Total Benefit Solutions – Page 31 – Total Benefit Solutions Inc

Stand-Alone HRAs for Small Employers are Back!

March 1, 2017March 1, 2017Ed MacConnell

Stand-Alone HRAs for Small Employers are Back! The 21st Century Cures Act, signed by President Obama on December 13, 2016, gave small employers a means of providing employees help with their individual insurance premiums and other out-of-pocket qualified medical expenses without violating the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Small employers can now provide a specific kind of Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) to help employees with the costs of individual health coverage. According to the statutory language under “Title XVIII – Other Provisions” of the Act, qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs) are not considered “group health plans” and do not have to adhere to ACA market reforms,… Read More

Think HR’s Employee Handbook Builder

February 28, 2017February 28, 2017Ed MacConnell

Employee Handbooks. Each employer group should have one. The question is, if so, how current is it? With ThinkHR’s 50-State Handbook Builder, building handbooks and keeping them updated becomes a simple process. Use the Handbook Builder to: Minimize your clients’ risk of employment liability with clear, regulatory-compliant policies. Help clients ease the burden of compliance with pre-developed content, step-by-step instructions, expert commentary and online support. Reinforce your value as a partner and provider of essential HR resources. Differentiate your agency and deliver cost savings to your clients with a robust handbook builder at no additional cost. Employee Handbook Builder Features: Compiled in collaboration with one of the country’s leading employment… Read More

Introducing Ease Central

February 22, 2017May 3, 2017Ed MacConnell

In an effort to enhance our client experience even further, Total Benefit Solutions would like to announce that we have entered into a partnership agreement with Ease Central. Ask us today how your organization can benefit from Ease Central! Download an EaseCentral Employer Overview Click here to visit our Ease Central web portal. Employee Onboarding with Ease Central HRIS with Ease Central Benefits-Simple employee benefits quoting, enrollment and management in one place. “Bring your own carrier” HRIS-Powerful PTO tracking, performance reviews and goal setting for managers. Payroll-Robust payroll integrations to cut administrative work.” Bring your own payroll” Benefits-Easy employee insurance rate quoting, enrollment and management in one place.… Read More

Update on the Status of the ACA

January 17, 2017Ed MacConnell

Update on the Status of the ACA With the impending inauguration, recent actions by the Senate and some confusing media reports, we wanted to provide a short Q&A to help you understand current events and what to expect as we head down the health care reform road in 2017… What’s the latest news? Download the bulletin for an update: Download Update on the Status of the ACA As always please contact your Total Benefit Solutions, Inc. account manager at (215)355-2121 if you have any questions or concerns.

Health4Me Mobile Application

January 13, 2017January 10, 2017Ed MacConnell

UnitedHealthcare’s Health4Me provides instant access to you and your family’s critical health information — anytime/anywhere. Whether you want to find physicians near you, check the status of a claim or speak directly with a nurse, Health4Me is your go-to resource for everything related to your health. Learn more by watching the video below. As always if you have any questions please contact your Total Benefit Solutions Inc account manager at (215)355-2121.

2016 Compliance Year In Review Digest

January 10, 2017January 10, 2017Ed MacConnell

2016 Compliance Year In Review Digest A complete digest of all our compliance bulletins for the entire year of 2016 from our business partners at Emerson Reid. A handy guide to all of the year’s updates and changes all in one place. Download your copy now and keep it for future reference. Click to Download Compliance Digest 2016 Year in Review As always please contact your Total Benefit Solutions Account Manager at (215)355-2121 if you have any questions or concerns.

United Concordia Enrollment Forms 2017

January 9, 2017January 13, 2017Ed MacConnell

United Concordia small group enrollment forms for 2017 To enroll you on United Concordia they will require the following: The rate sheet with the benefit plan circled and the sheet signed at the bottom by the business manager or owner The completed employee applications for each employee enrolling. The form needs to be complete with each dependent’s name, date of birth, etc. A company check for the first month’s premium payable to United Concordia Companies Inc. or UCCI A completed employer application form. Complete what you can and we’ll finish the rest together. Download The New Group Enrollment Kit for 2017 You can fax everything to our… Read More

Relief for Small Employers with HRAs

January 9, 2017Ed MacConnell

On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed into law the “21st Century Cures Act” which allows small employers without group medical plans to reimburse individual premiums and other medical expenses of employees under health reimbursement arrangements (“HRAs”), effective with the 2017 plan year, and provides relief from penalties to all small employers reimbursing individual premiums of employees for earlier plan years. In addition, the Cures Act provides a medical innovation package that funds medical research, accelerates cutting-edge treatments for rare diseases, and makes significant reforms to the mental health system. The Issue An employer cannot offer employees cash to reimburse the purchase of an individual policy, without regard to whether… Read More

