October 21, 2020
IRS Releases Final Forms and Instructions for 2020 ACA Reporting
The IRS recently released final instructions for both the 1094-B and 1095-B forms and the 1094-C and 1095-C forms and the final forms for 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C. The forms have generally remained unchanged from prior years. As a reminder, individuals do not pay a penalty for failure ...
October 21, 2020
Compliance Recap | September 2020
September was a relatively quiet month in the employee benefits world. President Trump issued an executive order on An America-First Healthcare Plan, noting the Administration’s actions on healthcare and planned actions going forward. A federal district court halted the repeal of certain ...
October 20, 2020
Advocacy in Action | Negotiating Unexpected Claims
A member contacted The Purple Card® stating that she had just received a $621 balance bill from a provider‘s office for anesthesiology services. The member was unhappy because she had gone to an in-network doctor for the surgery and the member believed everything related to the surgery would be ...
October 20, 2020
Acronym Overload: FSA & OTC Explained
Medical insurance terminology can be confusing. Then the healthcare industry adds in a bunch of acronyms and your confusion can turn to frustration. Consumers may choose to click past these letter- heavy headlines. Employees may put on blinders during open enrollment instead of investigating ...
October 13, 2020
Pandemic Performance Reviews: Should They Stay or Should They Go?
After reading the headlines of the morning paper or skimming your online newsfeed, it is hard to deny that 2020 has been a year of dramatic change. From the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to increased regulations around international travel and the uptick in children and parents learning and ...
October 6, 2020
IRS Notice 2020-76 Provides Relief for 2020 ACA Reporting
As the deadline for reporting of group health coverage offered in 2020 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) approaches, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) has issued IRS Notice 2020-76 (Notice) regarding deadline extensions and requirements as it has done in prior years. ...
October 6, 2020
What’s in a Name? How Unconscious Bias Affects Recruitment
Modern recruiters are trained to evaluate resumes for a potential match, screening for skills and accomplishments. The first words a recruiter sees are likely those at the top of the page…the candidate’s name. While many of us would not knowingly use the gender or ethnicity of a candidate to ...
September 25, 2020
FFCRA DOL Reacts to Court Decision Partially Invalidating Temporary Regulations
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released updated temporary regulations implementing the Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The EFMLEA provides qualifying ...
September 16, 2020
FFCRA Leave Department of Labor Temporary Regulations Part 2
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released temporary regulations implementing the Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The EFMLEA provides qualifying employees ...
September 16, 2020
FFCRA Leave Department of Labor Temporary Regulations Part 1
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released temporary regulations implementing the Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The EFMLEA provides qualifying ...
