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Tips for Responding to Cyber-Related Security Incidents The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has released a quick-response checklist briefly describing the steps that HIPAA-covered entities (including medical and dental offices) and their business associates should take in response to a cyber-related security incident. Steps include: Executing the entity’s […]

When it comes to business insurance, a lot of businesses search online and just grab onto the first policy their shown, but they don’t take the time to research and get to know their brokers. We here at Applied Resource Insurance Solutions not only find you multiple coverages that fit your needs, and let YOU […]

A growing number of clinical experts believe medical marijuana could play a critical role in reducing the nation’s reliance on opioid painkillers. Publications like The Atlantic have reported that in states in which legalization has occurred, patients are now turning down popular opioid painkillers, like oxycodone, in favor of medical marijuana — and according to […]

Medicare-Eligible Employees Ineligible to Receive Premium Tax Credits Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare-eligible individuals are ineligible to receive premium tax credits. As a result, employers with Medicare-eligible employees should consider how those employees may impact their potential liability under the ACA’s employer shared responsibility provisions (also known as “pay or play”). Medicare-Eligible Employees […]

Agency Intends to Propose Extension of Electronic Submission Date The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it is not accepting electronic submissions of injury and illness logs at this time. As a result, OSHA intends to propose extending the July 1, 2017 date by which certain employers are required to submit […]

New Regulations Effective July 1, 2017 The California Fair Employment and Housing Council has released final regulations, effective July 1, 2017, regarding transgender identity and expression under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act. A summary of the regulations is presented below. Additional Rights It is unlawful to deny employment to an individual based wholly […]

Tool Provides Estimates Only As a reminder, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service) has developed a tool to assist employers in understanding how the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility (“pay or play”) provisions work and how the provisions may apply to them. Employer Shared Responsibility Provision Estimator Employers […]

Withdrawals Effective June 7, 2017 The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the withdrawal of both its 2015 guidance regarding independent contractors and its 2016 guidance regarding joint employment. Cautionary note: Still in effect are the common law rules used by the IRS to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor […]

Pension Plans Maintained by ‘Principal-Purpose Organizations’ Deemed Church Plans The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton that defined benefit pension plans established by so-called “principal-purpose organizations” are “church plans” exempted from the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), regardless of whether a church originally established the […]

DOL Issues Temporary Enforcement Policy During Phased Implementation Ending Jan. 1, 2018 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s Fiduciary Rule is expected to take effect June 9, 2017, subject to the DOL’s temporary enforcement policy, outlined below. The Fiduciary Rule generally treats persons who provide investment advice or recommendations for a fee or other compensation […]