Health Reform: 4th Quarter 2016 Compliance Compilation

December 29, 2016December 29, 2016Ed MacConnell

Download a digest of our fourth quarter compliance bulletins. This digest includes the following bulletins: Transitional Reinsurance Fee Form Now Available 10/14/2016 Final 2016 Forms 1094-C and 1095-C Available 10/25/2016 November 2017 Cost of Living Adjustments 11/01/2016 Relief Extended for Premium Reimbursement Programs for Student Employees 11/02/2016 Updates Regarding the NJ Small Employer Health Benefits Program 11/07/2016 Election Results and the ACA: Preliminary Thoughts 11/10/2016 16 Extension of Deadline for 2016 Forms 1095-C 11/21/2016 Adjusted PCOR Fee for Fifth Filing Year Released 11/22/2016 December Beware of Phishing Email Disguised as HIPAA Privacy Audit Letter 12/13/2016 Click here to download the 4th quarter compliance compilation

New Law Exempts Certain Small Employer HRAs From ACA Market Reforms

December 15, 2016December 14, 2016Ed MacConnell

New Law Exempts Certain Small Employer HRAs From ACA Market Reforms Gaddiel Gonzalez-Brown & Brown Consulting President Obama has signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which, among other things, allows small employers to offer new “qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements” to reimburse employees for qualified medical expenses, including individual health insurance premiums, for years after December 31, 2016. Small employers are defined as those with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees who do not offer a group health plan. Background Under prior agency guidance, stand-alone HRAs (except for retiree-only HRAs and HRAs consisting solely of excepted benefits) and HRAs used to purchase coverage on the individual… Read More

IRS has provided a limited extension of time for employers to provide Forms 1095-C

December 14, 2016Ed MacConnell

The IRS has provided a limited extension of time for employers to provide Forms 1095-C (and carriers to provide Forms 1095-B) to individuals (but NOT to the IRS). Rather than January 31, 2017, the new deadline will be March 2, 2017. Download Extension of Deadline for 2016 Forms 1095-C

Health Reform: Cost of Living Adjustments, Individual Penalty, HSA limits & more for 2017

November 21, 2016Ed MacConnell

On October 25 and 27, 2016, the IRS released cost of living adjustments for 2017 under various provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code). Some of these adjustments may affect your employee benefit plans. These adjustments include but are not limited to the following: Cafeteria Plans Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits Requirement To Maintain Minimum Essential Coverage (Individual Penalty) Highly Compensated Non-Grandfathered Plan Cost-Sharing Limits H.S.A. Annual contribution limitation, catch up contribution and minimum deductibles Key Employee Click here to download the bulletin As always if you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact your dedicated Total Benefit Solutions, Inc. account manager at (215)355-2121.

Health Reform: IRS Extends Due Date for Furnishing Form 1095-B/C.

November 19, 2016Ed MacConnell

IRS Extends Due Date for Furnishing Form 1095-B/C. As applicable large employers and employers with self-funded health plans are working on their Affordable Care Act compliance preparations, the IRS announced an extension of a key ACA deadline. Notice 2016-70 extends the due date for furnishing Form 1095-B and Form 1095-C from January 31, 2017 to March 2, 2017. The Notice also extends transition relief from penalties if an employer makes a “good faith effort” to comply with reporting requirements. This relief is welcome news for employers who are still working on their compliance approach. A copy of the notice can be downloaded here.

Election Results and the ACA

November 10, 2016November 10, 2016Ed MacConnell

With the outcome of the 2016 elections now official, the Republicans will hold the majority in both chambers of Congress and control of the White House beginning in 2017. Since President-elect Trump ran on a platform of “Replace and Repeal” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we anticipate that acting on this campaign promise will be one of the top priorities of the new Trump administration. We anticipate there will be significant disruption for individuals, employers, brokers and carriers across the country. Click here to read the latest bulletin

Total Benefit Solutions participating in CVS Retail Locations During Medicare Open Enrollment

October 9, 2016October 8, 2016Ed MacConnell

Total Benefit Solutions is pleased to announce that we are participating in the Independence Blue Cross Medicare/ CVS Pharmacy retail program for the upcoming open enrollment period. What this means to our clients is that we will be on site at our local CVS Pharmacy during the AEP. Starting on Saturday October 15th and continuing through open enrollment we will be on site nearly each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the CVS Pharmacy in Feasterville from Noon to 2 PM each day. Please feel free to stop in without an appointment to get your questions answered and pick up your 2017 plan information from Independence Blue Cross. We will… Read More

ACA Individual 2017 Open Enrollment Important Update

October 8, 2016October 27, 2016Ed MacConnell

2017 ACA ” Obamacare” plans open enrollment important update. The annual open enrollment period opens on November 1st 2016 and ends January 31st 2017. Independence Blue Cross will be the only insurer available in 2017 in the Philadelphia 5 County Area. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act changes come annually or even more often. Unfortunately not all of those changes are benefiting the consumer. This year here are some major changes that our clients on Individual Non Medicare plans need to be aware of… If you are a enrolled on an ACA compliant plan with Aetna or United Healthcare your plan is going away. Neither Aetna or United… Read More

