IRS Announces Short Extension in Affordable Care Act Reporting
December 30, 2015

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA") imposes reporting requirements on providers of minimum essential coverage (including insurers and employers that self-insure health benefits) about the coverage provided. In addition, large employers (generally those with 50 or more full-time and full-time equivalent employees in the prior year) must report about the health coverage offered by the employer to its full-time employees. The reporting requirements are effective for 2015, with the first reports due in 2016 for 2015 coverage.

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IRS Releases Tax Tip on Filing ACA Information Returns
December 17, 2015

On November 12, 2015, the IRS released a Tax Tip to help employers and insurers understand the electronic filing requirements for information returns required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For the 2015 year, as required by the ACA, the IRS will receive and process information returns reporting on individual’s health insurance coverage from insurance companies, self-insured companies, and businesses that provide health insurance to their employees.

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Revised Definition of "Small Employer" Impacts Some Employer Sponsored Health Plans
October 14, 2015

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA") treats a "small employer" differently than a large employer for many purposes. No single definition applies in determining when an employer is considered a small employer.

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Affordable Care Act: IRS Launches Website for Large Employers
October 01, 2015

The IRS recently created an online Affordable Care Act Information Center for large employers. This new online resource includes a variety of information for large employers, including information on determining large employer status, employer shared responsibility requirements and the new Affordable Care Act reporting requirements. The website also provides links to related documents and websites, including forms, questions and answers, publications and videos.

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EBP Advisory
July 28, 2015

EBP ADVISORY – REMINDER TO SELF-INSURED PLAN SPONSORS FORM 720 TO PAY PCORI FEES DUE JULY 31ST

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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the
July 27, 2015

On June 25, 2015, in King v. Burwell, the United States Supreme Court again rejected a major challenge to the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"). With this decision, the ACA is here to stay and employers should immediately begin planning for its implementation and consider what impact it may have on their current and future health care benefits.

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Penalties Doubled For Not Filing ACA Information Returns!!!
July 22, 2015

The Trade Preferences Extension Act, which became law on June 29, 2015, included a provision having nothing to do with extending trade preferences. Flying under the radar of many, the law has doubled per-employee penalties on applicable large employers for failing to file Affordable Care Act (ACA) information returns with the IRS starting in 2016, or failing to furnish employees with payee statements, as required by the ACA, regarding their health care coverage.

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Maximum Employee Contribution to Health Flexible Spending Accounts Increasing in 2015
November 05, 2014

Employers that sponsor health flexible spending accounts should consider whether they wish to adopt this higher limit for 2015.  If so, the increased amount should be communicated to employees in open enrollment or other materials.  In addition, the cafeteria plan document may require an amendment.

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Final Regulations Issued on Excepted Benefits
October 22, 2014

 "Excepted benefits" are exempt from various group health plan requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA") and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended ("HIPAA"). The U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services have issued final regulations which provide guidance about when certain dental, vision and long-term care and Employee Assistance Program ("EAP") benefits are considered excepted benefits. The final regulations do not address issues related to "limited wraparound coverage" which was a source of confusion and criticism under the proposed regulations.

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Preparing for Open Enrollment
September 15, 2014

 As employers head into open enrollment, they face a number of administrative responsibilities as well as new challenges under the Affordable Care Act. While there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach, the following guidelines address some of the issues employers should consider this open enrollment season.

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Northwest Arkansas Labor & Employment Luncheon Announcement
September 02, 2014

On Tuesday, September 23, Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP will host its second Northwest Arkansas Labor & Employment Seminar for 2014 - "Three Top Employment Issues Facing Employers Today: Background Checks Liability, Social Media Landmines and the Affordable Care Act."  We'll discuss these three topics, offering our thoughts on how a variety of government agencies (including the FTC, the EEOC, the NLRB and the DOL) view background checks, employer and employee use of social media, and employee healthcare issues under the ACA.

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Counting Employees under Health Care Reform--Part 2
April 01, 2014

Counting employees under health care reform is not as easy as 1-2-3. The rules are quite complicated, and if not done correctly can have serious repercussions for your business. The final employer-shared responsibility ("play or pay") regulations have been issued and beginning in 2015, larger employers will need to either offer health coverage that meets the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or pay penalties. Although the requirement is not effective until 2015, employers need to be gathering data and making decisions now.

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Legislative and Regulatory Update
April 01, 2014

Want to know what is happening in Washington, D.C., as it relates to the now four-year-old Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? While parts of the law have been implemented, major additional requirements are scheduled to take effect over the next several years. Significant regulations on the employer-shared responsibility and reporting requirements were issued earlier this year. Meanwhile, a number of bills have been introduced in Congress to modify, or even repeal, this law.

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Consumer-Driven Health Care: An Update on the Rules-Recorded Webinar
February 21, 2014

Consumer-Driven Health Care: An Update on the Rules

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PPACA private plan enrollment hits 3 million
January 24, 2014

About 800,000 people signed up for private health plans through Obamacare in January, pushing total enrollment to 3 million as negative perceptions about the program give way to more practical needs.

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How Does the ACA Affect our W-2 Forms? Q&A
January 21, 2014

W-2 forms must be provided to your employees by January 31, and this is the second year health insurance should be reported on them. Make sure you know what the ACA requires employers to report and find out if your organization is exempt from the requirement.

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Supreme Court Upholds Availability of Premium Tax Credit in States That Have a Federal Exchange
January 19, 2014

The Supreme Court issued its opinion today upholding the availability of premium tax credits for individuals who purchase health insurance through a federal Exchange, King v. Burwell, No. 14-114 (U.S. June 25, 2015). The opinion maintains the status quo - it does not change anything under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA"), and individuals and employers should proceed with ACA compliance.

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