Consultant II, Compliance - Retirement
CUNA Mutual Group
in WI

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Health Savings Account Basics
November 13, 2018 WEBCAST
HealthEquity

Tips to Maximize your Health Savings
November 14, 2018 WEBCAST
HealthEquity

Health Reform: From the Midterms to 2020
November 16, 2018 in DC
Health Affairs

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[Guidance Overview]

Expanded Usability of HRAs Under the Proposed Rule

"Integrated HRAs may be particularly attractive to small employers who are not required to offer coverage under the employer mandate but who wish to provide workers with health care coverage as a means of attracting talent and retaining employees.... Under the Proposed Rule, an employer would not be permitted to offer both an Integrated HRA and an Excepted Benefit HRA to the same employee, but an employer could offer one of these HRA arrangements to one class of employees and the other HRA arrangement to a different class of employees."
Drinker Biddle

[Advert.]

Now is the time to become a member of ECFC

ECFC is dedicated to maintaining and expanding employee benefit programs on a tax-advantaged basis. Members include employers, TPAs, health plan providers, brokers, payers, providers, payment networks, processors, and financial institutions.

Managing Pharmacy Costs Through Focused Analytics (PDF)

"This article discusses the importance of focused analytics that include retrospective and prospective reviews of internal and external forces. Plan sponsors can optimize their pharmacy management by evaluating past experience, benchmarking experience against the industry, aligning program goals, and responding to industry changes." [Article starts at page 5.]
Milliman

Tips to Avoid Compliance Missteps During Open Enrollment

"Accuracy and clear communication are key to foreclose future benefit claims and litigation.... [P]ay close attention to how ... voluntary benefits are described and endorsed and what administrative tasks you are performing for these benefits. A misstep risks tripping the voluntary plan safe harbor and subjecting these plans to one or more of ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other compliance mandates.... [E]nsure your enrollment vendor is able to provide records of employees that waived and enrolled in group medical benefits.... Carefully review all language in open enrollment materials, which are rife with potential problems."
BenefitsPro

Massachusetts Employers Must Complete New Health Insurance Responsibility Disclosure Form by November 30

"Massachusetts employers with six or more employees are required to annually submit the new Health Insurance Responsibility Disclosure (HIRD) form, regardless of whether they offer health insurance to their employees or not.... The new HIRD form only consists of a single employer form, which only needs to be completed once annually."
Epstein Becker Green

Data Analytics in Health Care and Benefits: Key Trends to Track in 2019

"[1] Expanding use of wearable technology to drive wellness ... [2] Enabling consumers to make better-informed health care decisions ... [3] Deeper data analytics to match benefit options to employee needs."
Benefitfocus

[Advert.]

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs): Compliance Obligations Under the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA

Nov. 28 webinar. Although HSAs have numerous tax advantages, it is easy to inadvertently fail to satisfy the requirements. This webinar will help health plan administrators navigate this sometimes treacherous terrain. BenefitsLink discount.

Finding the Payoff from Happier, Healthier Employees

"[A]reas where companies can leverage their investment in self-funding to improve employee well-being: [1] Using data to design your wellness program.... [2] Taking advantage of flexibility in plan design.... [3] Creating a culture that reinforces well-being."
The Alliance

Automobile Insurer Not Required to Reimburse Group Health Insurance Plan Under Automobile Liability Policy's Medical Expense Coverage

"[To] invoke the 'right to recovery' provisions, the coverage provided by both Security Health and American Family has to be a 'plan' as defined under [Wisconsin statutes]. The court ... ruled that American Family's [automobile liability] coverage was not a 'plan' for two ... reasons: [1] the medical expense coverage in the American Family policies was not 'required by law' because Wis. Stat. Section 632.32(4)(bc) specifically states that a named insured may reject medical expense coverage; and [2] the American Family medical expense coverage was not a 'no-fault' contract because 'no-fault' did not refer to medical expense coverage in an automobile insurance policy issued in Wisconsin." [Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc. v. American Standard Ins. Co. of Wisconsin, No. 2017AP1914 (Wis. App. Ct. Oct. 25, 2018; unpub.)]
von Briesen & Roper, s.c.

Healthcare Data Breach Enforcements and Fines

"[1] While enforcement activities and fines are projecting upward, they appear stable between 2014‑2015. [2] Only a minority of investigations lead to fines and penalties. [3] Cooperation in government-initiated compliance reviews is key to reducing the risk of a penalty. [4] Having multiple incidents, even if minor on their own, tends to trigger an investigation and lead to fines and [Resolution Agreements]. [5] All entities, regardless of size, are at risk of being found non-compliant and facing large fines in an investigation."
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

[Opinion]

Trends in Health Premiums: Stairway to Hell (With Apologies to Led Zeppelin)

"[H]ealth spending under employer-sponsored insurance has increased faster than inflation.... [T]here are many reasons for employers' reluctance to embrace ... value-based strategies, including a lack of resources, the complexity of developing and implementing creative benefit designs, concerns about employee complaints (especially in a tight labor market), and a sense of futility based on past experience. But we should recognize and encourage those employers that are taking up the challenge."
Bill Kramer, in Health Affairs

[Official Guidance]

Text of IRS Disaster Relief Notice AL-2018-06, for Victims of Hurricane Michael in Alabama

"Victims of Hurricane Michael that took place beginning on Oct. 10, 2018 in Alabama may qualify for tax relief ... Individuals who reside or have a business in Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Mobile counties may qualify ... certain deadlines falling on or after Oct. 10, 2018 and before Feb. 28, 2019, are granted additional time to file through Feb. 28, 2019."
Internal Revenue Service [IRS]

Press Releases

Moss Adams Combines with Baker Peterson Franklin, Expanding Presence in Fresno and Central California Region
Moss Adams

Hancock Announces Leadership Changes in Retirement Plan Services
John Hancock Retirement Plan Services

Fiduciary Investment Advisors Recognized by Schwab Advisor Services with the 2018 Best-in-Retirement Business IMPACT Award
Fiduciary Investment Advisors, LLC [FIA]

José Martin Jara Appointed Vice-Chair of ABA American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Fiduciary Responsibility, Administration, and Litigation Committee
CKR Law

NFP Acquires Cambridge Consulting Group, LLC, Scaling Benefits and Wealth Offerings
NFP Corp.

OneAmerica Surpasses $2 Billion Milestone in Retirement Plan Sales
OneAmerica

View All Press Releases

Most Popular Items in the Previous Issue

Massachusetts Unveils New Employer Health Insurance Reporting Requirement
The Wagner Law Group

Checklist for Evaluating Business Associate Compliance with HIPAA
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

PCORI Fee Increases to $2.45 per Covered Life
Lockton