EEOC Addresses Mandatory Vaccinations in Updated Guidance on COVID-19 and the ADA
Posted 12.18.20
On Dec. 16, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued additional answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about how employers should comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal fair employment laws while also observing all…
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PCORI Fee Amount Adjusted for 2021
Posted 12.01.20
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a fee on health insurance issuers and self-insured plan sponsors in order to fund comparative effectiveness research. These fees are widely known as Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees, and were originally scheduled to…
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HR Toolkit – Remote Employee Well-being
Posted 11.04.20
Well-being refers to wellness in all aspects of life, including, but not limited to, physical health, mental health, social health and financial health. The concept of well-being can have implications on an employee’s overall quality of life, health and happiness.…
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The Catch-Up Payment Provision for Overtime Exempt Employees
Posted 11.01.20
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final rule on defining and delimiting the exemptions for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales and computer employees (EAP employees) became effective Jan. 1, 2020. Among other things, the final rule updated the standard salary…
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Final Rule on Health Care Transparency Issued
Posted 10.29.20
On Oct. 29, 2020, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued a final rule regarding transparency in coverage that imposes new transparency requirements on group health plans and health insurers in the…
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Work Opportunity Tax Credit Available Through Dec. 31, 2020
Posted 10.28.20
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers that hire individuals from certain “targeted groups” that have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. Initially enacted in 2007, the WOTC was originally set to expire…
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No Change in 2021 Limits for Qualified Transportation Benefits
Posted 10.28.20
Internal Revenue Code Section 132(f) allows employers to offer a qualified transportation benefit program to their employees on a tax-free basis. Under this type of program, employees can choose to have money withheld from their taxable compensation to pay or…
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Tufts Health Plan / Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Combination
Posted 10.28.20
Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care have been working on plans to integrate the two organizations since the announcement of their intent to combine last year. Beth Roberts, current senior vice president of Harvard Pilgrim’s Commercial business, will…
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IRS Announces 2021 Retirement Plan Limits
Posted 10.27.20
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Notice 2020-79, containing cost-of-living adjustments for 2021 that affect amounts employees can contribute to 401(k) plans and IRAs, most of which remain unchanged. The following limits increased for 2021: The annual limit for…
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Health FSA Limit will Remain the Same for 2021
Posted 10.27.20
On Oct. 27, 2020, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2020-45 (Rev. Proc. 20-45), which announced that the health FSA dollar limit on employee salary reduction contributions will remain at $2,750 for taxable years beginning in 2021. An employer may continue…
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Final Forms and Instructions for 2020 ACA Reporting Released
Posted 10.20.20
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final 2020 forms and instructions for reporting under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 6055 and 6056. 2020 Form 1094-B and Form 1095-B (and related instructions) will be used by providers of minimum essential coverage…
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How the 2020 Election Could Affect Health Care
Posted 10.20.20
The chart below provides a brief overview of each candidate’s health care platform, planned COVID-19 response and stance on the open U.S Supreme Court seat, so that you can better understand how this election may affect the employee benefits landscape.…
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