"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]"

11 pages. "[1] Locate line where estimated 2022 household income & household size intersect. [2] First column shows household percentage of Federal Poverty Line. [3] Second column shows percent of household income required as contribution towards purchase of second lowest cost Silver coverage in Marketplace. [4] 'CSR AV' column shows resulting Actuarial Value after Cost Sharing Reductions applied. [5] 'Monthly contribution' = contribution percent x household income, divided by 12."

"[T]hese applications are easy to [compile]. They may run hundreds of pages but almost all of it is backup data with the meat being two excel spreadsheets ... And the PBGC gives you the worksheets.... [F]or any pension actuaries out there: have you ever used 0% for your valuation interest rate?"

"The COVID-19 pandemic and the federal government's response have transformed the 2020 and 2021 employee benefits landscape. These changes will extend into 2022, depending on how long the COVID-19 public health emergency lasts.... The CAA includes numerous provisions that impact employer-sponsored group health plans, including the much-anticipated rules regarding surprise medical bills.... Prepare for compliance with Transparency in Coverage rules ... Comply with large employer shared responsibility rules or face penalties[.]"

"In comparing how much bailout money insolvent multiemployer plans are asking from the government to what they reported as unfunded liabilities on their latest 5500 filings some substantial differences come to light. For example, one plan asked for $14 million when their unfunded liabilities are $6.5 million.... The Carpenters Industrial Council of Eastern PA calculates needing 217.2% of unfunded liabilities for one simple reason. When they get their $14 million they are expecting to make $0 in trust earnings on it for 30 years."

"In comparing how much bailout money insolvent multiemployer plans are asking from the government to what they reported as unfunded liabilities on their latest 5500 filings some substantial differences come to light. Now that most of the applications are online and the interest rates used for valuing [special financial assistance] liabilities have been divulged the idiocy of the method the PBGC forces these plans to use comes into focus."

"IRS Notice 2021-57 ... gives plan sponsors a roadmap for electing relief. Highlights of the notice include: [1] Freeze elections ... [2] Extension elections ... [3] Special funding rules."

"[A] plan may not require a qualified beneficiary to make an initial COBRA premium payment before November 1, 2021, as long as the payment is made within one year and 45 days of the individual's COBRA election.... [F]or periods not covered by the initial COBRA premium payment ... [Notice 2021-58] indicates that the payments are due one year from the date that the payment originally would have been due, taking into account the normal 30-day grace period."

"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]"

"[To] the extent there are COBRA qualified beneficiaries who have elected COBRA, but not made the initial payment even though it has been more than a year and 105 days since they were initially eligible for COBRA (or a year and 45 days since they elected), a reminder may be in order. They may believe they have additional time and instead need to send in their payment by November 1."

"Specifically, Notice 2021-58 addresses: [1] the extension of deadlines for COBRA elections and premium payments, and [2] the interaction of the extended deadlines with the COBRA subsidy available under [ARPA]."

"This Technical Update 21-1 provides [PBGC] guidance on the effect of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) ... on annual financial and actuarial reporting under section 4010 of ERISA and part 4010 of PBGC's regulations. This Technical Update waives 4010 reporting requirements in situations where the reporting obligation is triggered solely because of a retroactive election permitted by ARP and IRS Notice 2021-48. It also provides guidance with respect to actuarial information reported in a 4010 filing that changes because of ARP."

"Given that the deadline for paying COBRA premiums is ordinarily 45 days after the COBRA election, some might have assumed that the deadline extensions for COBRA elections and payment would run consecutively.... The new IRS notice provides a different interpretation."

"The transition relief is targeted at certain individuals who elected COBRA outside of the regular 60-day deadline and whose initial premium deadline has already passed ... based on the premise that prior to the issuance of this guidance, they may have thought the 1-year tolling period began on their election date.... The Notice highlights that individuals who delay electing COBRA coverage may not have more than 1 year of total disregarded time for the COBRA election and initial COBRA premium payment."

"Notice 2021-58 reiterates that the extensions of the timeframes do not apply to the periods for providing the required ARPA Notice, or for electing subsidized COBRA. A plan may require an individual to elect COBRA retroactive to the date of loss of coverage within 60 days of receiving the ARPA Notice or lose eligibility for retroactive COBRA."

