Oct 23, 2017 | Legislative Updates
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a dollar limit on employees’ salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) offered under cafeteria plans. This dollar limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments and may be increased each year.
On Oct. 19, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2017-58 (Rev. Proc. 17-58), which increased the FSA dollar limit on employee salary reduction contributions to $2,650 for taxable years beginning in 2018. It also includes annual inflation numbers for 2018 for a number of other tax provisions. (more…)
Oct 16, 2017 | Commentary
Last week, Richard Thaler was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for pointing out that individual behavior, with respect to investing for the future, is not rational. As someone said in a recent WSJ article on Thaler’s accomplishment, “We’re a nation of procrastinators, not a nation of portfolio managers.” (more…)
Oct 13, 2017 | Legislative Updates
On Oct. 12, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to change certain rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The order would relax regulations on association health plans. This change could allow individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance policies across state lines and avoid certain ACA requirements.
The executive order also directs the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (Departments) to consider expanding the availability of low-cost short-term, limited-duration insurance and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). (more…)
Oct 13, 2017 | Legislative Updates
On Oct. 12, 2017, the White House announced that it will no longer reimburse insurers for cost-sharing reductions made available to low-income individuals through the Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), effective immediately. Because Congress did not pass an appropriation for this expense, the Trump administration has taken the position that it cannot lawfully make the cost-sharing reduction payments.
This decision follows the U.S. House of Representatives’ position in a lawsuit it filed against the Obama administration in 2014 challenging the federal government’s authority to fund these cost-sharing reductions. (more…)
