
Articles
Preparing for the Supreme Court Decision on the Affordable Care Act
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Supreme Court is expected to issue its decisions on questions related to The Affordable Care Act (ACA) by the end of June. It would not be an exaggeration to say that millions of words have already been written regarding the Supreme Court’s review of the ACA.
Estimated Cost Impact of the ACA Reinsurance Fee on Employer Plans
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released final regulations regarding the transitional reinsurance program that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires each state to establish beginning in 2014. The transitional reinsurance program is intended to help stabilize premiums in the individual market during the first three years that the state-based exchanges are in effect (2014 – 2016).
New Guidance on $2500 Health FSA Limit
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The IRS has released Notice 2012-40 which provides welcome guidance to employers regarding the $2500 limit on Health FSA (HFSA) pre-tax contributions imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Most significantly, Notice 2012-40 clarifies that the $2500 limit only applies to HFSA plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2013.
Documentation Risks in Electronic Medical Records
Monday, May 14, 2012
Many organizations are rushing to get Electronic Medical Records (EMR) programs implemented or enhanced in order to take advantage of the monetary incentives currently being offered for participation in the “Meaningful Use” program. While one of the goals of electronic documentation is to improve the quality of the patient visit, certain practices could actually do more harm than good.
IRS releases 2013 HSA limits
Monday, May 14, 2012
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the HSA limits for the calendar year 2013. Revenue Procedure 2012-26 details the maximum contribution and the deductible and out-of-pocket limits.
Hospitality Industry Risks: Data Privacy and Security
Monday, May 14, 2012
Most hospitality businesses allocate time and capital to efficiently collect and process data in order to improve sales, customer service and loyalty, and operations efficiency. Technological advances have made it easier to manage a wide range of information about customers, vendors, and employees.
Strategies for a Firming Insurance Marketplace
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The insurance marketplace took it on the chin in 2011. Recent estimates peg the total economic loss resulting from last year’s collection of catastrophic events at over $350 billion, the most costly year on record.
Handling Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Rebates
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurers are required to disclose the percentage of medical plan premium that is spent on claims and health quality improvement initiatives versus the portion spent on administration, marketing, and insurance company profits.
IRS Issues Proposed Rules on ACA Research Fees for Health Plans
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The IRS has issued proposed rules addressing the comparative effectiveness research fees imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on health insurance carriers and plan sponsors of self-insured health plans. The IRS is taking comments on the proposed rules for 90 days and is expected to issue final regulations shortly thereafter.
Background
Record Retention for Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Like the proverbial "stitch in time", the efficient filing of benefit plan records inevitably saves time, resources, and anguish otherwise spent searching for documents needed at a later date. Moreover, the law penalizes the failure to maintain certain records.
The State of the Surety Industry and You
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
For the most part, with a few notable exceptions, sureties have had a good run over the last few years. It is somewhat counterintuitive that surety results would be so positive during this very challenging economic period, but that can be understood chiefly by two things: surety results historically lag the general economy by 18 months or more and surety underwriters have been relatively disciplined.
Taking Advantage of the Biggest Gift the IRS Ever Gave
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
On December 17th, 2010 the President signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Jobs Creation Act of 2010 which contained dramatic, yet temporary, changes to the federal transfer tax system (estate, gift and generation skipping taxes).
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