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Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

April 26, 2021

6 New Job Opportunities

 

[Guidance Overview]

IRS Confirms Government Employers -- Even Large Ones -- Are Now Eligible for COVID-19 Leave Tax Credits

"Formerly limited to private-sector employers with fewer than 500 employees, the credit is now available to many state and local governmental bodies ... The 500-employee limit does not appear to apply to governmental employers ... Employers claiming the credit are permitted to keep federal employment taxes that they otherwise would have deposited, ... up to the amount of the credit for which they are eligible[.]"  MORE >>

Franczek P.C.

[Guidance Overview]

Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Law Coming to New Mexico

"New Mexico passed a statewide paid sick leave law, requiring all private employers with one or more employees to provide eligible employees with paid sick leave. The law becomes effective July 1, 2022.... Employee is broadly defined to include an individual employed by an employer for remuneration, including part-time, seasonal, and temporary basis employees."  MORE >>

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

[Guidance Overview]

California Labor Commissioner Provides Clarification of 2021 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Provisions

"The Labor Commissioner has clarified that an employer must provide supplemental paid sick leave to an eligible employee 'immediately upon the oral or written request' of the eligible employee.... The new law provides an additional bank of time for COVID-19 related reasons."  MORE >>

Jackson Lewis

[Guidance Overview]

California's COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Mandate Brings Logistical Difficulties

"When an employee seeks time off under SB 95, the company can't require medical documentation unless there's reason to believe the employee isn't being truthful ... Also, employers generally can't require an employee to use other paid or unpaid leave -- such as accrued vacation time or sick time -- before using SB 95 leave."  MORE >>

Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM]; membership may be required to view article

[Guidance Overview]

Show Employees You 'CARE' with Student Loan Repayment Assistance

"Prior to the CARES Act, any payments made toward an employee's education assistance were deemed as taxable wages to the employee, also resulting in payroll taxes charged to both the employer and the employee. Now an employer is eligible to contribute up to $5,250 as a tax-free reimbursement to each qualifying employee, per calendar year, saving the company payroll tax costs."  MORE >>

EisnerAmper

[Guidance Overview]

American Rescue Plan: How to Navigate New Continuation Coverage Standards for COBRA

"In order to prepare for implementation of these requirements, employers should ensure that their records are able to identify assistance eligible individuals and confirm whether their group health plan providers will be facilitating ARPA compliance and distribution of applicable notices.... COBRA compliance is ultimately the responsibility of the Plan sponsor, even if third party service providers have been engaged."  MORE >>

Goodwin Procter

Court Finds Cost of Missed Heart Transplant Could Be Appropriate Equitable Remedy

"The court ... concluded that ... if the estate [were to be] successful in proving that the defendants had breached their fiduciary duties with the delayed manner of processing the decedent's urgent claim as he lay dying from heart failure, liability in the amount by which the defendants were enriched (i.e., the cost of the requested heart transplant) could be an available and appropriate remedy." [Rose v. PSA Airlines, Inc. Group Insurance Plan, No. 19-695 (W.D.N.C. mag. rep. Mar. 25, 2021)]  MORE >>

The Wagner Law Group

Seventh Circuit Holds USERRA May Require Paid Leave to Reservists

"The Seventh Circuit refrained from actually determining whether sick and jury duty leave are comparable to military leave, however, remanding that determination to the trial court. The White court emphasized the importance of evaluating comparability with the DOL's three-factor test: considering the duration of the leave together with its purpose, and the reservist's ability to choose when to take leave." [White v. United Airlines, Inc., No. 19-2546 (7th Cir. Feb. 3, 2021)]  MORE >>

Vedder Price

Employee Benefits Demand Has Changed During the Pandemic (PDF)

"Increased demand for mental health benefits, as well as queries about how best to share information about options have kept employers and brokers busy during the pandemic.But early worries about increased costs tied to hospitalizations or claims turned out to be unfounded in most cases[.]"  MORE >>

Buffalo Business First

Medical Stop Loss Coverage: Premiums Up 8% for 2021

"Among plans that bid or renewed their stop-loss coverage, 86 percent stayed with the incumbent insurer. High-cost claimants with $100,000+ paid claims per year account for less than 1 percent of all claimants but 25 percent of total medical plan claim expenses in a typical year."  MORE >>

Segal

Employee Benefits Jobs

View job as DC/DB Retirement Plan Administrator
for Steidle Pension Solutions DC/DB Retirement Plan Administrator

Steidle Pension Solutions

Telecommute / NJ / PA

View job as DC/DB Retirement Plan Administrator
for Steidle Pension Solutions

View job as Senior Retirement Analyst
for Dunbar, Bender & Zapf, Inc. Senior Retirement Analyst

Dunbar, Bender & Zapf, Inc.

Telecommute / Pittsburgh PA

View job as Senior Retirement Plan Customer Consultant
for PAi Retirement Services, A Newport Company Senior Retirement Plan Customer Consultant

PAi Retirement Services, A Newport Company

Telecommute / De Pere WI / Sioux Falls SD

View job as Growth Support Specialist (Entry-Level)
for PAi Retirement Services, A Newport Company Growth Support Specialist (Entry-Level)

PAi Retirement Services, A Newport Company

De Pere WI

View job as Employee Benefits Associate
for Shipman & Goodwin LLP Employee Benefits Associate

Shipman & Goodwin LLP

Hartford CT / New Haven CT / Stamford CT / Washington DC

View job as Supervisory General Attorney
for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC] Supervisory General Attorney

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC]

Telecommute / Washington DC

Press Releases

Attorney Valerie McCormack Joins The Wagner Law Group

Wagner Law Group P.C.

Ascensus to Be Acquired by Stone Point Capital and GIC from Private-Equity Consortium

Ascensus

Webcasts and Conferences
(Health & Welfare Plans)

What to Expect from a Health Plan Investigation

May 6, 2021 WEBCAST

Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA], U.S. Department of Labor

Last Issue's Most Popular Items

You've Sent the COBRA Special Extended Election Period Notices. What's Next?

Proskauer

Insurance Arrangement That Could End-Run ACA Goes Before Federal Appeals Court

BenefitsPro; free registration required

DOL Issues Model COBRA Subsidy Notices and FAQs

Mintz

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BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter, ISSN no. 1536-9587.

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