PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - New Round of COVID-19 Relief Expands Assistance for Employers
Nowhere to spend child care FSA funds
COVID-19 Impact for Health & Welfare Plans (Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton COVID-19 Issues for Employers Podcast Series)
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - COVID-19 Edition; New Opportunities for Health Flexible Spending Arrangements and Cafeteria Plans
As a reminder, the deadline for submitting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees is July 31. Employers who sponsor self-insured group health plans should report and pay PCORI fees using the most recently...more
The IRS recently published two notices which describe the tax treatment of amounts paid for condoms and expand the list of preventive care benefits permitted to be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without...more
Recently HHS issued a memorandum announcing the maximum annual limitation on cost sharing (a/k/a out-of-pocket maximum) for 2026 and the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2024-40 announcing the cost-of-living adjustments to certain...more
The IRS recently issued Notices 2024-71 and 2024-75, which expand the list of “preventive care” benefits permitted to be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without a deductible and the list of benefits...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
On April 28, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Office of Chief Counsel issued a Chief Counsel Advice (“CCA”) explaining the requirements for claim substantiation for health and dependent care flexible spending...more
With the end of the year fast approaching, employers should be aware of several important deadlines and considerations related to retirement and health and welfare plans. With the onslaught of recent COVID-19-related...more
Yesterday the IRS released Notice 2021-26, which clarifies that if eligible dependent care benefits would have been excluded from income if used during either the prior tax year (2020 or 2021), these benefits remain...more
On February 18, 2021, the IRS released Notice 2021-15 (the Notice), which provides additional guidance clarifying many open issues following implementation of Section 214 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA). Section...more
The Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021 was signed into law on December 27, 2020 and is an impressive 5,593 pages. According to the Senate Historical Office, the Act is the longest bill ever passed by Congress. Buried...more
On February 18, 2021, the IRS issued Notice 2021-15, clarifying temporary special rules for cafeteria plans, health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs) that were included in the...more
On the latest episode of Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion, host Brydon DeWitt discusses new opportunities that the IRS and COVID-19 legislative relief have created for health flexible spending and cafeteria plans....more
New guidance issued by the Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service, and Health and Human Services requires group health plans to disregard certain timeframes and deadlines related to...more
On May 12, 2020, the IRS issued guidance temporarily suspending long-standing federal regulations that limit when an employee can make mid-year changes to employer-sponsored health coverage....more
Relief from the strict employee benefit cafeteria plan mid-year election changes rules has finally arrived. In Notice 2020-29, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance providing cafeteria plan participants with...more
On May 12, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-29 (the Notice), an important piece of guidance for employers that sponsor health & welfare plans. The Notice provides much-needed flexibility for...more
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued two important notices allowing employer-plan sponsors to amend their §125 cafeteria plans to provide employees with increased flexibility for elected benefits and account...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-29 and Notice 2020-33 on May 12, 2020, to provide relief from the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19) for taxpayers participating in Section 125 cafeteria plans. The provisions...more
On May 12, 2020, the IRS issued guidance (IRS Notice 2020-19) to allow temporary changes to section 125 cafeteria plans. These plans allow participants to pay their portion of health insurance premiums and contribute to...more
IRS guidance, Notice 2020-29 and 2020-33, issued on May 12, 2020 addresses unanticipated changes in health and dependent care expenses because of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by providing for increased...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued new guidance, Notice 2020-29, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing for temporary flexibility with respect to mid-year elections made during 2020 under Code section 125...more
Earlier this week, the IRS released new guidance allowing certain mid-year election change events under an employer’s cafeteria plan in calendar year 2020 for group health plan coverage, health flexible spending accounts, and...more
The American Health Care Act ("AHCA"), passed by the House of Representatives on May 4, 2017, repeals many of the taxes added by the Affordable Care Act ("ACA") and makes changes to other tax rules. Some of the notable...more
During his campaign, President-elect Trump promised to make the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) a priority. Now that the election is over, what should employers expect? We don’t have a crystal ball,...more
Editor's Overview - It has been a little more than one year since the U.S. Supreme Court altered the legal landscape for litigating ERISA breach of fiduciary duty claims relating to the investment in employer stock...more