The US Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed changes to the Form 5500 and schedules that will affect ERISA Title I group health plans of all sizes, but small group health plans should be especially aware of the changes. Certain
Benefit Notes
Understanding Employee Benefits
Benefit Notes, published by Stinson LLP, focuses on legal developments and compliance issues related to employee benefit plans and retirement plans. The blog covers topics such as annual limits and cost-of-living adjustments for qualified retirement plans, risk management in retirement plan litigation, legislative changes affecting health savings accounts and flexible spending arrangements, and regulatory updates impacting health plan compliance including HIPAA and mental health parity laws. It provides guidance on plan administration, fiduciary responsibilities, and the implications of recent court rulings and federal agency actions for employers and plan sponsors.
Latest from Benefit Notes - Page 6
EEOC Issues New Wellness Guidance
By Stinson LLP
My colleagues in the Labor and Employment Group have published an Alert on the new wellness guidance from the EEOC. It is linked here.
What You Say in Your SPD About Claims Processing Makes a Difference
By Stinson LLP
Employers who self fund their medical plans often have contracts with their third party administrators about claims processing. Some of those contracts provide that the claims processor has discretion to decide claims; others provide that the claims processor is simply…
Bad COBRA Notices Can Cost You
By Stinson LLP
Sun Trust Bank was sued in a class action challenging its COBRA notice. The plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit claimed that the COBRA notice was materially deficient in that it failed to provide the name and address of the party…
Beware the Retroactive QDRO
By Stinson LLP
Employers know that they must honor qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) that assign a portion of a retirement benefit to a participant’s former spouse, known as an alternate payee, when the participant and alternate payee divorce. Those orders by law…
Time to Review Plan Subrogation Procedures, Part 2
By Stinson LLP
I blogged a few days ago about the U.S. Supreme Court decision making it harder for plans to recover from a third-party settlement fund for the amount the plan paid when a participant is injured by that third-party. A recent…
Time to Review Plan Subrogation Procedures
By Stinson LLP
Most self-funded ERISA medical plans provide that participants who have been injured by other people (think car accidents) must reimburse the plan if the participant recovers from the other person for those injuries. In order to obtain that reimbursement, a…
EEOC Loses Another Wellness Case, Part 2 – Beware the ACA Penalties
By Stinson LLP
In my last blog post, I discussed a recent loss by the EEOC in its efforts to limit the ability of employers to require employees to complete health risk assessments (HRAs) or biometric screenings in order to enroll in…
EEOC Loses Another Wellness Case, Part 1
By Stinson LLP
The EEOC has been bringing lawsuits against employers challenging wellness programs. A recent case involved a company that had previously provided a credit to employees enrolled in the health plan who participated in a health risk assessment (HRA) and biometric…
FICA Lawsuit Settles For Over $3 Million
By Stinson LLP