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| Health Care Reform
Update
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November, 2011
The Health Care Reform legislation (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “PPACA”) requires group health plans (including grandfathered plans) to prepare and issue to participants a four page (two sided) Summary of Benefits and Coverage (“SBC”) in a prescribed format incorporating a “uniform glossary.” Proposed regulations released in August provided a March 23, 2012 effective date for compliance with the SBC requirements, and invited comments on the proposed regulations.
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August,
2011
What You Can Do in
Response to PPACA? A comprehensive PowerPoint Presentation. Health
Care Reform: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
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August,
2011
Health Care Reform legislation (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “PPACA”) imposes additional claims processing requirements on subject group health plans and insurers. There are new claims notices, revised procedures and, for self-funded ERISA plans, a Federal external claims review requirement.
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more...
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April,
2011
In a significant legislative development, the President recently signed a bill that repeals the PPACA requirement for businesses to report all purchases of goods and services from a single vendor of more than $600 in a calendar year on IRS Form 1099-MISC. This legislation eliminates a previously postponed requirement that had been the target of advocacy groups as unduly burdensome for small business owners.
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more...
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Nondiscrimination
Rules Postponed
PPACA nondiscrimination rules for nongrandfathered, insured group health plans – and substantial penalties for not complying with the new rule – have been postponed by a recent notice issued jointly by the IRS, Department of Labor and Department of Health and Human Services (Notice 2011-1).
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more...
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December 13, 2010
External Claims Review
There are a number of reasons an eligible group health plan may want to qualify as a “grandfathered” plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(“PPACA”).
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more...
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November
11, 2010
The
“grandfathered” plan rules allow group health plans in
existence on March 23, 2010 to avoid certain requirements of the
Health Care Reform legislation (“PPACA”). So, under Health
Care Reform, “if you like your current plan, you can keep it.”
One problem for the smaller plans...
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Click
here for all of our Health Care Reform Updates >>
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Recent Articles
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2011
Year End Compliance Checklist
(November
2011)
- It is not too early for employers, benefit plan administrators, HR professionals and plan service providers to consider compliance issues that require attention by the end of 2011
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The
VEBA Solution
(October
2011)
- Recent studies have determined
that a typical married employee will have to fund an average of $260,000
in post-retirement medical expenses over the balance of the employee’s
and spouse’s lifetime.
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Rethinking
ERISA Releases
(August
2011)
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In addition to making sure that your release form satisfies all applicable ADA requirements, it should also include language from the Howell case that now has been approved by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Benefits
Compliance Checklist: 2010 Year End
(December
2010)
- Most of us think of 2010 as being the year of Health Care Reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, or
“PPACA.” While year end action is required for PPACA compliance (for calendar year plans), a number of other areas require attention as
well.
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401 (k) Plan
Checklist (PDF)
(October
2010)
- Every year it is important that you review the requirements for operating your 401(k) retirement plan. Use this checklist to help you keep your plan in compliance with many of the important
rules.
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Health
Care Reform: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
(September
2010)
- Unless you frequent tanning salons, it is likely that the Health Care Reform legislation, PPACA (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), has had no impact on you or your health insurance coverage.
The first real steps towards PPACA’s implementation are effective for plan years starting on or after September 23, 2010, including new health plans adopted on or after that
date.
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Health
Care Reform: 2010 Participant Notice Requirements
(August
2010)
- Health Care Reform (the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act) will not kick into high gear until
2014, but plan sponsors and HR staff need to take compliance action now.
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Workplace
"Mooning" Not Gross Misconduct Under COBRA
(July
2010)
- The Department of Labor issued a
determination that "mooning" a co-worker did not amount to
"gross misconduct" that would disqualify her from COBRA
continuation coverage.
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Click
here to see our complete list of Benefits Bulletins |
Benefits Law
Group of Chicago, a web site maintained by the Employee Benefit
Department of the Chicago, Illinois law firm, Aronberg Goldgehn Davis
& Garmisa, provides information on:
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Employment and employment law,
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Group health insurance (including COBRA and HIPAA),
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Pension and
retirement plans (including IRAs, 401(k) plans, thrift plans, ESOPs and
IRS compliance resolution system filings),
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ERISA and ERISA compliance
(including benefit claims and fiduciary duties),
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Qualified domestic
relations orders (QDROs), age discrimination and gender discrimination,
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Executive compensation (including deferred compensation and non-compete
agreements as well as Section 409A compliance),
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Other
state and
federal employment matters, including ADA, ADEA and Illinois employment law.
Benefits Law Group of
Chicago
is a resource for HR professionals and human resource departments of
private companies and not-for-profit organizations such as hospitals and
medical centers, universities, associations and charitable
organizations.
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