The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a pair of notices to provide relief to participants in and sponsors of Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, health flexible spending account plans, and dependent care assistance programs. IRS Notice 2020-29 provides relief for midyear election changes (including new health plan coverage elections, enrollment changes, and revocations, as well as
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US Department of Labor Issues Updated COBRA Model Notices and Related FAQS
Posted in Health and Welfare Plans
On Friday, May 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued revised model general and election notices that can be used by plan administrators to address the notification requirements imposed by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). FAQs for the COBRA Model Notices were issued the same day. DOL’s FAQs provide…
COVID-19 Relief for Employer-Sponsored Benefit Plans: Federal Government Announces Deadline Extensions and Other Short-Term Relief
The U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services have issued a joint notice that modifies certain benefit plan notice, reporting, and election deadlines imposed by ERISA and the Code. In addition, DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, have issued additional short-term relief. The following update summarizes these…
COVID-19: Employee Health Plan Administration Considerations
By Perkins Coie & Tomer Vandsburger on
As federal and state governments respond to COVID-19, employers and plan fiduciaries must also address the evolving issues arising under employer-sponsored health plans. We expand on the following topics in this update:
- HIPAA limitations must be followed; however, the public threat posed by COVID-19 may permit or require certain disclosures
- As of March 18, 2020,
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