Trade Bill Increases ACA Reporting Penalties;
Most employers are familiar with the penalties assessed to applicable large employers that fail to offer minimum essential coverage that is minimum value and affordable. In addition to being required […]
U.S. Supreme Court Finds Same Sex Marriage Is Protected by the 14th Amendment
The Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v Hodges, that the 14th Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex, and to recognize a […]
Transitional Reinsurance Fee Filing Date Extended to December 5
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the deadline for group health plans to complete their 2014 transitional reinsurance fee (TRF) submission. The announcement, which was released […]
2015 Cost-of-Living Adjustments
The IRS has issued the cost-of-living adjusted figures for qualified plans and for several fringe benefits for 2015. Of particular interest to many employers are: • An increase in the […]
Requirement to Obtain a Health Plan Identifier (HPID) Delayed
On Friday October 31, 2014 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) quietly updated its Health Plan Identifier information page to delay the requirement that insurance carriers and self-funded […]
Highlights of Wellness Program Requirements
The wellness program rules provide an exception to the general rule that employers may not take a person’s health status into account with respect to eligibility, benefits, or premiums under […]
Frequently Asked Questions about Grandfathered Plans
As employers determine their plan designs for the coming year, those with grandfathered status need to decide if maintaining grandfathered status is their best option. Innnovative, in conjunction with our […]
Essential Health Benefits, Minimum Essential Coverage, Minimum Value Coverage – What’s The Difference?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) uses terms that sound alike for three very different things. Here’s a closer look at these terms, and when they’re used. Essential […]
Update: Same-Sex Marriages and Group Health Benefits
On October 6, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to review seven cases in which the lower appeals court had ruled that a state law or constitutional […]
Compliance Alert! Deadline Approaching for Larger Self-Funded Health Plans To Obtain a Health Plan Identifier Number
To meet federal requirements, large health plans must obtain a national health plan identifier number (HPID) by November 5, 2014. For this requirement, a large health plan is one with […]
