Compliance

Confusion still surrounds the Affordable Care Act. Here are eight misconceptions about the health care law.

Tennessee CO-OP becomes latest to shut down, with more expected to announce closure before the next public exchange enrollment period begins in the next two weeks.

Commentary: Failure to give proper notice of a plant closing or mass layoff could leave employers liable to pay wages and benefits for the affected employees for up to 60 days.

A recent circuit court ruling says a careful “Termination Review” process by independent decision makers can weaken or break the causal connection between the alleged racial animus and the ultimate adverse action under the "cat's paw" theory.

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave each year to qualifying workers for the birth or adoption of a child, the serious illness of an immediate family member or a worker’s own medical condition.

Although President Obama signed the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act this week, many employers the legislation is intended to protect remain in limbo.

Employers can be liable under a cat’s paw theory if an employee is terminated, suspended, etc. because of the discriminatory bias of another employee even if the manager/supervisor who made the disciplinary decision had no idea about the other employee’s bias.

Carving out FSAs, HSAs and HRAs from the Affordable Care Act’s excise tax would be a good compromise, enabling Americans to set aside money for health care while still allowing employers to control costs.

California becomes the first state in the country to mandate 45-day notice for any material changes to agent agreements. The law comes in response to two insurers cutting commission with little notice mid-enrollment season.

Flexible spending accounts have long been a favorite tool among working Americans to help budget for out-of-pocket costs but they could be an unintended casualty of health care reform.

The NLRB’s new standard on the types of organizations it considers joint employers could potentially be applied in other types of business relationships, including franchisor-franchisee, contractor-subcontractor, parent-subsidiary, lessor-lessee and user-supplier.

John Engler, president of Business Roundtable, called on Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to consider changes to the fiduciary proposal.

Health Republic Insurance of New York, the Affordable Care Act insurer that got $265 million in U.S. loans, will stop selling policies and eventually cease operations under orders from New York and federal regulators.

Asking questions is a vital first step for helping an employee with a medical condition at work, but how do you start that conversation and stay in compliance with ADA regulations?

When it comes to benefits management, the most important number for any small to mid-sized business to know is how many full-time employees plus full-time equivalent employees it averaged in calendar year 2014.

Companies will sometimes take a chance on a new (or old) salesperson by allowing him/her to work on pure commission. This “eat what you kill” compensation system seemingly creates an incentive to sell with little risk to the company. But is there really little risk?

Commentary: HHS is starting to roll out the second phase of HIPAA audits, and now is the time for employers to assess compliance with HIPAA’s security rule. If your organization is selected for a Phase II Audit, are you ready?

The IRS has posted a webpage, dubbed the ACA Information Center for Applicable Large Employers, which features information and resources for employers on how the health care law may affect them.

The ruling is not likely to affect demand for individual fixed indemnity products, which have been on the decline, nor to have impact on overall health insurance market, experts say.

Commentary: The employer community has made its voice clear on the Affordable Care Act’s excise tax. Legislators seem to have heard. Will it make a difference?