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IRS Clarifies FSA Relief in Appropriations Law
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has clarified the effect of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) on an employee’s latitude to contribute or use funds in a flexible spending account (FSA) and extended the flexibility it offered last year for cafeteria plan elections in general.
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EEOC Proposes Allowing Only ‘De Minimis’ Incentives for Many Wellness Programs
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed a substantial revamp of its wellness program rules under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), after its prior version of the rules was struck down in court.
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Appropriations Law Includes New Health Benefits Requirements
The massive appropriations and COVID-19 relief legislation that President Trump signed December 27, 2020, includes a number of provisions affecting employers’ health benefit programs. These include arbitration procedures for “surprise billing” situations, a new layer of transparency requirements, added flexibility for flexible spending accounts (FSAs), and disclosure rules regarding mental health parity.
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Final Transparency Rule Adds to Health Plans’ Disclosure Requirements
A new final rule aimed at promoting transparency in health care will impose potentially burdensome new disclosure requirements on many group health plans.