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After so much ink spilled and heartache over health reform, plan sponsors might think the dust has settled and say: “The coast is clear. We can come out of hiding.” But if you thought that all this effort has totally clarified health reform (and if you think you know just what to do to comply), […]
It’s no surprise to most health plan administrators that the federal law on COBRA continuation coverage was used in a recent newspaper article as an example of “bureaucratic legalese.” In recounting efforts to push the “government to speak plainly,” the Dec. 2 Washington Post article said: If you want to understand Americans’ frustration with Washington, […]
Employers and plan administrators with multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs) that had not been required to file a Form 5500 for their MEWA may have to if a proposal by the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is adopted. EBSA on Dec. 6 published a proposed revision to Section 2520 of the […]
Here is a suggested charting system for tracking multiple leaves, says Southard, who is the founder of leave management firm Work & Well, and is principal of Southard Consulting in Somerville, NJ. Her remarks came at SHRM’s Annual Conference & Exposition, held recently in Las Vegas. FMLA Tracking Scenario #1 The facts: A Wisconsin employee […]
The quest to escape the upward premium spiral has hurt some small employers. Some have been hurt by fly-by-night Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) that ended up being unable to pay claims, says the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In its quest to stop such MEWAs, DOL is proposing new enforcement and oversight rules. DOL […]
What’s Happened in Leave Land? The first challenge is the multiplicity of types of leave entitlements—workers’ compensation, short-term disability, FMLA, Military FMLA, state family leave, paid family leave, and the ADA. The result? Potential stacking of up to 5 or more types of leave, says Southard. The second big factor, she adds, is the explosion […]
Employers that sponsor health plans might get rebates from their group health insurers thanks to health reform, but if they do, they are required to pass the proper amount of the rebate on to employees. Under the medical loss ratio (MLR) rule (mandated by the 2010 reform law), health insurers must spend a minimum percentage […]
Here’s Oswald’s take on the “F” Word: According to the article the writer analyzed 50 recent news releases announcing coaching changes in college football and basketball. Of the 50 releases reviewed, not a single one contained the word “fired” — zip, zilch, nada. “How can that be?” Well, while none of the coaches was fired, […]
On Jan. 1, employers in San Francisco will have to make sure that employee health reimbursement accounts the city requires them to fund are available to employees for two years, not just one. Amendments to the Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) add to the requirements the city already has in place to establish access to universal […]
California, along with twenty other states and the District of Columbia, bars discrimination in both private and public employment on the basis of sexual orientation.