The Department of Health and Human Services has issued some new "frequently asked questions" for its Affordable Care Act pages, and new guidelines that require group health plans to expand what they are required to cover with no cost-sharing.
The new FAQ section expands the age group for which insurers must cover colonoscopies and adds some women's services that must also be covered with no out-of-pocket costs on the part of the insured patient.
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One way you can give your staff more choice in the employee benefits they receive is to offer them a cafeteria plan, which allows them to put together a benefits package that works best for them.
Employers fund these flexible benefit plans with funds that are deducted from their employees' salaries on a pre-tax basis. Since the salary reductions are not received by the employee, they are not considered wages for income tax purposes. As rising health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs for health care are burdening workers, more employers are looking for ways to help their staff put aside money for those expenses.
While health savings accounts have grown in popularity, you can only offer them to employees who are enrolled in high-deductible health plans. Fortunately, there is another option: a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). A new report has concluded that the Affordable Care Act, which took full effect in 2013, did not result in a significant change in the number of employers offering health insurance, although the rate at which small employers offered coverage declined slightly by 2.6 percentage points between 2013 and 2020.
The study by the Urban Institute found that the small-group health insurance market remained relatively stable during those seven years, a period marked by employers continuing to shift more of the premium burden to their employees. Starting Jan. 15, the nation's health insurers have been required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home rapid COVID-19 tests per month for their health plan enrollees.
Insurers are taking different approaches to the mandate and, as an employer, you should communicate with your covered staff about this new benefit, how it works and other advice. The time when the IRS offers relief from financial penalties to employers that make errors on their group health insurance reporting forms has come to an end.
Starting this year, the IRS will no longer offer protection against reporting error penalties when "applicable large employers" (ALEs) file their Forms 1094-C and 1095-C and the employer has made a good-faith effort to comply. The change starting with the 2021 tax reporting year means that employers can face steep penalties for mistakes on their forms. A new study has found that more than one in four U.S. workers say expensive medical bills are having a major impact on their mental health.
Mental health issues have come to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic, spurring employers to expect their group health plans to do more for their workers in this area. The report on the study by the health care consulting company Centivo urges employers to consider new ways to reduce the medical financial burden some of their employees may be experiencing. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued guidance stating that employees suffering from "long COVID-19" may be protected under workplace disability discrimination statutes.
The guidance states that someone suffering from impairments resulting from long-haul COVID-19 symptoms can be considered "disabled" under the Americans with Disabilities Act and entitled to the same treatment as other disabled workers. But not in every case Studies have found that 93% of employees opt for the same benefits every year and that 35% of workers don't fully understand the benefits they are enrolled in.
Both of these issues can lead to workers skipping necessary appointments, check-ups and treatment regimens for chronic conditions, which in turn puts their health at risk. Not to mention, they are likely wasting money as a result. Here's how you can help. As we enter 2022, there are a number of changes on the horizon that plan sponsors need to be aware of as they will affect group health plans as well as employees enrolled in those plans.
Some of the changes concern temporary rules that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, new rulemaking is likely to be introduced in 2022. Here's what you can expect going into next year. |
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