HHS Penalties Increase

September 26, 2016Ed MacConnell

On September 6, 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued an interim final regulation that adjusts civil penalties for inflation. The interim final regulation does not follow the usual procedures that offer a notice and comment period. As such, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking has not been issued and a comment period is not provided due to potential delay in the applicability of the regulation. Click to download this bulletin For more information please contact your Total Benefit Solutions account manager at (215)355-2121

IBC: How to pay your health insurance bill

July 29, 2016July 29, 2016Ed MacConnell

Click to watch this quick video on payment options for Independence Blue Cross individual health insurance plans. As always if you have any questions please contact your dedicated Total Benefit Solutions individual account manager at (215)355-2121.

HR 360:Most Common Summary Plan Description (SPD) Mistakes

July 20, 2016Ed MacConnell

One of the most important documents participants must receive automatically when becoming covered under a health benefit plan that is subject to ERISA (the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act) is a summary of the plan, called the Summary Plan Description or SPD. The fact is, many employers are confused about this very important ERISA-required disclosure, which can put them at risk. Click this link to download the publication

ACA: Important Implementations & Delays in 2016

July 15, 2016July 17, 2016Ed MacConnell

As our third year of the ACA Open Enrollment Period arrived, it’s time to examine some of the new implementations in 2016. Some of the major components, especially those affecting businesses were delayed or deferred since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. This year is considered to be a big year due to the “full implementation” of the employer mandate as well as a number of changes, repeals, and moratoriums on other sections of ACA. Some of the key changes are listed below: CHANGES AND IMPLEMENTATIONS Full implementation of the Employer Mandate Currently it is not mandated that employers provide health care to their employees. Moving forward, however, if… Read More

FAQ Suggests Employers Include Marketplace Options with COBRA Notices

July 15, 2016Ed MacConnell

On June 21, 2016, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”) issued the 32nd Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) FAQ describing information that may be appropriate to include with COBRA notices. Many wondered if it were appropriate to provide information and if so, what kind of information could be provided about the Health Insurance Marketplaces/Exchanges (“Marketplaces”) so that COBRA-eligible individuals could consider health coverage alternatives available through the Marketplaces and possibly investigate whether they may be eligible for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. Click the link to download the entire bulletin

Total Benefits & Healthiest You

July 13, 2016July 8, 2016Ed MacConnell

Healthiest You is more than a typical Teledoc benefit. Whenever members have questions or they are simply not feeling well, they can effortlessly connect to a 24×7 telehealth hotline for the diagnosis and treatment of illness, second opinions and consultations. They have board-certified, licensed physicians in every state waiting to provide exceptional care. They can even prescribe medication and save a trip to the doctor’s office, whether members are at home or on the road. Want more information? Click here to see the site.

Think HR Comply: Small Business Support from Total Benefit Solutions

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016Ed MacConnell

We are pleased to introduce to you a our sponsored client service—ThinkHR. If you are involved with employee issues, this will be a value-added benefit that will save you time and money. ThinkHR offers ThinkHR Live, a team of HR experts standing by to answer your questions or provide advice. This phone-based support service is available from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central each business day. You also have access to ThinkHR Comply, an award-winning online resource center for all of your workforce issues. Download this brochure, it describes the scope of HR topics that are handled by the ThinkHR Live team. The service is provided to all Total Benefit… Read More

Critically Important: Insurance for Serious Illness

July 11, 2016July 8, 2016Ed MacConnell

Good news: You’ve got health insurance (at least, all Americans are required to or pay a penalty). Bad news: It doesn’t cover everything. Especially if something really bad happens, like a heart attack or stroke. Yes, a decent major medical plan will cover many of the health-related expenses related to a serious illness. But you’d likely still be left with significant out-of-pocket costs for deductibles and copayments. Medical insurance also doesn’t usually cover other related costs, such as travel to treatment centers, child care during absences or recovery, home modifications or rehabilitation charges. And if you lose income while you’re unable to work, you could have a tough time paying… Read More

Amerihealth NJ: No Longer Providing COBRA Administration

July 10, 2016July 7, 2016Ed MacConnell

AmeriHealth New Jersey has announced that they will no longer provide administrative services for the continuation of coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and Retiree Billing services. AmeriHealth NJ will discontinue COBRA administration and Retiree Billing services in 2016 for customers on the following schedule: For customers renewing January 1 through July 31, COBRA administration services will end on December 31, 2016. For customers renewing August 1 through December 31, services will end on their 2016 renewal date. Approximately 30 days before COBRA administration services end, COBRA members will be notified that their COBRA plan is being transferred to another service provider, and their COBRA eligibility will continue uninterrupted. … Read More

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