Retirement Plan Account Manager
NFP
in NC, SC

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TIAA CREF
in ANY STATE

Document Analyst
TIAA CREF
in ANY STATE

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Milliman
in CA

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Stones River Consulting
in ANY STATE

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Growing Pension Company
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New Developments in Executive Compensation
October 30, 2014 WEBCAST
(Conference Board, The)

Affordable Care Act Tasks: HPIDs and Transitional Reinsurance
November 5, 2014 WEBCAST
(Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP)

Retirement Plan Fee Litigation: The Plaintiff's Perspective
November 20, 2014 in CA
(Western Pension & Benefits Council - Orange County Chapter)

ESOP Distribution Policies
November 25, 2014 WEBCAST
(National Center for Employee Ownership)

Keeping Current
December 2, 2014 WEBCAST
(SunGard Relius)

1099-R: An Ongoing Challenge
December 8, 2014 WEBCAST
(SunGard Relius)

View All Webcasts and Conferences

[Official Guidance]

2015 Instructions for IRS Forms 1099-SA and 5498-SA (PDF)
"File Form 1099-SA, Distributions From an HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA, to report distributions from made from a health savings account (HSA), Archer medical savings account (Archer MSA), or Medicare Advantage MSA (MA MSA). The distribution may have been paid directly to a medical service provider or to the account holder. A separate return must be filed for each plan type.... File Form 5498-SA, HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA Information, with the IRS on or before June 1, 2016, for each person for whom you maintained a health savings account (HSA), Archer medical savings account (Archer MSA), or Medicare Advantage MSA (MA MSA) during 2015." (Internal Revenue Service [IRS])  

[Advert.]

Set Yourself Apart From Your Peers With the CEBS Designation

Co-sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the CEBS designation gives you the knowledge and confidence to succeed in today's business environment. Learn More!

[Guidance Overview]

CMS Clarifies Health Plan ID Requirement for Wrap Plans
"While this clarification may be good news for many employers, remember that CHPs that do not qualify for the 'small controlling health plan' exception are required to obtain HPIDs no later than November 5, 2014." (Littler)  

[Guidance Overview]

HHS Releases Additional Guidance on HPID Requirements (PDF)
"Sponsors of self-insured large health plans must apply for an HPID for each controlling health plan by November 5, 2014. Guidance issued [on Oct. 27] confirms that employers can obtain just one HPID for each ERISA plan.... The ability to treat an ERISA plan as a [Controlling Health Plan (CHP)] with a single HPID will greatly ease the HPID application process for employers. CHPs must also certify compliance with electronic transactions by December 31, 2015. Fewer HPIDs should also help with that compliance requirement." (Buck Consultants at Xerox)  

Health Benefit Cost Trends in 2015: Expect More Variation (PDF)
Infographic. "Health benefit plan cost trend rates for 2015 are forecast to drop slightly for some coverage, but increase substantially for prescription drug coverage.... Open-access preferred provider organization (PPO) and point-of-service (POS) plans show a marginal decline.... Prescription drug carve-out coverage is projected to jump substantially for both actives and retirees under 65 and retirees 65 and older." (Segal Consulting)  

2014 IRPAC Public Report: Trouble Ahead in Determining 2014 Minimum Essential Coverage
"Tax professionals will be confused about what type of documentation to accept in preparation of individual income tax returns for 2014 regarding [minimum essential coverage (MEC)]. The chart on the IRS webpage about the individual shared responsibility provision lists 28 examples of differing types of health insurance coverage. IRPAC commends IRS for the detailed listing of coverages and the work that was involved in the listing. The difficulty will be for taxpayers to match the type of coverage from the list to the coverage they have. This is especially true for the examples of coverages with references to special federal laws. Combining the complexity of tax rules together with the complexity of understanding health insurance creates a near perfect storm for taxpayers and tax professionals." (Information Return Reporting and Advisory Committee [IRPAC], Internal Revenue Service [IRS])  

[Advert.]

24th Annual National Health Benefits Conference & Expo (HBCE)

Plan now to attend the National Health Benefits Conference & Expo, January 27-28 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The conference provides cutting-edge case studies and advanced cost control strategies presented by national thought leaders. Register Now!

