compliance
April 9, 2021
DOL Issues ARPA COBRA Subsidy Forms
On April 7, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued the much-awaited COBRA Model Notices required under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), implementing the 100% COBRA Subsidy for eligible individuals. In order to assist plan sponsors with implementing the subsidy as required under ...
April 9, 2021
DOL Issues Report on Self-Insured Group Health Plans
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued an Annual Report on Self-Insured Group Health Plans. The Affordable Care Act requires the Secretary of Labor to provide Congress with an annual report (Report) containing general information on self-insured employee health benefit plans and ...
April 9, 2021
HHS Issues FAQs on the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Amendments to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008
April 5, 2021 On April 2, 2021, the Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services (the Departments) jointly issued FAQs regarding the amendments to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) made by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted ...
April 9, 2021
Compliance Recap | March 2021
The employee benefits guidance issued in March 2021 was largely focused on providing relief to individuals and businesses impacted by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Significantly, on March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Act) was enacted into law which, in part, mandates ...
April 9, 2021
IRS Notice 2021-21: Relief from Certain Taxpayer Deadlines due to COVID-19
Due to the COVID-19 national emergency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2021-21 (Notice) that extends the deadline for filing income returns on Form 1040, Form 1040-SR, Form 1040-NR, Form 1040-PR, Form 1040-SS, or Form 1040 (SP). The Notice extends the general April 15, 2021, ...
April 9, 2021
PPE as Section 213(d) Qualified Medical Expenses
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Announcement 2021-7 providing that amounts paid for personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, for the primary purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19, are qualified medical expenses under Internal ...
April 9, 2021
Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the ACA
3/24/2021 Update: CMS has extended the new special enrollment period for marketplaces using the Heathcare.gov platform until August 15, 2021. See the updated CMS FAQs for more information. On January 28, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the ...
April 9, 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Part 2: DCAPs and Exchange Health Insurance
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Act). The Act is a $1.9 trillion legislative package, which contains several provisions intended to relieve employers and families from some of the economic burdens associated with COVID-19. The Act contains funding ...
March 15, 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Part 1: COBRA Premium Assistance
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Act). The Act is a $1.9 trillion legislative package that includes pandemic relief for individuals and families. The Act contains several provisions including funding to the Centers for Disease Control and ...
March 6, 2021
Compliance Recap | February 2021
February was a relatively busy month in the employee benefits world. The Department of Labor (DOL) issued EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 regarding the end of the COVID-19 outbreak period. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2021-15 providing guidance on health flexible ...
