Special Enrollment Period Extended: Florida Emergency Declaration – Hurricane Idalia

Please be advised that a state of emergency was extended for certain Florida counties. This declaration allows for a one-time Special Enrollment Period (SEP), in the event beneficiaries were unable to make an election during another qualifying election period. Please reference the following guidelines for the incident period. This DST-SEP applies to the Florida counties listed below. Important Compliance Information Who is eligible: This SEP opportunity is ONLY available to beneficiaries who:​ Details : Impacted Counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas,… Read More

Continue Reading

Disaster Special Election Periods in several states

This is an important announcement for customers in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas and for those with business in these states. The counties below are under a federal or state designated SEP due to an emergency. Applications for disaster SEP are only accepted as long as the SEP declaration is in place. For the most recent information, if a deadline is not specified below, please use Producers’ University’s Ongoing SEP tracker. Applications for SEPs submitted after the declaration date of that SEP will not be accepted. IMPORTANT : Please be aware The SEP begins on the date of the incident’s start, if that occurs earlier, or on the declaration date. The SEP… Read More

Continue Reading

IRS Addresses Tax Treatment Of Work-Life Referral Services

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) clarified the tax treatment of several work-life referral (“WLR”) services offered by employers in a new Fact Sheet FAQ. According to the FAQ, the value of the WLR services may be deducted from employees’ salary as a de minimis fringe benefit in cases when they are included in employee assistance programs (“EAPs”) or are otherwise bundled with other services. WLR Programs WLR services are offered to qualified employees through the employer-funded WLR program. WLR services are informative and referral consultations that help staff members locate, engage, and bargain with life-management providers to find answers to personal, professional, or family problems. Generally speaking, unless a part… Read More

Continue Reading

CONSENT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE BROKER ASSISTANCE

CONSENT FOR BROKER ASSISTANCE FORM AS REQUIRED UNDER THE 2023 CMS-9899-F AMENDMENT OF 45 CFR § 155.220 Click here to complete the consent form This consent form outlines your rights. Please read it carefully. As a licensed Health Insurance Broker, Ed MacConnell  of  Total Benefit Solutions Inc  has completed the annual Affordable Care Act certification by the Marketplace in your state. With this yearly training, and an individual or family’s formal consent, brokers are authorized to search for and assist households with their Marketplace account. The purpose of this form is to receive your informed written consent. Terms of Consent I give my permission to Total Benefit Solutions Inc, and/or their staff… Read More

Continue Reading

ACA Employer Penalties Increased for 2022

The IRS penalty amounts for non-compliance of the ACA’s Employer Mandate are again increasing in 2022.  4980H(a) Penalty For the 2022 tax year, the 4980H(a) penalty amount is $229.17 a month or $2,750 annualized, per employee. The IRS issues the 4980H(a) penalty when: An employer doesn’t offer Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) to at least 95% of its full-time employees (and their dependents) for any month during the tax year, and  At least one full-time employee receives a Premium Tax Credit (PTC) for purchasing coverage through the Marketplace. Here’s an example of how the IRS calculates the penalty: If an organization in 2022has 300 full-time employees, and one of these employees receives a PTC for 12 months, the cost of this penalty would be $742,500.The per-employee penalty applies… Read More

Continue Reading

Supreme Court Dismisses Latest Challenge to the ACA

Continue Reading
health insurance meeting

Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Benefits Broker

Analyzing these ten critical questions in relation to your organization’s needs will help you make a more informed decision about your benefits broker

Continue Reading

What is a Qualified High Deductible Health Plan?

Continue Reading

What Is a Health Savings Account?

Continue Reading
women friends in masks standing in subway passage

Aetna Small Group (2-100) Insured & Small Group Aetna Funding Advantage FAQ
Health Plan options for business owners during COVID-19 pandemic

Continue Reading

Heard of Reference Based Pricing Health Insurance?

Continue Reading

How Does Level Self Funded Health Insurance Work?

We have received a lot of questions regarding the new level funding health benefit programs so we prepared this video to make it a little easier to understand. Ask us today if Level Funding your group’s health insurance might be a good for for your health plan! Contact your Total Benefit Solutions Account manager at (215)355-2121.

Continue Reading

Impact of Key Provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 COVID-19 Relief on Marketplace Premiums

there are millions of uninsured people who could be getting subsidized coverage on the ACA Marketplaces, but have not taken advantage of this financial help. In many cases, it may be that the financial help available to them is not sufficient to make the premium or the deductible affordable

Continue Reading

ARPA Extends Open Enrollment for Individual Coverage in PA

Continue Reading

What is Minimum Essential Coverage or MEC health insurance?

Continue Reading

Departments Issue Guidance Re: FFCRA and CARES Act

Continue Reading

New COBRA Subsidy Begins April 1st under COVID Relief

Continue Reading

COBRA Subsidy in the works

Continue Reading
Continue Reading

What is a minimum essential coverage (MEC) plan?

Continue Reading

How Does Short Term Medical work?

Continue Reading

New Jersey Small Employer Stop Loss Bill

A bill has been introduced in New Jersey in both the Senate and Assembly that, if passed, would prohibit insurance carriers or other insurers subject to the insurance laws of New Jersey or any other state from offering, issuing or renewing any stop loss insurance policy of any kind to small employers. Stop loss insurance provides reimbursement for catastrophic, excess or unexpected expenses and is used by small employers to self-insure part of the health insurance coverage they provide for employees. Under New Jersey law, in connection with a group health plan, a small employer means an employer with 2-50 eligible employees on business days during the preceding calendar year. If passed,… Read More

Continue Reading

Important Info! HSA Limits for 2019

Continue Reading

House Passes Legislation to Change HSAs

The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that, among other things, purport to improve and “modernize” health savings accounts (“HSAs”). While the bills call for significant changes to the current rules affecting HSAs, the specific details are very different. Both pieces of legislation have been sent to the Senate for consideration. Whether the Senate will take up these bills, let alone approve them “as is,” remains uncertain. There appears to be some bi-partisan agreement to loosen the current HSA rules, which means it is possible that we may see changes to these arrangements, which could be effective as early as January 1, 2019. When more information is available, we will… Read More

Continue Reading