ERISA Legal Consultant
Pension Consultants, Inc.
in MO

Employee Benefits Sales and Service Manager
CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors
in AZ, CO, WA

Pension Fund IT Department Manager
IUPAT Industry Pension Fund
in MD

Health & Group Benefits Consultant
Milliman
in TX

Compliance Consultant
Pinnacle Financial Services, Inc.
in FL

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Liability Insurance for ERISA Plan Sponsors: Maximizing Coverage Under Employee Benefits and Fiduciary Liability Policies
June 4, 2015 WEBCAST
(Strafford)

Potpourri of Recent Updates in Qualified Plans
June 18, 2015 in OH
(ASPPA Benefits Council [ABC] of Cleveland)

Learn to Leverage LinkedIn to Grow Your Business
June 18, 2015 in IL
(ASPPA Benefits Council [ABC] of Chicago)

IRS Reporting Requirements: What You Need to Know
June 23, 2015 WEBCAST
(First Advantage)

Fiduciary Best Practices and Protections: Lessons Learned from ERISA Litigation
August 13, 2015 in OR
(ASPPA Benefits Council [ABC] of Great Northwest)

IRA Beneficiary Distributions
August 18, 2015 WEBCAST
(Ascensus)

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[Guidance Overview]

Health Plans May Need to Change Out-of-Pocket Maximums to Comply with New Guidance
"One adjustment that could be made to bring the plan into compliance is to retain the family deductible or out-of-pocket maximum of $8,000, but 'embed' individual out-of-pocket maximums that satisfy the new guidance. The plan could embed individual out-of-pocket maximums of $6,860 in 2016. HSA-compatible HDHPs cannot embed an individual deductible that is lower than the statutory minimum family deductible ($2,600 for 2015)." (Quarles & Brady LLP)  

[Advert.]

Well-Being Bootcamp for HR, Wellness & Benefits Professionals

Through case studies and presentations by forward-thinking employers and leaders, this HRCI accredited meeting delivers a fresh look at the evolution of wellness and building programs founded on reconciling business goals with employee health accountability.

[Guidance Overview]

Self-Funded and Large Group Plans May Need 'Embedded' Cost-Sharing Limits in 2016 (PDF)
"Some third party administrators (TPAs) and insurers currently have system or technical limitations that could affect an employer's approach to complying with the embedded self-only OOP maximum requirement. Therefore, an employer should consult with its claims administrator to determine if such limitations exist -- and if so, what plan design changes would be required.... Additionally, employers with carve-out benefits (e.g., prescription drugs) should ensure that the embedded self-only OOP maximums incorporate those benefits. Hospitals with multi-tier in-network benefits will also need to coordinate compliance with this OOP requirement across all in-network tiers." (Buck Consultants at Xerox)  

[Guidance Overview]

First Pensions, Now OPEB: New GASB 74 and 75 Will Transform OPEB Reporting
"Although the implementation dates are almost 3 years away, employers should take action now to prepare. Some questions to ask include: [1] How can I develop and implement an OPEB funding policy over the next few years? ... [2] What plan benefit adjustments and investment policy changes are available to lower my long-term OPEB liability? ... [3] What is my strategy to educate stakeholders about OPEB promises and their potential financial impact under the new GASB 74/75 requirements?" (Van Iwaarden Associates)  

Is an Employee's Text Enough to Establish Notice of Need for FMLA Leave?
"Although the trial court had dismissed Delbert's FMLA claims, the appellate court breathed life into his case, finding that Delbert's vague text message and vague report from his girlfriend could have constituted notice of the need for FMLA leave.... Bucking precedent established by other courts, this court ignored Tyson's unambiguous call-in policy and allowed an employee 's personal texting practice to trump the Company's call-in policy.... The court certainly was influenced by evidence indicating that Delbert and his supervisor regularly communicated by text message and, in particular, on previous occasions when he would be absent." [Hudson v. Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., No. 14-1852 (8th Cir. May 22, 2015)] (FMLA Insights)  

