On October 19, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2018 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan and fringe benefit limitations. Earlier in 2017, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2018 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts and high deductible health plans, and on October 13, 2017, the Social Security Administration announced the
Steve Brunn
2017 Cost-of-Living Adjusted Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
By Steve Brunn on
On October 27, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2017 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan and fringe benefit limitations. Earlier in 2016, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2017 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts and high deductible health plans, and on October 18, 2016, the Social Security Administration announced the…
2016 Cost-of-Living Adjusted Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
By Steve Brunn on
On October 21, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2016 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan and fringe benefit limitations. Earlier in 2015, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2016 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts and high deductible health plans, and on October 15, 2015, the Social Security Administration announced the…
Significant Changes To IRS Determination Letter Program
By Steve Brunn on
On July 21, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service announced significant changes to the determination letter program for qualified retirement plans. The IRS, in Announcement 2015-19, made it official that it will be ending its long-standing practice of issuing determination letters for individually-designed qualified plans, except in the case of a plan’s initial determination letter,…
What Does the Anthem Breach Mean For You?
By Steve Brunn on
In early February 2015, Anthem, Inc. reported that on January 29, 2015, it had discovered that it was the target of “a very sophisticated external cyber attack.” Anthem believes the attack happened over the course of several weeks, starting on December 10, 2014. Accessed information may have included the names, dates of birth,…
2015 Cost-of-Living Adjusted Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
By Steve Brunn on
On October 23, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2015 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan limitations. Earlier in 2014, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2015 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts and high deductible health plans, and on October 22, 2014, the Social Security Administration announced the 2015 cost-of-living adjustments…
Is the IRS's New "Use It or Lose It" Rule a Trick or a Treat?
By Steve Brunn on
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Benefits
On October 31, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service got into the Halloween spirit by giving what at first appears to be nothing but a treat to health flexible spending account participants. The IRS, in Notice 2013-71, modified the “use it or lose it” rule that applies to health flexible spending accounts. While this change…
2014 Cost-of-Living Adjusted Amounts for Employee Benefit Plans
By Steve Brunn on
On October 31, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2014 cost-of-living adjusted amounts for certain retirement plan limitations and limitations affecting certain fringe benefits. On May 2, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service announced the 2014 cost-of-living adjustments affecting health savings accounts, and on October 31, 2013, the Social Security Administration announced the…
Hold Everything: ACA Play or Pay Effective Date is Delayed
By Steve Brunn on
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Benefits
Ok, employers don’t need to hold everything. They should continue to prepare for the August 1 effective date of Minnesota’s new same-sex marriage law, and the September 23 effective date of new requirements under the HIPAA Omnibus Rule. And employers still need to make sure their wellness programs comply with final regulations issued earlier this…
Changes to HIPAA Privacy Requirements
By Steve Brunn on
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has issued additional requirements for covered entities that maintain protected health information or contract with a business associate for health plan-related services.
There are a number of technical changes made by the new guidance. The more significant changes are as follows:
- The extension of the privacy and
…