Vigilant Blog

The IRS recently issued guidance on section 9003 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which prohibits health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) from reimbursing expenses for over-the-counter (OTC) medications and drugs obtained without a prescription (Tips: If Vigilant administers your cafeteria plan, we can amend your plan to…

September 23, 2010, a key date under this year’s federal health care reform legislation, is just around the corner. What does this mean for you? It means that your health plan must be in compliance with the following health care reforms, beginning on the first day of your plan’s next plan year: ·Adult child coverage…

The IRS has Form 8941, the form that small businesses and tax exempt organizations will use in claiming the small business health care tax credit for 2010. The small business health care tax credit is one component of this year’s federal health care reform package. It

At Vigilant, we have received many questions about how the grandfathered status rules apply to our member employers’ health plans. In previous 1. I have both union and non-union employees participating in a single plan. How do I know if my plan is considered to be “collectively bargained” under the health care reform laws?  There…

An employer who invested its employees’ 401(k) contributions in the retail class of mutual fund shares, which bore a higher expense load than the institutional class of shares, was found guilty of breaching its fiduciary duty to properly investigate the fund classes. The employer tried to defend itself by arguing that it relied on its…

Wondering where other employers stand on the grandfathering issue? A recent   Grandfathered status allows your plan to avoid compliance with some federal health care reform mandates, but the rules on maintaining grandfathered status are very restrictive and will prevent you from making the kinds of plan or premium contribution changes that you need to…

75 Fed Reg 45014, July 30, 2010). In order to be eligible for the program, an individual must be a citizen or national of the United States or lawfully present in the United States, must not have been covered under creditable coverage during the six-month period prior to applying for coverage under the PCIP, and…

If your health plan is maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, it’s important to understand how the health care reform law’s “grandfathering” rule applies to your plan. The rules play out differently depending on whether you maintain a single employer plan that is collectively bargained or a collectively bargained multiemployer plan.   The general…

Yet another piece of new guidance on the provisions of the federal health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has been jointly issued by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL) and the Treasury (75 Fed Reg 43330, July 23 2010). This guidance explains the enhanced claims review…

Under federal health care reform laws passed earlier this year, non-grandfathered health plans must provide coverage for specified preventive care services with no cost sharing when delivered by a network provider. The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and the Treasury recently issued guidance on which preventive services are subject to this mandate…

By now you’ve probably heard a lot about federal health care reform’s “grandfathering” provision and what you can and cannot do and have your plan remain grandfathered. (See previous blog posts for more information on grandfathering.) But if you’re like many employers, you’re still wondering, “what does grandfathered status really mean for me and my…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently launched a new website, designed to connect consumers with new information and resources to enable them to access quality, affordable health care coverage. website features a central database of health coverage options, including information about public programs, from Medicare to the new Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance…