We have reported previously on the importance of understanding the coverage and reporting rules of the Affordable Care Act. In particular, Code Section 4980H imposes penalties on large employers for failure to offer minimum essential coverage to 95% or more of their full-time employees (and dependents) or to provide affordable, minimum value health insurance. Whether […]
If you need help determining whether you are an “applicable large employer” subject to these rules or estimating the extent of potential penalty exposure, our Employer Shared Responsibility Penalty Checklist for Employers may be a useful starting point. Copies are available on request.
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Since it was enacted in 2010, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”) has prohibited discrimination in covered health programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. As we have previously reported, the application of Section 1557 has proven controversial with several competing regulations and numerous […]
The Employee Plans Office of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) announced a new pre-examination program for retirement plans to begin as of June 2022. The pilot program is designed to reduce the amount of time and resources the IRS expends on plan audits, while affording plan sponsors the opportunity to identify and correct errors. […]
In Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (the “Release”), the Department of Labor (the “Department”) signaled its intention to scrutinize inclusion of cryptocurrency assets and crypto-derivative products as investments in ERISA-covered retirement plans. In particular, the Release articulates the Department’s view that offering exposure to this asset class – either in a plan’s investment lineup or […]
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued guidance to clarify the interaction between COVID-19 disaster relief and premiums due for continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”). As summarized here, the Joint Notice and the EBSA Disaster Relief Notice (the “Disaster Relief”) extended certain key deadlines in light of the COVID-19 […]
S&W Insight: The IRS clarified several trailing issues with respect to COBRA premium subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act, including extended election periods, eligibility for other coverage, and rules about allocating premium credits among employers. In addition, a notice deadline is on the horizon. Many employers have been grappling with the ramifications of the […]
Despite myriad legal challenges, the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) remains the law of the land. We previously reported on the Supreme Court’s latest validation of the law in our SW Benefits Update, “Three Strikes You’re Out – The Affordable Care Act Survives a Third Legal Challenge.” The Court’s ruling means that employers and their group […]
As we previously reported, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) provided for an employee retention credit (“ERC”) designed to encourage employers to retain workers during the COVID-19 crisis. In general, the ERC permits eligible employers to claim a refundable tax credit of a portion of qualified wages paid to employees […]
