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Archive for December, 2014

OSHA’™s New Reporting and Recordkeeping Rule Goes into Effect on January 1, 2015 | New York Benefits Broker

December 29th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in OSHA

www.thinkhr.com On September 11, 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a final rule which updates the reporting and record-keeping requirements for injuries and illnesses, found at 29 C.F.R. 1904. The rule goes into effect on January 1, 2015. Changes to record-keeping requirements Under OSHA’s record-keeping regulation, certain covered […]

Proposed 2016 Benefit and Payment Parameters | New York Employee Benefits

December 26th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in PPACA

Posted by Linda Rowings The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its proposed Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016. While these amounts and dates are not yet final, they may be of help for planning purposes. At this time, HHS expects: Open enrollment for coverage through the Marketplace in 2016 will be […]

Hand Washing Helps Defeat the Flu | NYC Benefits Broker

December 22nd, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News, Wellness

www.thinkhr.com H3N2 influenza viruses led to record numbers of deaths in 2004, 2008, and 2013 flu seasons. Doctors are concerned because this type of virus appears dominating the 2015 flu season. Employers should stress optimal health and hand-washing behaviors in that workplaces to avoid the threat of flu and keep their workplaces healthy and germ-free. […]

2015 Cost-of-Living Adjustments | NYC Employee Benefits

December 18th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in IRS

Posted by Linda Rowing Many employee benefit limits are automatically adjusted each year for inflation (this is often referred to as an “indexed” limit). The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration have released a number of indexed figures for 2015. Limits of particular interest to employers include the following. For health and Section […]

Supreme Court Agrees to Rule on Availability of Premium Tax Credits | Brio Benefits Broker

December 15th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in General News, Industry News

Posted by Linda Rowings Premium tax credits are only available to individuals who obtain health coverage through a Marketplace. A dispute has arisen as to whether the IRS has the ability to interpret PPACA to allow the subsidy to individuals who obtain coverage through any Marketplace, or whether the language of PPACA limits eligibility to […]

Medicine Safety Reminders for Cold and Flu Season | New York Benefits Broker

December 11th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Health News

(NewsUSA) Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds each year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20 percent of people in the U.S. will get the flu this cold and flu season. A majority of people (seven in 10) will use over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to treat their symptoms, and […]

The “Play or Pay” Package | New York Employee Benefits

December 9th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in General News

Posted by Linda Rowings The employer-shared responsibility (“play or pay”) requirements do not apply to small employers and have been delayed until 2016 for most mid-sized employers. This raises the question – what exactly is included in the play or pay requirement, which a small employer may be able to ignore and that mid-size employer […]

UBA 2014 Health Plan Survey Executive Summary Now Available | NY Benefits Broker

December 5th, 2014   |   by admin   |   in Surveys

Posted by Bill Olson Since 2005, United Benefit Advisors® (UBA) has surveyed thousands of employers across the nation regarding their health plan offerings, their ongoing plan decisions in the face of significant legislative and marketplace changes, and the impact of these changes on their employees and businesses. The UBA survey represents the nation’s largest health […]

Nondiscrimination Rules for Benefits Plans | NY Employee Benefits

December 1st, 2014   |   by admin   |   in ERISA

Question: What are the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) rules about nondiscrimination in benefits plan designs to assist with creating benefit class carve-outs? Answer: Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, which is governed by ERISA) and I.R.C. § 125 plan rules, employers are allowed to offer different contribution levels or benefit […]