Insurance

Hacked! How to limit liability for employee data breaches

03/29/2012

Imagine this nightmare scenario: You’ve contracted with a vendor to enter personnel data into a new computer system, including employees’ Social Security numbers, addresses, names of dependents, health records and bank account routing numbers. Then the vendor notifies you that employee data was somehow stolen or lost. What do you do?

Game on! Supreme Court hears health care reform arguments

03/27/2012

The U.S. Supreme Court case everyone has been waiting for is finally here. The High Court began hearing oral arguments on the constitutionality of the landmark Affordable Care Act on March 26. An unprecedented six hours of arguments will set the stage for a decision—probably in late June—on whether “Obamacare” stays or goes. No matter how the court rules, it will affect HR for years to come.

Health savings accounts growing again

03/23/2012

After a recession-induced lull, health savings accounts (HSAs) regained popularity in 2011, and now total $12.4 billion in assets, spread over 8.4 million accounts.

How does the state’s civil union law affect employer-provided health benefits?

03/22/2012

Q. How does the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act affect health benefits?

LGBT employees get help with taxes on benefits

03/21/2012

Ernst & Young on Jan. 1 began reimbursing its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees for the additional federal and state taxes they pay on same-sex domestic partners’ medical benefits. The New York-based accounting giant is the first Big Four firm to offer the tax offset.

Uncle Sam lets HR off 2 health benefits hooks

03/16/2012

Insurance plan administrators no longer have to worry about offering optional long-term care coverage under the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, which was rolled into the health care reform law. And they have a temporary reprieve on providing employees and beneficiaries with a simple explanation of their benefits and a uniform glossary covering basic health insurance and medical terms.

Federal agencies offer potpourri of new benefits rules

03/15/2012

Here are digests of recent benefits rulings that will affect your Payroll operations: 1. Payroll off the hook for CLASS Act withholding. 2. Compliance with summary of benefits and coverage rules postponed. 3. HRA reporting under the Medicare-as-secondary-payer rule.

Employees must receive health benefits summary & glossary

03/13/2012

Employees can’t be wise consumers of health care services if they don’t understand their group health plans. Final regulations for implementing the Affordable Care Act health care reform law fill this informational gap by requiring all group health plans (including grandfathered plans, self-insured plans and plans not covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act) […]

5 questions to help you plan now for 2019 health insurance renewal

03/12/2012

Now is the time to start laying the groundwork on your next health insurance renewal go-round. An early start will give you a fighting chance to keep costs under control in 2019.

Cuyahoga expands benefits for gay workers’ children

03/05/2012

By a vote of 6-4, Cuyahoga County commissioners have approved a measure that will provide health insurance benefits to the children of gay partners of county employees.