Regulation

Despite the ever-changing world, ERISA remains strong and steady. The average American worker is far better off because of ERISA, which has held up remarkably well over the past four decades.

Earlier this week, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a new law that is intended to prevent workplace discrimination against pregnant women by offering guidance on reasonable accommodation measures that all employers in the state are expected to follow.

The Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility requires large employers to offer group health plan coverage or face the prospect of having to pay money to the government. As a result, more and more employers are considering these strategies to help reduce or eliminate their exposure to penalties.

The case, EEOC v. Orion Energy Systems, serves as a reminder for advisers and their employer clients, when putting together a wellness plan, to pay careful attention to how the EEOC defines liability.

The White House Friday proposed two rules in response to the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision earlier this summer that will allow women to receive contraception coverage if an employer refuses to offer it for religious reasons.

Although your employer clients may consider granting employee requests for exceptions to health plan rules or limits, doing so could cause trouble down the road. Advising them to consider a plan amendment may be a better choice.

Enrollment on the SHOP exchanges remains stagnant, a concern benefit advisers attribute to inadequate marketing practices. Brokers also remain concerned about the poor quality of training for those assisting employers with enrollment.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a new one-page publication with information about exemptions to the health coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Coming on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dudenhoeffer decision, which eliminated a pro-fiduciary presumption with respect to company stock holdings in qualified retirement plans, the Fourth Circuit issued a decision last week that could cause even more unrest for plan fiduciaries.

The IRS has issued guidance on how the IRS and the Treasury Department will administer the definition of a “covered entity” for purposes of the health insurance fee under the Affordable Care Act.