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Ethics
December 4, 2014 WEBCAST
(ASC Institute)

Settling Pension Liabilities Efficiently
December 12, 2014 WEBCAST
(Mercer)

SHOP Marketplace Series
December 16, 2014 WEBCAST
(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS])

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[Guidance Overview]

Chart of Disallowed Pay-or-Play Tactics
"The chart ... summarizes: [1] the disallowed strategies; [2] the reasons why they were disallowed; [3] the penalties that may apply to applicable large employers that persist in pursuing these strategies; and [4] other relevant facts and concerns." (E is for ERISA)  

[Advert.]

WEB's mission is to further the development of benefits professionals

We are committed to helping define the role of the benefits professional in the 21st century, and as changing market forces reshape the profession, WEB will help its members meet the challenges ahead.

Daily Employer-Provided Meals: As Taxable as They Are Delicious?
"The IRS's guidance plan suggests that the agency is considering issuing guidance clarifying whether these employers should be including these meals in their employees' gross incomes, and paying employment taxes (that is, FICA, FUTA and federal income tax withholding) for them. Many taxpayers, not surprisingly, do not think that such benefits are taxable. So what is the right answer? Are such meals taxable fringe benefits? The answer to this question, as is so often the case to the frustration of clients everywhere, is 'it depends.' " (Bloomberg BNA)  

CEOs Threaten to Pull Tacit Obamacare Support Due to Wellness Lawsuits
"Leading U.S. CEOs, angered by the Obama administration's challenge to certain 'workplace wellness' programs, are threatening to side with anti-Obamacare forces unless the government backs off... 'The fact that the EEOC sued is shocking to our members,' said Maria Ghazal, vice-president and counsel at the Business Roundtable ... 'There have been conversations at the most senior levels of the administration about this,' she added. Business Roundtable members are due to meet Obama in a closed-door session on Tuesday [December 2], where they may air their concerns." (Reuters)  

ACA Court Challenge by Congress Puts Focus on Funding Powers
"Under this part of the law, insurance companies must reduce co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for some people in health plans purchased through the new public insurance exchanges. The federal government reimburses insurers for the 'cost-sharing reductions.'... The White House established a budget account for cost-sharing subsidies, but no money has been deposited in or paid from it. In a report last year, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said it appeared that there was no appropriation for cost-sharing subsidies[.]" (The New York Times; subscription may be required)  

Healthcare.gov's Insurance Marketplace for Small Businesses Gets Off to a Slow Start
"The main businesses that might benefit from the new marketplace, brokers said, are the relatively few -- with fewer than 25 workers and specified salary levels, and meeting other federal rules -- that qualify for tax credits through the SHOP exchange. Those credits last for just two years. 'You really run out of reasons to go into the SHOP,' said Nicholas Moriello, a broker in Newark, Delaware ... 'We've only had a small handful of businesses dipping their toe in the water. Less than five.' " (The Washington Post; subscription may be required)  

[Advert.]

Discover the different types of health exchanges and how they work

December 10 webinar. Exchanges are a primary mechanism to help individuals and employers make better healthcare decisions and control costs. Take a deep dive into the different types of exchanges, how they work and who can enroll. BenefitsLink discount.

More Competition Seen as Premium Restraint
"The number of insurers offering silver plans, the most popular type of plan in 2014, is increasing in two-thirds of counties, according to the analysis. In counties that are adding at least one insurer next year, premiums for the least expensive silver plan are rising 1 percent on average. Where the number of insurers is not changing, premiums are growing 7 percent on average." (Healthcare Payer News)  

How Do Alternative Payment Models Fit In with State and National Reform Efforts?
"The Affordable Care Act has affected health care at almost every level. Extensive experimentation within states continues to create changes. Given all these shifts, it is helpful to step back and consider how alternative payment models fit in with these reforms, and why they are critically important." (Health Affairs)  

Online Tool: Interactive Health Insurance Marketplace Premium Calculator, Revised for 2015 Figures
"The Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator provides estimates of health insurance premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own in health insurance exchanges (or "Marketplaces") created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With this calculator, you can enter your income, age, and family size to estimate your eligibility for subsidies and how much you could spend on health insurance. You can also use this tool to estimate your eligibility for Medicaid." (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)  

[Opinion]

360 More Pages of ACA Regs Released on Friday Before Thanksgiving Week
"Not much of what was done will impact employers directly and there are certainly no immediate action items to address. But some of the moves clearly illustrate the Administration's continued effort to sweeten the pot to insurers and appease its constituency. Insurers continue to grow squeamish. They are looking at meager enrollment numbers, unhealthier than anticipated enrollees and a growing political clamor to make changes to PPACA that would harm their bottom line -- namely, a repeal of the employer and individual mandates as well as the Three Rs (Bailouts) Program." (Benefit Revolution)  

[Opinion]

Wellness Plan Litigation Puts CEOs on Collision Course with Obamacare and Common Sense
"[On] Tuesday, December 2, the Business Roundtable's (BRT's) CEO is having a sit-down meeting with President Obama to demand exactly the opposite of what all the evidence shows: more flexibility and less enforcement to do wellness as the ACA empowers them to. In particular, they want the Administration to call off the EEOC watchdogs... The BRT's goal is to allow companies to punish unhealthy workers to the limits of the [ACA's] wellness provision.... In essence, the BRT leadership wants to make their employees love wellness whether they like it or not." (Al Lewis and Vik Khanna, in The Health Care Blog)  

[Guidance Overview]

Treasury Department Regulatory Agenda, Fall 2014
A list of upcoming regulatory projects of the Treasury Department, including the Internal Revenue Service [IRS]. Also available: Fall 2014 Statement of Regulatory Priorities. (U.S. Department of the Treasury)  

2014 Year-End Employee Benefit Plans Compliance Advisory
"The 2014 end-of-year rush seems somewhat less frantic than in years past. Nevertheless, with a month left in the year many employers may find themselves scrambling to meet plan amendment and notice deadlines, and planning for 2015 may still be in process for some. This summary discusses a few key developments regarding employee benefit plans -- especially group health plans -- for employers to consider as they finish 2014 and move into 2015." (Verrill Dana LLP)  

Using Consumer Behavior to Create a More Effective Benefits Enrollment (PDF)
16 pages. "The value of choice in benefits selection becomes a factor when examining the differences between age cohorts and other demographics currently comprising the workforce. Although one size does not fit all even within a generation, benefits choices that acknowledge the different needs and desires of employees across ages and cultures are more likely to produce the range of options and benefits education channels that appeal to most workers. However, increased personalization brings with it increased complexity." (Colonial Life)  

The Principal Financial Group Names Houston President & COO
The Principal Financial Group

567 Ways to Claim Social Security: Which is Best for Your Client?
Securian Financial Group

Trest Benefit Solutions, LLC Announces Strategic Partnership with Aon Cornerstone
Trest Benefit Solutions, LLC

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