HR Compliance / Legislation Updates

FAQs about the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Fee

Read Time: 10 Minutes

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee initially applied from 2012 to 2019. However, in December 2019, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 extended the fee to 2029.

The PCORI fee applies to all plans that provide medical coverage to employees. Medical coverage includes preferred provider (PPO) plans, health maintenance organization (HMO) plans, point-of-service (POS) plans, high deductible health plans (HDHPs), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs).

Download the full Compliance Advisor for answers to frequently asked questions about the PCORI fee.

Note: Bim Group will be sending out client-specific PCORI reminders in coming weeks.

WEBINAR

Mastering COBRA Every Day and in M&A

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

2PM EST

Attend this month’s webinar to learn how to administer COBRA effectively.

Gain insights into:

The determining factors for employer and employee COBRA eligibility
The interaction between COBRA and leaves of absence
Health plans and tax-favored accounts that can be used with COBRA

Be able to answer these questions:

How do COBRA and Medicare interact?
Who has COBRA liability in mergers and acquisitions?
What are the risks and penalties in administering COBRA?

Registration Code: UBA410EW

HHS Finalizes Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Regulations under the Affordable Care Act

Read Time: 7 Minutes

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) together with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released regulations under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (the "Final Rule") on April 26, 2024. These final regulations follow almost two years after the publication of the earlier proposed rule. Updated Frequently Asked Questions were also published by the HHS to provide additional summaries and information on implementing the Final Rule. The regulations are expected to become effective July 5, 2024, 60 days after publication in the Federal Register; however, certain provisions are expected later to account for implementation time... Keep Reading

IRS Releases 2025 Limits for HDHPs and HSAs

Read Time: 4 Minutes

The IRS recently issued Revenue Procedure 2024-25 to announce the 2025 inflation-adjusted amounts that apply to health savings accounts (HSAs), excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements (EBHRAs), and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). The newly announced figures result in increases in the applicable limits for 2025, including the maximum contribution limit for an HSA, the maximum amount that can be made newly available in an EBHRA, the minimum permissible deductible for an HDHP, and the maximum limit on out-of-pocket expenses for in-network services (e.g., deductibles, copayments, and other amounts aside from premiums) for qualifying HDHPs... Keep Reading

Question of the Week

Q: We have a longtime employee who’s no longer meeting expectations. The owner is afraid to hold them accountable because they’re over 40 and therefore in a protected class. What can we do?

A: In general, you shouldn’t let an employee’s protected class status deter you from holding them accountable to your performance expectations. After all, everyone belongs to protected classes. Being in one simply means you can’t be treated differently because you’re in that class.

Now, if your organization has a history of bias in the workplace or of holding members of a certain protected class accountable for poor performance when others aren’t, then you’d be looking at a higher risk of a discrimination claim. Assuming that’s not the case, there’s really no cause for alarm.