Prescription Drug Discount Programs | VA Employee Benefits

Did you know that you can save time and money on your prescription drugs by simply signing up for a discount card online? With savings as much as 80% off, these discount cards keep your health care costs down even when the prices of prescriptions are sharply rising.  At no cost to the patient, discount … Continued

The Rap on Wraps | Virginia Employee Benefit Advisors

There’s a good chance you use a wrap document to help satisfy your Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) summary plan description (SPD) obligations. Yet if you look for a definition of wrap document in ERISA statutes or regulations, you will not find one. The wrap is not a defined term or required document; it … Continued

A DOL Audit Can Happen to You | Virginia Benefit Brokers

Summary plan descriptions (SPDs) are required for all retirement, health, and welfare plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). However, misconceptions about this requirement are widespread. ERISA attorney Stacy H. Barrow, partner with Marathas Barrow Weatherhead Lent LLP, had a chat with ThinkHR about the importance of having proper ERISA … Continued

Price Shop Healthcare | Virginia Benefit Advisors

As the costs of health care soar, many consumers are looking for ways to control their medical spending. Also, with the rise of enrollment in high deductible health plans, consumers are paying for more health care out-of-pocket. From medical savings accounts to discount plans for prescriptions, patients are growing increasingly conscious of prices for their … Continued

Ask the Experts: Electronic Delivery of ERISA Notices | Virginia Benefit Advisors

Q. Can we provide summary plan descriptions (SPDs) electronically? A. Yes. However, just sending them is not enough to meet ERISA requirements; you must ensure the intended recipients are actually getting them. Specifically, ERISA requires SPDs to be furnished using “measures reasonably calculated to ensure actual receipt of the material” via “methods likely to result … Continued

DOL Fiduciary Rule Overturned | Virginia Benefit Brokers

In its March 15, 2018, decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Fiduciary Rule that expanded the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Under the Fiduciary Rule, investment brokers were going to be required to put … Continued

Ask the Experts: Gathering Race and Ethnicity Information for the EEO-1 Report | Virginia Employee Benefit Advisors

Question: What is the best way to get ethnicity and race information for each employee for the EEO-1 report? Answer: Self-identification is the preferred method for gathering the required information for the EEO-1 report. As an employer, you are required to ask employees to self-identify if they wish; however, employees are not required to self-identify. If … Continued

2018 HSA Family Contribution Limit Reduced by $50 | Virginia Benefit Advisors

On March 5, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a reduction in the maximum annual contribution allowed for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in 2018. The change does not affect people whose HSA contributions are based on self-only health coverage, but it does affect those with family coverage under a qualifying High Deductible Health Plan … Continued