February 27, 2020

Some interesting developments recently took place in the world of cafeteria plans and ancillary benefits as the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020 (FCAA) was signed into law by the President. This law, including the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, contained comprehensive retirement-related provisions, but also included some implications for health and welfare benefits. 

November 25, 2019

You likely have a primary care physician and hospital relatively close by, but there may be times when you need to travel outside your local area to see a specialist for diagnosis and/or treatment. Medically related travel expenses can add up quickly, and your healthcare FSA or HSA can be used for many of them. What's eligible?

November 25, 2019

Large employers may have the resources to prepare custom plan documents and Summary Plan Descriptions (SPD) for each employee benefit plan they offer. Most smaller employers, however, lack the time, money and expertise to prepare these documents and keep them up-to-date. One simple and cost-effective solution is the wrap document. 

November 25, 2019

The state of California has enacted Assembly Bill No. 1554 (AB-1554) into law, which becomes effective January 1, 2020. The law imposes new notification requirements for California employers that sponsor a health flexible spending accounts (FSA). California employers must notify FSA plan participants of the “use it or lose it rule," using at least two different forms, before each plan year’s end. 

November 25, 2019

The IRS has issued proposed regulations that provide additional guidance to employers intending to offer an Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA) for 2020 and beyond. The guidance confirms and clarifies the safe harbor provisions that were initially outlined in IRS Notice 2018-88. The proposed regulations are meant to help employers determine whether their ICHRA is affordable, and clarify the ICHRA nondiscrimination testing requirements.

November 25, 2019

Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives Republican Study Committee (RSC) released a comprehensive proposal to address perceived weaknesses in Americans’ access to quality, affordable healthcare. The proposal includes changes intended to significantly expand the use of health savings accounts (HSAs). 

On October 23, the House Ways and Means Committee passed three bipartisan healthcare bills that expand and improve the usage of health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA). The bills, which reflect employer recommendations for modernizing and enhancing rules, would make several updates to current law. 

November 25, 2019

During the third quarter, Chard Snyder processed a large volume of plan participant appeals regarding timely claim filing. Through investigation of each one of these appeals, a common theme surfaced that the employee was either never made aware or not sufficiently reminded of their filing deadlines and other terms of their benefits. Here are some best practices around claim filing that we feel could enhance your employees’ experience.

August 27, 2019

Before healthcare benefit debit cards became available, flexible spending account (FSA) and health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) participants had to pay for their eligible expenses at the time of purchase, submit claim forms along with all receipts, and then wait for reimbursement to be processed.

August 27, 2019

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor have jointly issued final regulations that create two new types of HRAs—the Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA) and the Excepted Benefit HRA (EBHRA). The final regulations, which are applicable to plan years on or after January 1, 2020, give employers and employees more options when purchasing health insurance and covering out-of-pocket expenses.