Employers and employee organizations are often looking for new, creative ways to expand, streamline, or restructure employees’ health benefits.  Starting in January 2020, employers may offer two different health reimbursement arrangements (“HRA’s”) to their current employees.  Typically, employers offer HRAs for retirees through collective bargaining agreements but do not offer them for current employees because

This Special Bulletin was authored by Heather DeBlanc and Amit Katzir.

A federal district judge in Texas ruled last Friday that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate was unconstitutional and that the ACA’s other provisions were therefore also invalid.

The decision centers around the ACA’s “shared responsibility payment,” a penalty on

This post was authored by Erin Kunze and Heather DeBlanc.

1. Written Statement to Covered Individuals Now Due March 2, 2018 for the 2017 Calendar Year Reporting Period

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued an automatic, 30-day extension for applicable large employers to furnish IRS Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to covered individuals.  For

This post was authored by Heather DeBlanc

Over the last year we watched multiple unsuccessful attempts to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”).  Now, ACA’s reporting deadlines are merely months away and the chance of repeal is low.  Employers who are “applicable large employers” (“ALEs”) and Employers who offer self-insured

iStock_000066252725_LargeOne of the first acts of the new Administration was to issue an Executive Order (the “Order”) “Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Pending Repeal.”  The Executive Order, which is in line with the President’s campaign platform to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), provides:

“It is

Healthcare.jpgThis Special Bulletin was authored by Heather DeBlanc and Shardé Thomas.

On July 8, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released proposed regulations implementing some of the rules previously announced in IRS Notice 2015-87.  The proposed regulations will apply for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2016.

Among other topics, Notice 2015-87 introduced a

iStock_000066252725_LargeAt the beginning of each calendar year  all employers who are considered “Applicable Large Employers” (“ALE”) under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) Employer Mandate Regulations will be required to file with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) annual information returns concerning the health care coverage offered to full-time employees.  Employers may be assessed penalties for failures

Affordable Care ActThis post was authored by Heather DeBlanc and Stephanie Lowe

Two recent developments have surfaced impacting the application of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) for employers.  The first development is the postponement of the Cadillac Tax until 2020.  The second development is the IRS’s recently released Notice 2015-87, which provides guidance and clarification on the