On January 4, 2015, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act, which will require private sector employers to make automatic payroll deductions, and place the deductions into a state-run savings plan for the benefit of employees.
Continue Reading Illinois Enacts Auto-Enrollment Savings Program for Private Sector Employees

The Affordable Care Act required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a national health plan identifier (HPID) program under the HIPAA standard transactions rules. The resulting HHS rules generally require all HIPAA-covered entities, including self-insured plans with more than $5 million in annual claims, to obtain a HPID by November 5, 2014. Small self-insured health plans (i.e., those with annual claims of $5 million or less) will be required to obtain a HPID by November 5, 2015.
Continue Reading ACA Update: Self-Insured Health Plans Required To Obtain Health Plan Identifier

In Euchner-USA, Inc. v. Hartford Cas. Ins. Co., No. 13-2021-cv, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 10797 (2d Cir. June 10, 2014), the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that an insurer must defend its insured in a case alleging ERISA violations because the facts alleged (as opposed to the embedded legal

IRS final regulations issued earlier this year provide guidance on compliance with the employer coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including determining full-time status and offering coverage with minimum value. In addition, the government has also issued final and proposed regulations regarding 90-day waiting periods under the ACA.

While both sets of final

Plan sponsors now have additional answers to some of their questions about the effect of the Windsor decision on retirement plans. Notice 2014-19, released on April 4, 2014, provides guidance concerning the application (including retroactive application) of Revenue Ruling 2013-17 and the June 26, 2013, Supreme Court decision that invalidated Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Continue Reading IRS Guidance Issued On The Effect of The Windsor Decision On Retirement Plans