Webinar On Change Readiness - Recent Federal Regulations Affecting Employee Benefits

Overview:

This webinar will discuss the latest developments related to health care reform, including the penalties that apply to large employers in 2015. The penalties will apply to even more employers in 2016 and this webinar will describe the differences between the rules for 2015 and 2016. In order to describe the penalties, the webinar will define such terms as applicable large employer, full-time employee, minimum essential coverage, minimum value coverage and affordability.

This webinar will also describe the rules employers with 50-99 employees must follow in order to qualify for transitional relief from the penalties in 2015. This webinar will also describe the rules related to measurement, administrative and stability periods that apply for new hires who are part-time, seasonal or variable hour employees and the measurement, administrative and stability periods for ongoing employees. This webinar will also describe the rules related to waiting periods and orientation periods. 

This webinar will also describe the new reporting requirements that apply to employers and self-funded health plans. The webinar will also discuss the latest guidance related to employer payments for individual health insurance policies. In accordance with a Supreme Court ruling, certain privately held corporations are exempt from the requirement to cover all oral contraceptives. This webinar will describe the Administration's rules for these employers to follow in order to be exempt.

This webinar will also describe the cost-of-living adjustments that are effective for 2016. This webinar will also discuss new regulations related to the rules for certain benefits, known as excepted benefits, that are not subject to some of the rules under health care reform or certain requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

In addition to new final regulations on excepted benefits, there are new proposed regulations, which will also be discussed. New guidance has been issued with regard to health care reform in the Territories and this will be covered, too. New rules related to exchanges, summaries of benefits and coverage and reference-based pricing will also be discussed. The new carryover rules for health flexible spending accounts will also be covered. This webinar will detail cost-of-living adjustments to the maximum out-of-pocket limit, health flexible spending accounts and wages under the small employer tax credit.

The webinar will also describe the impact of health care reform on the small employer exception under mental health parity. This webinar will include a reminder of recent changes to HIPAA rules made by regulations under the HITECH Act. The webinar will describe new situations under whichcafeteria plan elections can be modified in the middle of a plan year. This webinar will describe the changes to the model COBRA General Notice and the model COBRA Election Notice.

The webinar will describe the proposed regulations on wellness plans issued by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and recent challenges to wellness plans by the EEOC. Other topics covered by this webinar will include same-sex marriage, delay of the requirement to obtain health plan ID numbers and the status of the Social Security Disability Insurance trust fund.

Why should you attend: The employee benefits field is constantly changing. Employee benefits professionals need to keep up with the latest developments, including regulatory changes. Compliance is not optional and what you don't know can hurt you!

Some of the new regulations apply to or will affect all or virtually all employers. Do you know about the penalties that could be imposed on employers that do not offer minimum essential coverage to virtually all full-time employees? Do you know about the penalties that could be imposed on employers that do not offer minimum value, affordable coverage to all full-time employees? Do you know if you are an employer subject to these penalties? Do you know if you have defined your employee population properly? Are your independent contractors really independent contractors or are they your employees? Are temporary employees from a staffing agency really your employees? If you have 50 to 99 employees, did you qualify for transition relief (it is not automatic)? If you have a non-calendar year plan, do you qualify for a delayed effective date for penalties?

• Have you established your measurement and stability periods for all employees?
• Are you going to take advantage of the new rules on orientation periods that can delay an employee's effective date of coverage?
• Are you ready to comply with the new reporting requirements that cover all of 2015?
• Have you been reimbursing employees for individual health insurance policies? If so, you need to stop right away!
• Are you a closely held corporation with owners who believe certain forms of contraceptive are immoral?

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Health Care Reform
• HIPAA
• Same - sex Marriage
• Cafeteria Plan Elections
• Wellness Plans
• Social Security Disability Insurance

Who Will Benefit:

• Vice President of Human Resources
• Director of Compensation & Benefits
• Benefit Manager
• Benefit Specialist
• Insurance Agent
• Insurance Broker
• Employee Benefits Consultant
• Group Insurance Representative

 

 

Instructor: Mr. Garner is Chief Compliance Officer at Bolton & Company. Before joining Bolton, he was the principal of Garner Consulting in Pasadena, California. Prior to founding Garner Consulting, he was a principal in the Los Angeles office of Towers Perrin, where he worked for over ten years. Mr. Garner serves as the national legislative and government affairs advisor for the Disability Management Employer Coalition. He is a past chair of the CEBS Committee for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. He is a past member of the Governing Council of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists and is a past president of the Los Angeles Chapter. Mr. Garner is also a past president of the Employee Benefit Planning Association of Southern California, the Los Angeles Life and Accident Claim Association and the Western Claim Conference. He is the author of the Health Insurance Answer Book and articles that have appeared in numerous publications. Mr. Garner received his B.A. degree from Occidental College. He is a chartered life underwriter, a certified employee benefits specialist, a group benefit associate, retirement plans associate, a certified management consultant, and a certified flexible compensation instructor.