Learn what’s going on in the news with benefits, compliance, FirstPerson, and more.
On February 11, we shared details about a tentative settlement by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in a pending class action antitrust lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that insurance companies in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) entered into agreements not to compete with each other for business, in
One of the more confusing aspects of COVID-19-related benefit legislation is the notion of the outbreak period, which was announced by the Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last spring. The outbreak period was designed to give employees additional time to exercise their rights to change health
For the tenth year, First Person Advisors has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. A statewide survey and awards program, Best Places to Work in Indiana identifies and honors 125 participating Hoosier employers with
As has been widely reported, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has reached a tentative settlement in a pending class action lawsuit. The lawsuit was initiated in federal district court in 2013. It alleged that insurance companies in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”) entered into agreements not to
Goal is healthier, more satisfied employees and lower healthcare costs for employers Indianapolis benefits and compensation advisory firm First Person Advisors announces a partnership with HealthJoy, a benefits experience platform, to help Indiana employers maximize the value of their benefits package, reclaim their HR team’s time so they can focus on
The Transparency in Coverage final rule was released with some fanfare by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Treasury on October 29, 2020. According to the Fact Sheet published by HHS, “this final rule is a historic step toward putting health care price information in the
Updated February 12, 2021 Anthem, UnitedHealthcare and UMR recently announced an extension of COVID-19 coverage, treatment and testing. As such, the First Person team put together a simple outline to explain the differences in the extensions for the various plan types and service types. Should you have any additional questions
RESOLVE Increments consists of four 90-minute segments offered once every week in October, during which participants will learn from national experts and First Person subject matter experts about trends and innovations.
Last week the IRS published Notice 2020-76 announcing an extension of the impending January distribution due dates of IRS Forms 1095-B and 1095-C required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This relief is the same extension employers have received in previous years. What is the impact of Notice 2020-76? The
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 13, 2020) – Indianapolis benefits and compensation advisory firm First Person has launched the First Person Advisors Foundation to drive its philanthropic efforts and match employees’ charitable giving. The firm had intended to launch the Foundation – which will be managed and advised by the Central Indiana Community
A federal court in New York recently struck down four federal Department of Labor (DOL) rules related to the leaves provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). As a result, certain aspects of the FFCRA are now more favorable to employees. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the ruling
In a highly publicized press conference on Saturday, August 8, President Trump announced the issuance of an Executive Memorandum addressing payroll tax relief in light of the ongoing pandemic. The Memo directs the Treasury Secretary to defer employers’ withholding, deposit and payment of Social Security and Medicare taxes from qualifying
Over the course of a few days in June, the executive branch and the judicial branch asserted two potentially conflicting positions regarding discrimination against persons on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. On June 12, 2020, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued a final rule that
On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that employers may not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment. This decision affects all employers with 15 or more employees. The decision was a response to three separate cases, all of which were about
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — FirstPerson and Community Health Network recently announced a partnership to create an innovative and modern approach to caring for caregivers. With the partnership comes the placement of Michelle Mahaffey as EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer as a member of the Executive Committee at Community Health Network. Michelle
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) fee, which must be paid by group health plans. We have good news for employers with fully insured group health plans: No further action is needed unless you sponsor a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), which is considered a self-funded
On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, the Senate passed the much-anticipated Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, which was delivered by the House on Thursday of last week. The bill will move from the Senate to President Trump. The passage of this bill comes just in time for many PPP
As employers take measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, a new rule may change how you report employees who test positive for COVID-19. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced new guidance for employers to investigate and report cases of COVID-19 in the workplace.
On May 20, 2020, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2020-32, which provides the 2021 inflation-adjusted limits for HSAs and HSA-qualifying HDHPs. According to the revenue procedure, the 2021 annual HSA contribution limit will increase to $3,600 for individuals with self-only HDHP coverage, up $50 from 2020, and to $7,200 for
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FirstPerson recently welcomed Denny Darrow as Vice President and Advisor. The addition of Darrow allows the firm to leverage his extensive experience leading people and change at large organizations to further advance the benefits and people strategies of enterprise firms. Darrow has more than 22 years of strategic leadership experience in human resources and employee healthcare, most recently serving as Vice