Congress passes CARES Act on March 27, 2020

CARES Act: HDHPs and Telemedicine; OTC Medications Become Eligible Healthcare Expenses

On Friday, March 27, 2020, Congress passed the CARES Act (H.R. 748) and the President signed it into law. The $2 trillion bill was designed to provide economic relief for American citizens and business due to the COVID-19 healthcare emergency that has greatly impacted the U.S. economy. In addition to the stimulus checks and unemployment benefits the bill provided, the legislation also expanded how workers can use their healthcare benefits accounts. CARES Act Expands HDHP

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2020 tax deadline extension; HSA contribution extension; HDHP status

2020 Tax Deadline and HSA Contribution Deadline Extended to July 15

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have taken some key steps to ease specific concerns about taxes and healthcare benefits. Learn more about the 2020 tax deadline extension, HSA contribution extension, and HDHP updates for coronavirus treatments. 2020 Tax Deadline Extended by 3 Months The IRS officially extended the tax filing deadline, moving the date from April 15 to July 15, 2020. Tax payers (including individuals,

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HSA Excess Contributions

HSA Excess Contributions – What Should You Do?

The federal government recognizes the strain of healthcare costs on Americans. To help ease this burden they created tools like Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which allow healthcare consumers on high deductible health plans to set aside tax-free money to pay for medical expenses. But, as with any tax-advantaged financial tool, there is a limit on how much account holders can contribute to their HSAs every year. If you go over the annual contribution limit, the

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HRA Plans, qualified expenses and taxes

HRA Plans: Account Types, Qualified Expenses, Taxes, and More

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) are employer-sponsored benefit plans that allow employees to withdraw tax-free money to pay for qualified medical expenses. Unlike other types of employer-sponsored healthcare benefits, the employer owns the HRA and completely funds it; employees do not make contributions. If your employer offers an HRA, here are some important things to know about the accounts.

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COBRA compliance

Why COBRA Compliance is Important for Businesses

From an administrative standpoint, COBRA can be one of the more complex aspects of offering healthcare benefits. Complying with all the COBRA regulations is a time-consuming and often confusing task. Furthermore, businesses that fail to comply with COBRA requirements put themselves at risk of legal issues and financial penalties. Learn more about the importance of COBRA compliance below. What is COBRA? COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) is a federal law that allows employees to

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Cadillac Tax repealed by Congress; approved by President Trump

Cadillac Tax Repealed, PCORI Extended Under New Spending Bill

The controversial Cadillac Tax has been permanently repealed. In December 2019, President Trump signed into law an appropriations bill for 2020 that, among other things, repealed the Cadillac Tax and extended PCORI. The Cadillac Tax, which had never gone into effect, was unpopular with both major parties, labor unions, and benefits organizations. Bipartisan support After several years of delays, the move to repeal the unpopular tax began in July 2019, with the “Middle Class Health

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TPA Growth is Linked to Addressing Gaps in Benefits Education – New DataPath Whitepaper

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS (December 12, 2019) – DataPath, Inc., a leading developer of technology solutions for employer-sponsored benefits administration, announced today the release of a whitepaper titled, “Addressing Education Gaps is Key to TPA Growth.” In the whitepaper, DataPath summarizes findings from a survey they conducted in August 2019 that focuses on employees and their benefits knowledge. The technology firm also offers helpful suggestions for employers and third party administrators to fill the benefits education

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DataPath

DataPath Completes Client-Focused, Market-Driven Reorganization

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS (October 22, 2019) – DataPath, Inc., a leading developer of technology solutions for employer-sponsored benefits administration, announced today the completion of a reorganization to more closely align the company’s leadership structure with its client-focused, market-driven approach to product and industry leadership. To enhance DataPath’s focus on clients, the company has merged its development and IT teams and appointed Adam Rockers as Chief Technology Officer. As CTO, he will be responsible for ensuring

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Multi-Generational Workforce

Benefits Strategies for Today’s Multi-Generational Workforce – A New Whitepaper from DataPath

DataPath whitepaper analyzes today’s multi-generational workforce, provides strategies to increase employee engagement. Little Rock, Arkansas (September 5, 2019) – DataPath, Inc., a leading solutions provider for third party benefits administration, published a new whitepaper today titled “Effective Benefits Strategies for Today’s Multi-Generational Workforce.” The whitepaper identifies the challenges that employers and benefits administrators face in shaping benefits programs and communicating them to employees. More specifically, there is no “one size fits all” approach to either

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IRS Expands Preventive Care Allowed Under HDHPs

IRS Expands Preventive Care Allowed Under HDHPs

With the issuance of Notice 2019-45 on July 17, 2019, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expanded the types of preventative care covered under a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) for people with certain chronic conditions. Under IRS code section 223(c)(2), HSA-qualified HDHPs cannot pay 100% of the cost for care received prior to the minimum deductible being met unless the care is classified as preventive. Created in 2005, Health Savings Accounts

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outsourcing benefits administration

DataPath Whitepaper Analyzes the Value of Outsourcing Benefits Administration for Employers

New DataPath whitepaper explores the complexities of healthcare benefits administration and why employers should consider outsourcing LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS (July 11, 2019) – The complex and highly-regulated field of healthcare benefits administration should not be taken lightly. A new whitepaper from DataPath, Inc., the longest running software provider in the healthcare benefits administration industry, surveys the potential perils of keeping benefits administration in-house and offers a solution for cost-minded businesses. The whitepaper, “Employers Looking to

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diverse employees' needs

IRS and Other Agencies to Create New HRA Types

The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) issued a final rule to create two new types of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). The newly created Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA) and the Excepted Benefit HRA will go into effect on January 1, 2020.

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DataPath Partner Awards

DataPath Honors Clients, Celebrates 35 Years at Annual Conference

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (June 6, 2019) – DataPath, Inc., the longest running solutions provider in the benefits administration industry, announced the honorees of its annual partner awards. The DataPath Partner Awards were presented at the Connections 2019 conference and recognize industry success, business growth, and commitment to excellence and consumer directed healthcare through using DataPath solutions. The following DataPath partners were recognized: Benefit Design Specialists (Mechanicsburg, PA), Rock n’ Roll Award.  The Rock n’ Roll

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