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Showing 8 posts by Julie LaVille Hamlet.

IRS Announces 2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirement Plans and for Health and Welfare Benefit Plans

Saving for RetirementThis blog has been updated since December 4, 2023. The data below is current.

The IRS has announced the 2025 cost-of-living adjustments for retirement plan and health and welfare benefit plan limitations. The charts below set forth the applicable limitations. Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits, Retirement

Is it Time to Update and Restate Your Summary Plan Description?

Reviewing Employee Benefit PlanA Summary Plan Description, often referred to as an “SPD”, is a document intended to clearly describe and explain the important provisions of an employee benefit plan. The SPD must be written in such a way that the average employee will understand the benefits, rights and rules of the plan. Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits

IRS Makes it Easier to Correct Certain Retirement Plan Compliance Issues

Older Couple Looking at Retirement PlanOn July 16, 2021, the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2021-30, an updated version of the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”). Retirement plan sponsors may use EPCRS to correct certain compliance mistakes, and avoid the adverse tax consequences associated with plan disqualification.

We have provided a summary of the changes below. Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits, Retirement

2021 Arrives with Additional Flexibility for Flexible Spending Accounts

FSA ChecklistDuring 2020, a number of newly enacted laws created flexibility for various employee benefit plans. Please see Foster Swift’s publications on this topic here. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “Act”), which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, provides additional flexibility for Health Flexible Spending Accounts (“Health FSAs”) and Dependent Care Assistance Plans (“DCAPs”), specifically. Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits

HIPAA Compliance Considerations During the Pandemic

HIPAA Compliance COVIDThis article has been updated with new information since it was originally published on November 16, 2020.

As health care providers continue to face new challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for providers to maintain compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). Although the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has loosened some requirements to allow health care providers flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of the patient protections under the HIPAA Privacy Rule have remained intact. Read More ›

Categories: Compliance, Cybersecurity, Electronic Health Records, HIPAA

New Safe Harbor Announced for Electronic Disclosures Required by ERISA

EmailFor more articles from the June 2020 Issue of Business & Tax Law News, click here.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and its applicable regulations require a plan administrator to provide a number of notices to plan participants. For example, an ERISA plan administrator must provide to all plan participants a Summary Plan Description (“SPD”) that provides an overview of plan terms. Additionally, a plan administrator must provide a Summary of Material Modifications (“SMM”) to plan participants every time it makes certain changes to the plan. Read More ›

Categories: Electronic Health Records, Employee Benefits

Michigan Marijuana Retailers: Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks

More than 30 states have legalized medical marijuana and more than 10 have legalized marijuana for recreational use, including Michigan in a 2018 ballot proposal. Marijuana retailers have significant issues to address as the industry and the rules governing it mature over time. Among those issues, retailers should not overlook data privacy and cybersecurity issues.   Read More ›

Categories: Cybersecurity, Electronic Health Records, HIPAA

Cybersecurity Concerns in Health Care

Health care systems are eager to adapt to newer technology and widespread network options, all in the name of giving patients the best possible care. However, this comes with a price: more outlets for hackers to breach valuable data.  Read More ›

Categories: Cybersecurity, Electronic Health Records