Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)

The PCORI annual filing and fees were reinstated through 2029. That means that all employers (or their insurers in fully insured group health plans) must file the annual IRS Form 720 by July 31st of each year, regardless of their plan year.

Posted on May 26, 2022 By Kushner & Company
Categories: 
Administration, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
HR Compliance

The IRS has now released all of the 2022 benefit limits. Earlier this year, they also released the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA) limits.

Posted on November 10, 2021 By Kushner & Company
Categories: 
401(k), 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Commuter Benefits, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA), 
Qualified Small Employer HRA (QSEHRA), 
Total Rewards

In a recent news release, the IRS reminds employers and employees that the cost of COVID-19 home testing is an eligible expense under a health care flexible spending account (FSA), health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), and health savings account (HSA).

Posted on September 13, 2021 By Kushner & Company
Categories: 
Administration, 
Benefit Card, 
Blog, 
COVID-19, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

In IRS Information Letter 2021-13, the agency reiterates that Flexible Spending Account claims paid on an FSA debit card must have the required substantiation containing all of the information normally required for a claim submitted for reimbursement through other means such as mail, e-mail, or fax.

Posted on July 27, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefit Card, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)

As we explained last year, funding for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was supposed to end with filings and fees for plan years that began before October 1, 2018. Nope.

Posted on May 18, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA), 
Qualified Small Employer HRA (QSEHRA)

The US Department of Labor (DOL) is the responsible agency for overseeing compliance with ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Penalties for a variety of ERISA violations are contained within the law and are indexed annually for inflation. They've increased substantially.

Posted on February 22, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Administration, 
All Articles, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
HR Compliance, 
IRS Form 5500 Services (BDA), 
IRS Form 5500 Services (RPS), 
Retirement Plans

We provided information at the end of April, 2020 about the IRS' and DOL's determination that the "pause" button was hit on a number of regular timing and payment due dates relating to COBRA, health plan claims (including health care FSA claims), and HIPAA Special Enrollment Periods. Is it ending?

Posted on February 18, 2021 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COBRA, 
COVID-19, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)

Like a horror movie scene, just when you thought that the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was finally funded from the plan years that began before October 1, 2018, it's baaaaaaacccckkkkk. And that means employers have new filings to make and fees to pay.

Posted on May 22, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Administration, 
Blog, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)

In two new IRS Notices (2020-29 and 2020-33), there are temporary changes to the rules governing Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) through 2020 due to COVID-19, and permanent changes to both FSAs and certain Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) that will begin this year. 

Posted on May 13, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Administration, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COVID-19, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA), 
Total Rewards

The DOL and IRS issued a Notice that announced a "pause" in the timelines that affect many COBRA and HIPAA Special Enrollment Period timelines during the COVID-19 National Emergency pandemic. It also provides for additional timelines relating to all health and welfare plan claim filings and appeals.

Posted on April 30, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Administration, 
Blog, 
COBRA, 
COVID-19, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act has now been signed into law on March 27, 2020. It is a mammoth bill of over 880 pages, and contains many employee benefit related items. This post deals with two health and welfare items: over-the-counter drugs and telemedicine.

Posted on March 28, 2020 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefit Card, 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COVID-19, 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA), 
Team Rewards, 
Total Rewards

Since 2009, special enrollment rights to immediately enroll in an employer's health plan arise if an individual becomes eligible for a state premium assistance subsidy under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act ("CHIPRA", or often shortened to CHIP).

Posted on August 5, 2019 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
COBRA, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), 
Plan Document Services (BDA), 
Qualified Small Employer HRA (QSEHRA), 
Summary Plan Descriptions, 
Team Rewards