As employees near retirement age, we inevitably get questions about the ways in which COBRA and Medicare affect each other.  Oftentimes, this is a topic where employees are uninformed or misinformed.  Most know the two interact.  One of the six qualifying events for COBRA is entitlement to Medicare after all.   But even the most well-known […]

Healthcare costs continue to rise.  According to cms.gov, Americans spent $13,493 per person on healthcare in 2022.  Employers and employees continue to search for ways to reduce expenses and one popular way to accomplish this is Premium Only Plans (POP). POPs allow employees to pay for premiums with pre-tax dollars.  Using pre-tax dollars to pay […]

If you are an employer, it is important to consider implementing a wrap document to ensure compliance with federal regulations and provide clear communication to your employees regarding their benefits. A wrap document is a single plan document that incorporates all of the required provisions for each benefit plan sponsored by an employer. It wraps […]

Health FSAs are group health plans and that means that all COBRA notice requirements apply to them.  As usual, however, there are special considerations to be aware of as well. First and foremost, if an employer maintains several group health plans, they should consider sending one initial notice and one election notice that covers all […]

The not so simple answer is… it depends… In order to retain and attract employees, employers offer benefits.  Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can offer an array of benefits covering areas such as financial, legal, parenting, elder care, substance abuse, as well as physical and mental health issues.   Never before has the issue of employees’ […]

As an employer that offers employee benefits, you are subject to the COBRA rules and regulations as enforced by the IRS and the Department of Labor. Keeping up with the myriad requirements as well as multiple deadlines can be difficult and a drain for any size business. COBRA compliance mistakes can be completely unintentional but […]

Exciting New Benefit Offering for Cobra Allies Clients! COBRA Allies, a leading provider of COBRA Administration, Premium Billing, and Compliance support, has partnered with Human Interest, a 401(k) provider for small- and medium-sized businesses, to add an affordable retirement service to your benefit offering.  COBRA Allies believes in partnership and carefully chooses who we partner […]

OPEN ENROLLMENT season is fast approaching.  Don’t forget about your COBRA QUALIFIED BENEFICIARIES. Open Enrollment is a busy time for HR teams throughout the country, as well as the brokers and administrators that support them.  It can seem like a whirlwind of managing change, communicating with employees, and answering the inevitable laundry-list of questions.  One […]

When meeting with prospective clients, there is a question that seemingly everyone wants to know the answer to.  What is your implementation process like? I can only assume this question comes up so often as everyone has experienced a rough kick-off with a new service provider.  I can distinctly remember bringing on a new software […]

The last few years have seen many class action lawsuits surrounding COBRA Election Notices.  Penalties and fines for various notification inadequacies can be STEEP, including $110 per day of noncompliance, as well as possible liability for medical and legal expenses reimbursement.  Many employers have settled these types of lawsuits rather than litigate.   Now is a […]