Employers and TPAs Must Prepare for a COBRA Avalanche – DataPath Article Featured on EBN

Views: Employers and benefits administrators must prepare for a COBRA avalanche November 16, 2020 By Bo Armstrong Originally Posted by Employee Benefit News In the first six months of COVID-19 outbreak, more than 60 million Americans filed for unemployment. A recent report by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) suggests that companies are still cutting a high number of jobs, and in recent weeks, a large wave of new layoffs has been announced. The airline industry is

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Are We at Risk of a COBRA Avalanche? COVID-19 COBRA Compliance and Other Concerns for Benefits Administrators

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in the United States, jobs have been lost at an alarming rate. As these job losses are through no fault of the employees, they are considered qualifying events for COBRA purposes. This allows employees to apply for the continuing health insurance coverage through their employers. While Congress has passed a variety of economic stimulus legislation, most notably the CARES Act in March 2020, to help lessen the impact of COVID,

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DataPath Article on COBRA Eligibility for Furlough vs a Layoff Featured on BenefitsPro

The current economic situation caused by COVID-19 safety measures has millions of people wondering how they can keep their employer’s health insurance plan. Companies have been forced to furlough or layoff their workforce until the economy improves. In fact, the U.S. economy lost more than 20 million jobs in April. As such, people want to know whether or not they can sign up for COBRA continuation coverage and if they will be able to afford it.

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COVID-19 Claims Run Out Extension for FSA and HRA Plans

On April 29, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Labor (DOL), and other federal agencies published a final notice providing COVID-19 relief guidance on COBRA extensions. The notice also extended run out periods for health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) plans. Learn more about the COVID-19 claims run out extension and what it means for third party administrators, employers and participants. COVID-19 Claims Run Out Extension The final notice, now available

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COVID-19 COBRA Extensions and Claims Filing Update

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Labor (DOL), and other federal agencies released an update on COBRA extensions and claims filing due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This latest guidance came after Congress passed the CARES Act in late March 2020, along with other initiatives to ease the economic effect on American workers and companies. The final notice, published April 29, 2020, recognized that “participants and beneficiaries covered by group health plans, disability or other employee

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COBRA Benefits: Furlough vs Layoff

A common question for many people, particularly during a layoff or furlough, is whether or not they are eligible for COBRA benefits. Learn more about the difference between a furlough and a layoff, COBRA eligibility, qualified events, and the cost of continuing coverage. Furlough vs Layoff A furlough is temporary, with a specific end date, although the furlough can be extended beyond the initial period or converted later into a layoff. In a furlough, the

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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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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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DataPath Receives Top Honor for Employee Engagement Program Website

DataPath Earns National Recognition for Employee Engagement Website for Healthcare Benefits LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (November 29, 2018) – DataPath, Inc., a leading provider of technology solutions for tax-advantaged benefits administration, was recently awarded a 2018 MarCom Gold Award. The award was issued for CaptainContributor.com, DataPath’s employee engagement and education program website, in the category of Website – Benefits. Designed to help employees learn more about Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), COBRA and

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DataPath Publishes New FSA and HSA Materials for Captain Contributor

DataPath, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based benefits administration solutions, recently released new materials for its award-winning employee education and engagement program, The Adventures of Captain Contributor. The new materials include second edition comic books, videos, and fact sheets for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

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