Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

August 14, 2015

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Employee Benefits Jobs


Webcasts and Conferences

RITA IRA Institute: A Focus on Self-directed IRA Administration and Investments
September 2, 2015 in NJ
(Retirement Industry Trust Association [RITA])

Future of Employer-Sponsored Health and Retirement Benefits
September 30, 2015 in DC
(Worldwide Employee Benefits Network [WEB] - Washington Metropolitan Chapter)

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[Official Guidance]

CMS Solicits Comments on ICD-10 Draft Crosswalk for Fiscal Year 2016 HHS-HCC Risk Adjustment Model (PDF)
"The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) has been developed as a replacement for ICD-9-CM and is scheduled to be implemented in the United States beginning on October 1, 2015... All data reporting for the HHS-operated risk adjustment program must include ICD-10-CM codes for claims with dates of service on or after October 1, 2015.... [CMS] encourage[s] issuers to provide feedback ... by August 31, 2015." (Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight [CCIIO], Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS])  


[Advert.]

Mercer Select's Guide to ACA Employer Shared Responsibility

Sponsored by Mercer Select

Fortify your compliance efforts with the Guide to ACA Employer Shared Responsibility. This 300-page resource will help you understand your obligations, identify compliance steps, and set a play-or-pay strategy. Contact us at select@mercer.com.



[Guidance Overview]

IRS Issues New Draft Forms for ACA Reporting
"The new drafts largely follow the forms issued for those who voluntarily chose to report information for 2014. The most significant changes include additional procedural guidance on obtaining extensions and filing corrections, instructions for governmental employers on designating another governmental entity to complete the reports, and clarifications on the reporting of coverage for COBRA participants." (Ballard Spahr LLP)  

1094/1095 Reporting is Getting Legislative Attention
"Patterned after other ACA actions, the legislation would delay mandatory reporting requirements and instead replace them with an interim voluntary program. Employers would only need to report coverage offering and status for those employees who the IRS advises the employer have received an advance premium tax credit. Further, protection would be added regarding Social Security number reporting security." (Frenkel Benefits)  

Combining HSAs with High-Deductible Health Plans: A Cost Control Strategy
"While about half of large employers offered an HDHP in 2009, nearly three out of four did so in 2014. In addition to saving on health care costs, HSA-HDHPs may help employers avoid triggering the so-called 'Cadillac Tax.' ... To achieve significant savings, an employer may need to completely replace its health plan options with an HSA-HDHP.... Employees may adapt to the change more easily if it is phased in over several years." (Marsh Consulting Group)  

Health Spending Acceleration in 2015 is Moderating
"National health spending in June 2015 was 5.7% higher than in June 2014, down from the 8-year high growth rate of 6.7% in the first quarter of 2015. The 5.7% growth rate is still, however, higher than the new [CMS] 2014 estimate of 5.5%. The health spending share of gross domestic product was 18.1% in June, barely below the all-time high of 18.2% first recorded in March 2015." (Altarum Institute)  

San Francisco Boosts Employer Health Care Spending Mandate for 2016
"Beginning on Jan. 1, 2016, employers with 100 or more employees in San Francisco will be required to spend $2.53 per hour per covered employee on health care, up from $2.48 in 2015 ... Employers with between 20 and 99 employees will have to spend at least $1.68 per hour, up from $1.65 per hour. Employers with fewer than 20 employees are exempt from the requirement." (Business Insurance; free registration required)  

The Ramifications of Repealing the Individual Mandate
"[The authors] explore the effects of eliminating the mandate on health insurance enrollment and individual-market premiums. [They] find that repealing the requirement would significantly reduce health insurance enrollment and cause individual market premiums to rise." (The Commonwealth Fund)  

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

[Official Guidance]

Text of IRS Disaster Relief for Victims of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides and Mudslides in Kentucky
"The President has declared Carter, Johnson, Rowan, and Trimble counties a federal disaster area.... [C]ertain deadlines falling on or after July 11, and on or before Nov. 2, have been postponed to Nov. 2, 2015. This includes the Sept. 15 estimated tax deadline and the Oct. 15 deadline for those who received an extension to file their 2014 return. A variety of business tax deadlines are also affected[.]" (Internal Revenue Service [IRS])  

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