CMS announced on October 31 – Halloween – that it is exercising the agency’s “enforcement discretion” to “delay, until further notice” enforcement of the Health Plan Identifier (HPID) requirements.

Yesterday the IRS announced the inflation-adjusted cap on salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending accounts (health FSAs) for 2015. See http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/In-2015,-Various-Tax-Benefits-Increase-Due-to-Inflation-Adjustments.

Earlier this month, we issued a Client Alert regarding public insurance exchanges offering a one-time special enrollment opportunity for certain persons on COBRA (available here). 

Earlier this month, we issued a Client Alert regarding public insurance exchanges offering a one-time special enrollment opportunity for certain persons on COBRA (available here). 

Last month, federal regulators released two pieces of guidance related to COBRA continuation coverage. Both pieces of guidance relate to the interaction between COBRA coverage and the availability of coverage through public insurance exchanges. One is time sensitive and temporary; the other reflects a long term change to notification requirements regarding COBRA.

The IRS released guidance on October 31, 2013, (available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-13-71.pdf) announcing that, effective immediately (i.e., as soon as the current plan year), certain health flexible spending accounts (health FSAs) may allow a limited carryover of account balances from one plan year to the next. Employers may, but are not required to, amend their health FSAs to permit a carryover. 

Last week the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2013-35, which contains cost-of-living adjustments for various tax-related amounts that are indexed for inflation. As indicated in this guidance, the limits on transportation plan fringe benefits in 2014.

Health care reform imposes an annual cap on the amount of salary reduction contributions that may be made to a health flexible spending account (health FSA). The initial cap was $2,500, but the statute provides that it is indexed for inflation.

This Friday, August 30th, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is scheduled to publish final regulations regarding the requirement that individual taxpayers maintain “minimum essential coverage” (“MEC”) or pay a penalty. An advance copy of the regulations was released on August 28, 2013.

Last session, the Minnesota Legislature added to Minnesota’s already long list of mandated medical benefits. Large group medical insurance policies issued, renewed, etc. on and after January 1, 2014, must cover “autism spectrum disorders” (referred to as the “Autism Mandate”).