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One mandate under the PPACA [1] required health care providers, non-grandfathered health insurance issuers and self-insured group health plans to provide consumers with access to information about the cost of services before they receive care (“Transparency in Coverage” or “TiC”). During his first...

In the prior article we discussed the reasoning behind creation of a health and welfare committee to oversee administration of the health and welfare plans. In creating a charter, a plan sponsor will need to decide whether to include a work plan as an exhibit to that charter as a general guide to...

Following the flurry of regulatory guidance and informal comments from officials at the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and other agencies of the Federal government, health and welfare plans should be a primary focus for plan sponsors in the upcoming year. Designating a Committee or...

This week we move away from the world of the standard retirement or health and welfare plans and into the world of executive compensation. Executive compensation arrangements provide a company with a highly flexible benefit to further attract and retain top talent. Issues in design and...

In the past two weeks, we have presented a few items that plan sponsors can review in hopes of curbing common employee benefits and executive compensation errors. This week in our Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) series, we touch on a small sample of common health and...

For better or for worse, the 401(k) plan has moved to center stage in the context of American retirement policy. Fittingly, Part 2 of this Employee Retirement Income Securities Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) driven series focuses on a handful of common misses that occur with 401(k) plans. Not Knowing the...

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) has a reputation for being intimidating and understandably so. Although plan sponsors must practically consider business needs and evaluate benefits alongside general labor and employment considerations, ERISA’s fiduciary standards may...

“Penny wise but pound foolish” first appeared in writing over 500 years ago. This idiom captures the wisdom of human experience in just five words: shortcuts that appear to save money are more expensive in the long run. Sometimes much more. Further proof of this eternal truth - and one taxpayer’s...