Anne Newhouse, CEBS, Author at Word on Benefits

What to Expect for Health Care Costs in 2022

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

22 Nov 202122 Nov 2021

As we get closer to 2022, plan sponsors are wondering what next year will mean for their employee benefits plans, especially group health plans. Health care costs are complicated, and the pandemic made everything even more complicated. COVID-19 continues to impact plans […]

Compliance Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Questions From Plan Sponsors on the No Surprises Act and Transparency in Coverage

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

21 Sep 202120 Sep 2021

On November 12, 2020, Congress and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) issued a final rule for Transparency in Coverage (TiC) aimed at group health plans with the purpose of encouraging transparency in health care costs. […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dependent Care Employee Benefits Regulatory U.S.

Dependent Care Accounts and the Taxation of Carryover Amounts

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

23 Jun 202121 Jun 2021

Beginning in March of 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released several pieces of guidance to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on employees who have flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and dependent care assistance program (DCAP) accounts and were unable to use the […]

Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

COBRA’s Interaction With HSAs, HRAs and FSAs

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

17 May 202113 May 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), signed into law on March 11, 2021, contains new COBRA provisions, including a subsidy for the full monthly COBRA premium from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. Our March 25, 2021 blog addressed […]

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Legislative Regulatory U.S.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and COBRA Subsidies

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

25 Mar 202119 Apr 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) passed by Congress and signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021 contains various employee benefits provisions, including premium assistance for participants of group health plans through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of […]

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dependent Care Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Legislative U.S.

How the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Impacts Dependent Care Assistance Programs

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

24 Mar 202119 Apr 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes an optional (but not required) temporary change for the calendar year of 2021 to increase the maximum pretax contribution limit from $5,000 to $10,500 for dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs). For individuals who are […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Legislative U.S.

Finally—Additional Relief for Dependent Care Assistance Programs Due to COVID-19

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

21 Jan 202123 Mar 2021

[Update: IRS Notice 2021-15, which was released on March 2, 2021, clarifies the application of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, on dependent care assistance programs under Section 125 cafeteria plans.] At last, there is legislation to help plan sponsors and participants with […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) U.S.

Changes to Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts Due to COVID-19

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

27 Oct 202021 Jan 2021

[An update on temporary guidance for DCAPs can be found here: Finally—Additional Relief for Dependent Care Assistance Programs Due to COVID-19, 1/21/21] In March and April, as states first began releasing their “shelter-in-place” orders, plan sponsors had to deal with questions about […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Paid Leave U.S.

The Status of the FFCRA Specific to Paid Leave

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

15 Oct 202015 Oct 2020

When the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was initially released on March 18, 2020 and required employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid sick leave and expanded the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), most of us probably thought—and […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Impact of the COBRA Extension Interim Final Rule

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

14 Sep 202010 Sep 2020

On January 31, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initially declared a federal public health emergency due to the coronavirus. The declaration has now been extended twice, including the latest extension on July 23, 2020. Unless the declaration is terminated […]