For the first time, all applicable large employers must comply with the Affordable Care Act's annual healthcare reporting requirements. Employers that averaged at least 50 full-time or full-time equivalent employees in 2014 must report specific 2015 healthcare information to the Internal Revenue Service. Reports for...
Telemedicine generally refers to the practice of using telecommunications technologies (phone, Internet, etc.) to diagnose and treat patients, and in case you haven't noticed, it's come a long way. Consider this: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services describes telemedicine as a cost-effective alternative to...
Controlling health insurance premiums was a primary goal of health care reform. Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), small group health insurers could vary premiums for a number of reasons, such as a group's overall health status, size, age, gender, history or industry. As a...
Once again, the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rests with the United States Supreme Court. Though the constitutionality of the ACA isn't being challenged in King v. Burwell, the stakes may be just as high. This case involves the interpretation and applicability of...
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees to file information returns with the Internal Revenue Service and provide statements to their full-time employees about employer-offered health insurance coverage. This information will be used...
Many employers offer benefits packages that provide employees with more than just health insurance coverage. Though some of these benefits, like pre-paid legal service plans, are clearly not health-related, others may provide employees with some health-related benefits. Does this mean they are subject to the...
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are designed to help employees prevent, identify and resolve various personal issues and matters. Many employers include EAPs in their benefits packages to enhance employee effectiveness and maintain workplace productivity. In addition to providing benefits like pre-paid legal, crisis intervention or...
Though the term ‘grandfathered' is commonly used when discussing group health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many people don't know what it means. ‘Grandfathered' is used to describe group health plans that are exempt from many of the ACA's provisions. These exemptions were...
Employers subject to the Affordable Care Act's Employer Shared Responsibility provisions may be assessed a penalty if they do not offer affordable health coverage that provides a minimum level of coverage to their full-time employees and their dependents. Whether an employer is subject to these...
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established employee pension and welfare plans in the private sector. To protect individuals in these plans, ERISA requires plan administrators, which are oftentimes the employers, to provide...