News

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the inflation-adjusted contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs) for tax year 2017. 2017 Contribution Limits  The tax year 2017 contribution limits for HSAs and health FSAs are as follows: HSAs: The annual limitation on deductions for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deductible health […]

Good Faith Penalty Relief Also Extended The IRS has extended the due dates for furnishing 2016 Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to covered individuals and full-time employees, respectively, from January 31, 2017, to March 2, 2017. In addition, the IRS is also extending good faith penalty relief to reporting entities who can show they made good […]

Court States Rule Should Be Held Unlawful A federal district court has issued a nationwide permanent injunction against the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final “persuader rule.” Background Existing federal law requires labor organizations, consultants, and employers to file certain reports and disclose expenditures on labor-management activities. Employers who hire labor relations consultants to persuade […]

Model Notices Previously Set to Expire on October 31, 2016 The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the effective date of its model General Notice of COBRA Rights and COBRA Election Notice through November 30, 2016. Previously, these model notices were set to expire on October 31, 2016. COBRA Notice Requirements Under the Consolidated Omnibus […]

Appeals Due Within 90 Days Health Insurance Marketplaces are now sending letters to notify certain employers that one or more of their employees has been determined eligible for advance premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions and has enrolled in a Marketplace plan. Because these events may trigger penalties under the Affordable Care Act’s “pay or […]

Last night, November 14th, 2016, we here at ARIS along with Poole & Shaffery Law Group, Sevanian Law Group, Mass Mutual Financial Group, and Schramm Financial hosted a Monday Night Football Beer Tasting event at Pocock Brewery in Santa Clarita, CA. It was a private networking event for business executives, and a great way to […]

New Resource Now Available The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has unveiled a new online tool to help employers (and employees) understand the leave employees may be entitled to take for purposes of managing medical conditions and disabilities. The new Medical- and Disability-Related Leave Advisor asks users a few questions, such as type of business […]

Increase Applies to Plan Years Ending On or After October 1, 2016 and Before October 1, 2017 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued guidance that increases the applicable dollar amount used to determine the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee, for plan years that end on or after October 1, 2016 and before October […]

Forms 1095-C Due to Full-Time Employees by January 31, 2017 Under the Affordable Care Act, applicable large employers (ALEs)—generally those with at least 50 full-time employees, including full-time equivalent employees, in the preceding calendar year—must report certain information to their full-time employees and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about the health care coverage they have […]

Key Deadlines for 2015 & 2016 Benefit Years Employers sponsoring certain self-insured group health plans (“contributing entities”) that are subject to the Affordable Care Act’s transitional reinsurance program must submit their 2016 Annual Enrollment Contributions Submission Form and schedule payment for the 2016 benefit year no later than November 15, 2016. Reinsurance Contribution Process To […]