District Court Finds New Rules on Contraceptives to Be Too Demanding for Religious School
"The Obama administration's attempt last summer to find a new way to give religious non-profit groups an exemption from the new health care law's mandate for birth-control services did not go far enough, a federal judge in Florida decided in a temporary ruling on Tuesday.... Ave Maria University sent HHS a written notice that it was a religious organization and that it was claiming the exemption, but it did not include any information about the insurer of its employee health plan, did not provide information for contacting the insurer, and did not name its plan or identify its type. Organizations like Ave Maria University have contended that it would violate their religions to do anything to implement the birth-control mandate to which they object for religious reasons, beyond simply claiming the exemption -- period." [Ave Maria University v. Burwell, No. 13-cv-630-JSM-CM (M.D. Fla. Oct. 28, 2014)] (SCOTUSblog)  

Insurers Limit Access to Pricey Drugs for Hepatitis C Patients Unless Illness Is Advanced
"Faced with a cost per patient of roughly $95,000 or more for a 12-week course of treatment, many public and private insurers are restricting access to those who already have serious liver damage. Other strategies that limit access include restricting who can prescribe the drugs or requiring early proof the drug is working before continuing with treatment. In addition, many state Medicaid programs require that patients be drug and alcohol free for a period of months before they can get the hepatitis C drugs." (Kaiser Health News)  

Amount of Savings Needed for Health Expenses for People Eligible for Medicare: Good News Not So Rare Anymore (PDF)
"In 2014, a man would need $64,000 in savings and a woman would need $83,000 if each had a goal of having a 50 percent chance of having enough money saved to cover health care expenses in retirement. If either instead wanted a 90 percent chance of having enough savings, $116,000 would be needed for a man and $131,000 would be needed for a woman.... Savings targets declined between 2 percent and 10 percent between 2013-2014. For a married couple both with drug expenses at the 90th percentile throughout retirement who wanted a 90 percent chance of having enough money saved for health care expenses in retirement by age 65, targeted savings fell from $360,000 in 2013 to $326,000 in 2014." (Employee Benefit Research Institute [EBRI])  

What Will Be the Impact of the Employer Mandate on the U.S. Workforce? (PDF)
"Fewer than 10 percent, less than 0.3 percent of the U.S. labor force, might see reductions in employment or hours in the short run. Over time, employment patterns might change, leading to fewer firm sizes and work schedules near the thresholds, potentially affecting up to 0.5 percent of the workforce." (The Commonwealth Fund)  

[Opinion]

Obamacare and the Language of Law
"In the text of ObamaCare there are 58 iterations of the word 'behalf,' and not a one of them is connected to 'State.' ... ObamaCare is a federal program; compliance is handled by a federal agency, our beloved IRS. In establishing federal exchanges, the feds weren't doing anything on 'behalf' of the States." (American Thinker)  

Impact on Employee Benefit Plans of the Supreme Court's Recent Actions on Marriage
"[F]or employee benefit plan issues that are not dictated by the Code or ERISA -- such as designing the eligibility of a health or welfare plan -- the recent Supreme Court decision does not directly impact an employer's ability to decide whether to extend coverage to a same-sex spouse. As the law stands today, sponsors of self-insured health plans may continue to choose whether or not to offer coverage to same-sex spouses (and a state law that provides otherwise should be preempted by ERISA).... [This article includes] a list of the protections and rules that currently apply under ERISA and the Code to 'spouses,' using the IRS's and DOL's definition that looks to the state of ceremony for determining the legality of the marriage." (Ogletree Deakins)  

Annual Compensation Planning Analysis Flat, Consistent with Last Year’s Results
Sibson Consulting

Portfolio Approach Reduces Open Enrollment ‘Benefits Fatigue’
Navera

Five Years Later, FAIR Health Continues to Help Shape the Healthcare Landscape
FAIR Health

Aon Recognized as Captive Manager of the Year and Employee Benefit Specialist of the Year at the 2014 US Captive Service Awards
Aon Corporation

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