By Danielle Capilla, Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors The Supreme Court has granted the petition in Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, a case centered on the issue of whether the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) preempts Vermont’s health care database law as it was applied to a third-party administrator […]
By Danielle Capilla, Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors Background Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals are required to have health insurance while applicable large employers (ALEs) are required to offer health benefits to their full-time employees. In order for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to verify that (1) individuals […]
By Bill Olson, Chief Marketing Officer at United Benefit Advisors As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that’s definitely the case when it comes to a health plan audit by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). And prevention is certainly warranted, according to Jeff Hadden, Partner at […]
www.thinkhr.com Question: Is an employee assistance program (EAP) a COBRA-eligible benefit? Answer: Employee assistance programs (EAPs) that offer medical benefits such as direct counseling and treatment, rather than just referrals for counseling and treatment, are regulated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and therefore subject to reporting and notice requirements under the act. […]
By Jessica Sapp www.livestrong.com Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence. This healthy balance of the mind, body, and spirit results in the overall feeling of well-being. Wellness programs are designed to help achieve a state of well-being by providing services focused on […]
By Danielle Capilla, Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors In Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016 Final Rule issued in February 2015, federal agencies included a clarification that the annual cost-sharing limitations for self coverage apply to individuals, regardless of individual is covered by self-only plan or is covered by another kind of plan. […]
By Jennifer Kupper The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) specifically encourages and promotes the expansion of wellness programs in both the individual and group markets. In the individual market, the secretaries of the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Treasury, and Labor are directed to establish a pilot program to test the […]
By Bill Olson, Chief Marketing Officer at United Benefit Advisors Employer health savings account (HSA) funding strategies have changed in recent years in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and its impact on employer-sponsored health insurance plans. Employers are contributing less, on average, to HSAs and the increase in popularity of […]
By Linda Rowings, Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Final Rule with standards for insurers and Marketplaces in 2016, covering topics such as transparency in health insurance rate increases, formulary drug lists, drug mail order opt […]
Posted by: Bill Olson United Benefit Advisors Health Plan Survey Finds Higher HSA Contributions Correlates to Increased Enrollment in High Deductible Health Plans In 2014, employees saw a 10 percent decrease in their average single Health Savings Account (HSA) employer contribution from the previous year, from $574 in 2013 to $515 in 2014, according […]