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Insurance

ACA: Health benefit waiting periods capped at 90 days

02/28/2014
Employer-sponsored group health plans cannot impose waiting periods that exceed 90 days after an employee is otherwise eligible for insurance coverage under a final Affordable Care Act rule issued Feb. 20 by the Obama administration.

Researchers: ACA will improve incomes of poor

02/28/2014
The ACA will raise household incomes for the poorest fifth of Americans, while higher income groups will experience small losses, according to a new Brookings Institution study.

Final rule delays ACA employer mandate

02/18/2014
The ACA’s employer mandate has been delayed until Jan. 1, 2016, for mid-sized employers, while compliance thresholds for large employers have been scaled back.

Survey: Employees like current health benefits, are open to ACA exchanges

02/12/2014
Most workers are satisfied with the health benefits they have now and aren’t interested in changing the current mix of benefits and wages offered by their employers, according to a new survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

ACA FAQ explains wellness issues

02/06/2014
The Obama administration has released its 18th round of frequently asked questions about implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Post-Windsor, what’s the tax status of benefits for same-sex married couples?

02/05/2014
Q. In the wake of United States v. Windsor, we have extended a number of our employee benefits to same-sex married couples. Can you provide any guidance on the proper treatment of flexible spending account (FSA) expenses and health savings account (HSA) and dependent care assistance program (DCAP) contribution limits for same-sex married couples?

ACA individual mandate could cost employers more

01/28/2014
Many employers anticipate spending more on health benefits this year as employees who previously declined insurance sign up in order to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.

Does workers’ comp cover injuries an employee suffers at a work-related social event?

01/24/2014
Q. Is an employee who injures himself at a ­company-sponsored picnic eligible for workers’ ­compensation?

Fired special needs therapist denied unemployment

01/24/2014
A former special needs therapist has lost her bid for unemployment compensation after a supervisor testified that the therapist told students she needed therapy herself because of the way the students behaved. The incident occurred while the supervisor was observing the class.

IRS issues integration rules for HRAs and FSAs

01/24/2014

You can go some way toward meeting the Affordable Care Act’s requirements that your group plan provide minimum value and is affordable by setting up health reimbursement accounts or health flexible spending accounts for employees. But according to new IRS guidance, these accounts must be integrated into your group health plan.