected under the Health Insurance Portability and...more
If you are an ERISA fiduciary charged with management or investment of plan assets, and recent market activity has not tripped any alarm bells — or, if the alarm bells have been tripped, but you are are looking for a bit of...more
As we predicted in our last Deep Dive, the Department of Labor (DOL) has appealed the District Court for the District of Columbia’s ruling in State of New York, et al. v. United States Department of Labor, et al. which...more
On March 28, 2019, the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia issued an opinion and order vacating key portions of the Department of Labor’s regulation, published in June 2018, which had expanded the definition...more
4/26/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
Vacated
The Internal Revenue Service released the 2019 dollar limits for retirement plans, as adjusted under Code Section 415(d). We have summarized the new limits (along with the limits from the last few years) in the chart below...more