Education Blog
Health Benefits 101
In our conversations with clients regarding health benefits, we often encounter some basic misunderstandings regarding the terminology and mechanics of health coverage. Here’s a quick review: Coverages: Most Americans are covered by health insurance offered by their employers, otherwise known as group coverage. Group coverage tends to offer lower rates because the risk is spread…
Read MoreDistracted Driving is a problem! We have a solution…
You probably don’t need statistics to tell you that distracted driving is a huge problem. Take a glance at other drivers and you’ll almost always find someone looking down at his or her phone instead of watching the road. For many, “distracted driving” translates to “teens texting.” And while it is a huge problem with…
Read MoreClearing the Air about Pollution Insurance
Pollution insurance? Who needs it? If you’re just about any type of contractor, you probably do. The word “pollution” conjures up images of huge smokestacks belching contaminants into the air, or factories draining waste into nearby bodies of water. That’s not us, you say. But change the word “pollution” to “contamination” and you begin to…
Read MoreHealth Insurance Plan Compliance Deadlines for 2019
Employers that sponsor group health plans face a number of reporting deadlines throughout the year. For your convenience, here’s a brief reference of key deadlines for calendar year 2019. January 31 Most everyone is aware that W-2 forms for the previous calendar year must be issued by January 31, but employers that filed more than…
Read MoreConstruction Contracts – Insurance and Beyond
It goes without saying that any contract should be carefully reviewed before signing. But construction contracts can be especially tricky, given their unique language and the potentially far-reaching consequences when something goes wrong. This is why we highly recommend a lawyer or in-house counsel review all contracts. Here’s an overview of the highlights – and…
Read MorePay or Play Enforcement for Health Insurance Begins
As 2018 drew to a close, the IRS began sending enforcement letters related to employer compliance with shared responsibility rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for calendar year 2016. Let’s take a look at what this means. The document in question is known as Letter 226-J and informs employers of their potential liability for…
Read MoreEmployer’s Alert: New Health Insurance and other Benefit Plan Limits for 2019
Annual dollar limits affect many employee benefit plans, and are periodically adjusted to allow for inflation. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced a series of such cost-of-living adjustments for various welfare and retirement plan limits for 2019. Annual limits for these benefits vehicles will increase for the coming year: High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and…
Read MoreMaryland License Renewal and the REAL ID Act
If you or your family members need to renew a Maryland driver’s license, be aware that you’ll now need additional documentation. The changes stem from the REAL ID Act, a federal law passed by Congress in the wake of September 11, 2001 attacks. The REAL ID Act establishes specific minimum federal standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and…
Read MoreWorkers’ Compensation Audits – Don’t Get Hit in the Wallet
One unhappy trend we’ve been seeing lately is more and more employers being hit with audit noncompliance penalties from their workers’ compensation carriers. These penalties can be very significant, up to twice the annual premium, so let’s take a look at how to avoid them. Like any insurance policy, a workers’ compensation policy is a…
Read MoreTelemedicine Benefits & Compliance Issues
Telemedicine is becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason … a telemedicine program allows individuals to use technology such as videoconferencing in order to access medical care without actually visiting a provider. For many less-complex medical issues, a virtual visit to a medical professional can be a big saver of time and money. There are,…
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