21 pages. "This notice provides guidance for sponsors of multiemployer defined benefit pension plans on the elections under sections 9701 and 9702 of [ARPA], and the relief provided under section 9703 of [ARPA], relating to sections 431 and 432 of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions permit plan sponsors to: [1] Elect to delay designating a plan as being in endangered, critical, or critical and declining status under section 432(b)(3), as applicable, or to delay updating the plan's funding improvement plan or rehabilitation plan, as applicable; [2] Elect to extend the plan's funding improvement period under section 432(c)(4) or the rehabilitation period under section 432(e)(4), as applicable; and [3] Spread certain investment losses and other experience losses related to COVID-19 over a period of up to 30 years in determining charges to the funding standard account under section 431."

"Notice 2021-58 [provides] helpful guidance on COBRA continuation coverage in two key areas: [1] the application of the extended timeframes for electing COBRA continuation coverage and paying COBRA premiums in response to the on-going COVID-19 national emergency, and [2] the interaction of the extended timeframes with the COBRA premium subsidy available under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).... [T]en examples [are] provided in the Notice."

"Notice 2021-58 provides that the disregarded periods for an individual to elect COBRA and make initial and subsequent COBRA premium payments (that is, under the outbreak period rules) generally run concurrently. The guidance includes a set of detailed rules that expand on this general concept."

11 pages. "This notice clarifies the application of certain extensions under [COBRA] for the election of COBRA coverage and payment of COBRA premiums under the Joint Notification of Extensions of Certain Timeframes for Employee Benefit Plans, Participants, and Beneficiaries Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak (Joint Notice) issued by the [DOL], the Department of the Treasury, and the [IRS] ... and the additional guidance provided by [EBSA] Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 ... This notice also addresses the interaction of COBRA continuation coverage under the Emergency Relief Notices with the COBRA premium assistance available for certain individuals under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 [ARPA].... DOL and HHS have advised the Treasury Department and the IRS that they concur with the guidance provided in this notice as applicable to the laws under their respective jurisdictions....

"Under the Emergency Relief Notices, up to one year must be disregarded in determining the due dates for individuals to elect COBRA continuation coverage and pay COBRA premiums during the Outbreak Period. This notice clarifies that the disregarded period for an individual to elect COBRA continuation coverage and the disregarded period for the individual to make initial and subsequent COBRA premium payments generally run concurrently....

"[In] no event will an individual be required to make the initial premium payment before November 1, 2021, even if November 1, 2021 is more than one year and 105 days after the date the election notice was received, provided that the individual makes the initial premium payment within one year and 45 days after the date of the election....

"The extensions of the timeframes under the Emergency Relief Notices do not apply to the periods for providing the required notice of the ARP extended election period or for electing COBRA continuation coverage with COBRA premium assistance under [ARPA]."

"Because the new projections show a continued high likelihood of insolvency at some point in the future, the report concludes that current premium levels ... would not support an increase in the multiemployer benefit guarantee level at this time. Given the significant uncertainty related to the impact of SFA on the projected solvency of plans, as well as the risk of insolvency of plans not eligible to receive SFA, the five-year report says, it is difficult to determine at this time what corresponding changes in PBGC's Multiemployer Program will be necessary to maintain long-term solvency."

"If PBGC issues a final rule that makes any changes affecting the amount of special financial assistance for a plan, any such changes will not reduce the amount of special financial assistance payable to any plan that successfully submitted its initial application for special financial assistance before the publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. Further, PBGC expects that if changes are made in the final rule and such changes would result in a greater amount of special financial assistance for plans that have already applied for, or received, special financial assistance before publication of the final rule, those plans will be able to receive the greater amount."

"[W]ise employers will make certain that their severance arrangements clearly state whether their COVID-19 Policies are or are not considered a work policy for purposes of the employer's severance arrangements.... [E]mployers that amended their severance arrangements to reflect the ARPA [COBRA] subsidy requirements may need to make additional updates at this time."

"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]"

"Under ARPA, a subsidy expiration notice must be provided where premium subsidy assistance will end as a result of the expiration of the individual's [1] subsidy period or [2] COBRA continuation period.... Because plan administrators must notify assistance eligible individuals at least 15 days before the subsidy expires, ... most notices must be mailed by September 15, 2021."

"If an AEI's period of coverage begins mid-month and extends into October, then the individual is entitled to the full subsidy for that entire period of coverage.... Unless the AEI is also reaching the end of the maximum COBRA coverage period at the end of September, the COBRA coverage must automatically continue, assuming that the AEI submits timely COBRA premium payments per the plan's normal COBRA procedures."