Incentives Increase Wellness Uptake But Are No Panacea
"[I]ncentives had less of an effect at employers with 'comprehensive' programs, defined as those with extensive screening, lifestyle management and disease management services. These employers reported 52 percent participation even without incentives, 56 percent with rewards only and 71 percent with penalties." (Thompson SmartHR Manager)  

Little-Known Federal Health Regulation Is Hitting Up Business for Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
"[F]or certain kinds of high deductible health plans, the federal government just issued an ironically named 'clarification' which confusingly reverses those earlier requirements, effective immediately, or maybe effective in 2016 ... [T]he regulation can be read either way. The 'clarification' says that [the maximum out of pocket (MOOP) limit] applies separately to each individual 'embedded' in a family plan, so each person covered under a plan has the individual cap.... AHIP estimates 17.5 million Americans are enrolled in the kind of plans subject to this embedded MOOP rule.... [E]mployers will be out hundreds of millions of dollars because federal officials changed the rules mid-game." (Forbes)  

Most Employers Not Dropping Insurance Due to Obamacare
"Americans still largely received health insurance through their work over the past few years, even with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act in fall 2013. In March, 83 percent of all employees said in a recent survey they were offered health insurance through their employers, compared with 82.3 percent in June 2013[.]" (Washington Examiner)  

As Blue Shield Fights Tax Exemption Loss, Scrutiny Turns to Nonprofit Hospital Giants
"In March, the California Franchise Tax Board revoked Blue Shield of California's tax-exempt status ... At the same time, the insurer's now-former public affairs director Michael Johnson quit in protest ... 'We may have come to a point where the usefulness of a nonprofit like Blue Shield has been outlived,' Johnson said. 'When they were first launched, health insurance didn't exist; it enabled people to see doctors and go to hospitals. Now that we have for-profit companies providing that service, nonprofits should either find other ways to be able to serve the public and provide access, or to make the decision: 'We've served our purpose and it's time to disband and the assets can go back to the public.'' " (Healthcare Finance News)  

Obamacare Health Insurance CO-OPs Are Unraveling
"The spectacular failure of CoOportunity Health was a wakeup call to other health insurance cooperatives, state insurance commissioners, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Congress and taxpayers. But it won't be the last COOP that goes broke, owing taxpayers large sums of money. Going forward, state insurance regulators and other government regulatory bodies need to be on the lookout for COOPs that employ strategic plans premised on losing money while gaining market share -- expecting taxpayers to bail them out. This strategy will likely play out again and again until most of the COOP health insurers lose all their taxpayer financing and go bankrupt." (National Center for Policy Analysis [NCPA])  

Florida to Review Proposed Obamacare Rate Hikes for First Time
"A 2013 law barred the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation from regulating proposed rates in [ACA] plans ... That meant the office spent the first two years of the ACA's enforcement in review-only mode, determining if rates were in compliance with state and federal rules but unable to act if they weren't. That law expired this year. Insurance office staff actuaries will now be able to review the insurers' proposed changes and have the final say in whether the proposals are justified ... If not, insurers will have to file new rates or, in certain cases, may appeal the decision." (Kaiser Health News)  

More Than 1.3 Million Floridians May Lose Their Obamacare Subsidies, More Than Any Other State
"Those Floridians received an average subsidy of $294 a month in March to reduce their premiums ... Among those Floridians, nearly 1 million also received financial aid from the government to reduce their out-of-pocket costs, such as co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles. That means Floridians received at least $389 million in March from the federal government to help pay for their health insurance." (Kaiser Health News)  

Pennsylvania Governor Plans State Insurance Exchange to Protect Subsidies
"Pennsylvania on Tuesday became the only additional state to announce that it had applied to set up an exchange by Monday's federal deadline. Governors in a handful of other states have discussed the idea but ... are waiting for the court's decision before stepping into a situation that all sides agree could create chaos for consumers, health-care providers, and the insurance industry." (Kaiser Health News)  

AB Launches Multi-Manager Target-Date Collective Investment Trust Portfolios
Mercer

The Retirement Advantage Enhances Website
The Retirement Advantage [TRA]

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