On June 20, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Treasury (Treasury) (collectively, the Departments) published their final rules regarding health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and other account-based group health plans. The DOL also issued a news release, frequently asked questions, model notice, and model attestations.

DOL’s Annually Adjusted Federal Penalties

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department  of Health and Human Services (HHS) (collectively, Departments) released two final rules on contraceptive coverage exemptions. These rules finalize the Departments’ interim final rules that were published on October 13, 2017. HHS also issued a press release and fact sheet on these final rules.

On August 20, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) posted the Association Health Plans ERISA Compliance Assistance fact sheet.

On August 20, 2018, the IRS added a new Q&A 18 to its Questions and Answers on Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions Under the Affordable Care Act. Q&A 18 confirms that:

On August 3, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Labor (collectively, the Departments) published a final rule that amends the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance. HHS also released a fact sheet on the final rule.

On June 19, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published Frequently Asked Questions About Association Health Plans (AHPs) and issued a final rule that broadens the definition of “employer” and the provisions under which an employer group or association may be treated as an “employer” sponsor of a single multiple-employer employee welfare benefit plan and group health plan under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

In March, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) updated its model Premium Assistance Under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program notice, otherwise known as the CHIP notice. (This update is standard process, and usually happens biannually.)

Your new position just got approved and, finally, that mission-critical headcount addition is green-lighted. Celebration ensues until the actual work of finding the ideal candidate begins. The first step is to get a job description. In some cases, a perfectly vetted position analysis and description may exist, one that captures the particulars and purpose of the job. For those not fortunate enough to have a compensation professional providing such information, the search to find the right words to describe the work begins. So launches the journey of a thousand words cut-and-pasted from Indeed.com.

No two Department of Labor (DOL) audits are the same, yet there are typical questions asked and documents requested. See our recent blog on the Seven Common Mistakes That Could Trigger a DOL Audit. If you are audited, it’s recommended that questions received be sorted and color-coded based on what the question references (for example, third-party administrator, client answered, etc.). In addition, keep a log of each request and the document(s) provided in response to that request. A separate file folder for each request will help organize that task. Luckily, the DOL seems to be very receptive to an organization’s preparedness. It certainly makes the auditor’s job easier when a company has everything already in place and doesn’t require time to gather it all.

Not many things incite more fear than receiving a notice that you’re about to have an audit, especially from the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL is a cabinet-level department of the U.S. federal government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. It is headed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor.