Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Act: Employer Update (July 2006)
Since Governor Romney signed the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Act into Law (Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006) on April 12, 2006, there have been several updates and significant developments. On June 30, 2006 the Division of Healthcare Finance and Policy issued proposed regulations regarding the Fair Share Contribution, the Free Rider Surcharge, and the Health Insurance Responsibility Disclosure (HIRD)...
read more
Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Overview and Employer Considerations (May 2006)
On April 12, Governor Romney signed into law “An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care” or the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform bill. The key provisions of the Act are outlined ....
read more
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs): A review of the Treasury Department Guidance and Planning Implications (May 2005)
The Treasury Department and the IRS issued their final guidance on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for 2004 on July 23, 2004. This notice follows a series of clarifications, corrections, and rulings on the design, funding, and operation of HSAs that were issued over the last seven months. As the guidance is analyzed, there are many issues to consider as employers evaluate their health care and benefits strategies for 2005 and beyond. Employees are looking at HSAs as a retiree medical funding vehicle, to maximize retiree savings, and to utilize their healthcare dollars more efficiently....
read moreDownload White Paper
Audit of Health Plan Claims Administration -- Plan Fiduciary, Trustee, and Management Issues (April 2005)
By the end of the 1980’s, self-funding of employee health plans under ERISA had emerged as one of the primary ways plan sponsors were dealing with the double-digit health care cost inflation of the time. Instead of paying an insurer to underwrite their risks, they found they could save money by underwriting the risks themselves. In lieu of administering their plans themselves, however, most self-funded sponsors turned to the use of Third Party Administrators (TPA’s) or insurance carriers to pay their claims....
read moreDownload White Paper
New HSA Guidance for 2006 (November 2005)
On October 29, 2005, the Treasury Department and IRS issued new guidance on the maximum contribution levels for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and out-of-pocket spending limits for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) that must be used in conjunction with HSAs....
read moreDownload White Paper
Health and Welfare Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions: COBRA, Hidden Costs, Due Diligence (May 2005)
In a merger, acquisition, or divestiture transaction, health and welfare benefits are usually one of the last areas to be evaluated and, if not properly reviewed, could have major cost and employee relations implications. This article will focus on three key areas of mergers and acquisitions for health and welfare benefits. The three areas are COBRA, hidden costs and liabilities, and due diligence documents....
read moreDownload White Paper