Open Enrollment 2020 – Benefit Notices

Employers that sponsor group health plans should provide certain benefit notices in connection with their plans’ open enrollment periods.

IRS Expands Preventive Care for HDHPs to Include Chronic Conditions

OVERVIEW On July 17, 2019, the IRS released Notice 2019-45 to add care for a range of chronic conditions to the list of preventive care benefits that can be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without a deductible. Individuals who are covered by an HDHP generally may establish and make contributions to a …

Final Rule Expands Options For HRAs

On June 13, 2019, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued a final rule that expands the usability of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). Effective in 2020, the final rule establishes two new types of HRAs: Individual Coverage HRA: Allows employers to offer an HRA to be used …

Executive Order On Healthcare Cost To Affect Employer Health Plans

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at improving price and quality transparency in health care. The order is intended to increase availability of health care price and quality information and protect patients from surprise medical bills. What’s in the Order? Specifically, the order is aimed at: Eliminating unnecessary barriers to price and …

3 Millennial Health Conditions on the Rise

Individuals born between 1981 and 1996 have their fair share of obstacles. They struggle with stagnant wages, overwhelming debt and a higher cost of living. A recent report also suggests they’re experiencing an increasing number of mental and physical health concerns. To combat this dangerous trend, millennials are encouraged to take preventative measures to decrease …

DOL Enforcement Actions Are up and Expected to Stay That Way

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta recently said that he “fully expects” OSHA inspections to increase once new inspectors are trained. Acosta’s remarks are in line with the significant increase in enforcement actions employers have seen in the past two fiscal years. Increased DOL Enforcement Actions The DOL’s enforcement actions across the vast majority of …

Lowest Unemployment in Decades

Job figures continued to rise in April, officially bringing unemployment to its lowest in 50 years—3.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Primary job gains occurred in the health and business services sectors, with respectable growth in construction as well. With over 150,000 jobs being added each month, on average, employment growth shows …