Since regulations and laws change regularly, the IRS keeps an Operational Compliance List (OCL) plan administrators can use to ensure the benefit plans they’re responsible for overseeing are in compliance with the latest rules. Recently, they released the changes that will be in effect this calendar year, which include the following important items:   Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Sections 41113 and 41114 Read More

COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended, generally gives employees who are leaving a company that has 20 or more employees the right to continue their health benefits for themselves and their dependents for a period after their departure. A recent court decision, Morehouse v. Steak ‘n Shake, Inc. out of the Southern District of Ohio, highlighted the importance of having a clear Read More

A recent, comprehensive court ruling in the Southern District of New York upheld an anti-assignment clause in a health plan. The court made a point of addressing each of the arguments advanced in Medical Society of the State of New York vs. UnitedHealth Group, (SDNY, March 28, 2019) to ensure clear precedent was set for future cases. While this isn’t the first court to rule in favor of the health plan on this issue, Read More

Between the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019" (the SECURE Act) currently under review in the House and the similar Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act of 2019 from the Senate, the stage is being set for small businesses to have more access to multiple employer plans (MEPs). MEPs allow unrelated employers, who would otherwise be too small to access competitive benefits packages, to Read More

Short for "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement," the SECURE Act of 2019 (the “Act”) that recently passed through the House Ways and Means Committee, and the similar Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act of 2019 from the Senate, aim to make significant retirement plan upgrades. The bill passed through committee unanimously and quickly, and it contains a handful of improvements for 401(k) plans and a Read More