Insurance

Most Nonprofits Aren’t Exempt From COBRA

05/01/2003

Q. We’re a nonprofit, and we offer health insurance to our employees. If an employee is enrolled in the health plan and voluntarily quits, are we required to offer COBRA? Or does our nonprofit status let us off the hook? —A.B., Tennessee

Safeguard your health data: HIPAA rules kick in April 14

03/01/2003

Reminder: If your company sponsors an employee benefit plan, it likely has to comply with new privacy standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s …

It’s OK to Offer Incentive to Drop Health Coverage

03/01/2003

Q. Due to rising premiums, our company is looking into alternatives to reduce our group health benefit costs. Several employees are on our plan and their spouses’ plan. They are willing to go off our group plan if we compensate them “x” amount of dollars each month. Is it legal to offer the medical insurance benefit or a cash alternative? —S.P., Michigan

Employee Can’t Claim COBRA if Not Enrolled in Plan

02/01/2003

Q. We offer insurance benefits that begin six months after hire. Due to changing business conditions, we had to terminate an employee after only 10 months on the job. But the worker wasn’t signed up for the health plan on his termination date. Does he now have any claim to COBRA? —M.R., South Carolina

Bush to halt Clinton-era rule opening UI funds for paid leave

01/01/2003

Acting to quiet business’s criticism and protect state unemployment insurance dollars, the U.S. Labor Depart-ment says it plans to repeal a Clinton administration regulation that gives states the option of dipping …

Person must be true employee to collect workers’ comp.

12/01/2002

Jerald Meyer was helping repair a wall at his wife’s restaurant when he fell from a ladder and suffered a serious brain injury. Meyer brought a claim under workers’ comp, claiming …

COBRA: Foolproof administration is key to compliance

12/01/2002

THE LAW. The federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 requires companies with group health plans to continue offering health insurance benefits to employees and their dependents for a …

Injuries from suicide attempt may be covered by workers’ comp

11/01/2002

A worker injured his back on the job and complained that he was suffering chronic pain as a result. He claimed the pain caused major depression and anxiety that drove him …

Regulating off-duty conduct: How far can you go?

11/01/2002

Say you find out that your sales manager is dating the marketing director of your biggest competitor. Or that your cashier has a bottle-of-scotch-a-day drinking habit after work. Can you fire …

You’re not liable for failing to solve worker’s benefit problem

10/01/2002

Larkin Watson had a chronic heart condition and missed many days of work. His supervisor suggested he reduce his hours from full- to part-time status, which he did. But when his …