Now more than ever: keeping you one step ahead so you never have to worry about being out of compliance.

Who would have thought that covering employees and their families years ago with a relatively straightforward medical plan would have morphed into the complex maze of rules, regulations, annual filings, testing, notifications, fines and penalties that it has today? You have enough to do each day and don’t have the time nor access to resources that we bring to bear for you. We clearly see our role as Chief Benefits Compliance Officers on your team and our goal is to keep your plans in full compliance and you out of hot water. From Health Care Reform to COBRA, ERISA, SPDs, 5500s we tell you what you need to know and what you need to do so you can focus on the many other aspects of your job knowing this is taken care of.

Health Care Reform
Without a doubt the most pressing issue you face today as it relates to your health insurance plans is health care reform. Sweeping changes signed into law in March 2010 usher in a series of major changes to health care that will take place over time including an end to preexisting condition limitations, lifetime maximums, dependent coverage to age 26, closing the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole”, and after early retiree reinsurance program to just name a few. In light of these significant changes to health care plans over the course of the next several years you need to evaluate the cost impact, take action, and make sure employees and senior management understand the ramifications.

Click on the links below to learn how health care reform affects upcoming plan designs, dependent coverage and reinsurance for early retirees.

• Upcoming Plan Design Issues
• Legislative Brief Health Care Reform Extension of Dependent Coverage to Age 26
• Reinsurance for Early Retirees

COBRA Administration
Let’s face it; no one likes COBRA administration and many continue to manually handle it in house. There is a better way. We can handle your COBRA administration from new hire to terminated employee notifications, monthly billing and collections. Our COBRA software maintains all critical elements of total COBRA administration. We can provide you with a Web-based portal to securely notify us of new hires and terminations which in turn is our queue to generate all of the necessary forms and paperwork.

Click the links below to read about the latest COBRA news you can use

• Legislative Brief – COBRA Premium Reduction Fact Sheet
• Legislative Brief – COBRA Premium Subsidy Answers for Employers: Reporting and Documentation

ERISA
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 lays a heavy burden upon plan sponsors. We can help you stay in compliance with ERISA by developing a calendar of deliverables.

Click the links below to read a checklist that will help guide you in determining if your welfare benefit plan is an ERISA plan, as well as General ERISA responsibilities:

• Determining Whether a Welfare Benefit Arrangement is an ERISA Plan
• Basics of ERISA Welfare Benefit Plans
• Electronic Distribution of ERISA Disclosures

SPDs
Summary Plan Descriptions are critical documents that participants must receive when they first enroll in your ERISA plans, when material changes have been made to the parameters of your plans and then redistributed at least every five years. Distribution can take on several forms in addition to printing and mailing. We created the benefits landing page so you can easily post your SPDs in one accessible location for all of your employees. We can help you draft the SPD and in turn distribute them to keep you in full compliance.

Click the link below to learn about what a Summary Plan Description is and what must now be included in a SPD:

• Summary Plan Descriptions

5500s
If your ERISA plans have 100 participants or more than you are required to file Annual 5500s for most of them. We can help.

Click the links below to discover the all-electronic EFAST2 system that allows the public to submit and access filings online, in addition to how to satisfy the annual reporting requirement by filing the Form 5500 Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan and any required attachments:

• Electronic Filing of Form 5500s Annual Return/Reports
• Form 5500 Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan

Miscellaneous
Learn about other compliance issues that concern employee benefits and health care reform.

Click the link below for an overview of some basic reporting and disclosure requirements that apply to group health plans and/or employers:

• Legislative Brief – Select Employee Benefit Compliance Timelines Regarding Disclosure Notices
• HIPAA – Disclosures of Personal Health Information

Contact us with specific compliance questions regarding your employee benefits plan or about how you might be affected by health care reform.