Category: Department of Labor
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What Are Some Pros & Cons of HIPAA? | PA Benefit Advisors
Congress approved the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to guard the privacy of personal medical information, and to give individuals the right to keep their health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions in place even if they change jobs. The law has done this, providing important safeguards for patients. But it has also increased…
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July 2017 Compliance News | PA Benefit Advisors
Health Reform Update After many months of working on possibly repealing and replacing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), it looks like Congress might be ready to throw in the towel for the time being. A revised plan to change parts of the ACA and restructure Medicaid alienated both very conservative Republicans and…
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How Long do Employers Need to Keep Payroll Records? | PA Benefit Advisors
Under U.S. federal law, employers must keep the payroll records of their employees or former employees for a certain length of time. The amount of time, however, varies according to which statute you refer to, which can make knowing how long to keep employee records confusing. By keeping in mind the required time limits under…
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Employer Exchange Notices–No Changes Needed | PA Benefit Advisors
Employers are required to give all new hires a Notice of Marketplace Coverage Options – often referred to as the Employer Exchange Notice. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides model notices that employers can download, customize, and distribute to workers. Although the model notices were scheduled to expire May 31, 2017, the DOL has…
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DOL Fiduciary Rule Takes Effect June 9 | PA Benefit Advisors
In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta stated that the DOL’s fiduciary rule will become effective June 9, 2017. “We have carefully considered the record in this case, and the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, and have found no principled legal basis to change the June…
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The DOL’s Final Overtime Rule Saga Continues | PA Benefit Advisors
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The change in the regulations that would increase the salary threshold for overtime exemption that was all over the news for the last several months may now be decided by the end of June. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) another 60-day extension of time to file…
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Department of Labor Delays Enforcement of the Fiduciary Duty Rule | PA Benefit Advisors
On April 4, 2017, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the applicability date for the final fiduciary rule will be extended, and published its final rule extending the applicability date in the Federal Register on April 7. This extension is pursuant to President Trump’s February 3, 2017 presidential memorandum directing the DOL to further…
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The Overtime Rule Saga Continues… | PA Benefit Advisors
All the hullabaloo about the potential new Department of Labor overtime rules was for naught as the implementation of the law has been delayed again. President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) requested extensions to the appeal process to determine its strategy and finalize its standpoint on the proposed regulations. Some political experts theorize that the…
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DOL Increases Penalty Amounts to Adjust for Inflation | Pennsylvania Employee Benefits
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For the second time in less than a year the Department of Labor (DOL) has increased the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by the DOL. The increases were announced in a final rule issued by the DOL on January 18, 2017. The increases were made pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act…
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Federal Employment Law Update – January 2017 | Pennsylvania Employee Benefits
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FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part 35 On December 20, 2016, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) addressing special enrollment for group health plans, coverage of preventive services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements. The FAQs were prepared jointly by the Department…
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