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Fringe Benefit Analysts® is a full-service insurance, consulting and employee benefits firm. We serve a wide range of businesses with best-in-class expertise, services and support for their benefit programs. Our clients are assured of accurate, consistent solutions, attention to detail, responsiveness and a high return-on-value for their benefits dollars. Fringe Benefits Analysts helps ‘calm the waters’ of the complex and sometimes overwhelming world of insurance benefits. Please enjoy our blog!

Salary Conditions Under The New DOL Standards

Salary Conditions Under The New DOL Standards

On December 1, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) will implement changes raising the minimum compensation for exempt employees to $47,476 annually. While salary is just half of a two-part equation that includes a duties test of essential job functions, scrutiny is under way to analyze compensation and find solutions to avoid conflict with the […]

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What is Essential? The Madness of Maintaining Job Descriptions Under the DOL

What is Essential? The Madness of Maintaining Job Descriptions Under the DOL

Your new position just got approved and, finally, that mission-critical headcount addition is green-lighted. Celebration ensues until the actual work of finding the ideal candidate begins. The first step is to get a job description. In some cases, a perfectly vetted position analysis and description may exist, one that captures the particulars and purpose of […]

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ALE Employers Ask: Should Benefits Be Offered to Variable Hour Employees?

ALE Employers Ask: Should Benefits Be Offered to Variable Hour Employees?

UBA’s compliance team leverages the collective expertise of its independent partner firms to advise 36,000 employers and their 5 million employees. Lately, a common question from employers is: How does an applicable large employer (ALE) determine whether or not a newly hired variable hour employee should be offered benefits? The answer depends on how the […]

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IRS Reporting: Now What?

IRS Reporting: Now What?

Applicable large employers and self-funded employers of all sizes have now completed the first round of required IRS reporting under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA requires individuals to have health insurance, while applicable large employers (ALEs) are required to offer health insurance benefits to their full-time employees. In order for […]

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Enrollment Deadlines Are NOT Just Guidelines

Enrollment Deadlines Are NOT Just Guidelines

Due to increased federal oversight, health insurance carriers currently have a lot less “wiggle room” than in the past to enroll employees beyond their official new hire enrollment periods. Local and national carriers frequently find themselves audited by one of several federal and state agencies to ensure that the carriers are consistently applying policies regarding […]

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OSHA’s Final Rule on Electronic Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

OSHA’s Final Rule on Electronic Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

Beginning in 2017, certain employers with as few as 20 employees at a single site will be required to electronically file information about employee injuries and accidents that occurred in the prior year. This means that, for many employers, injuries and illnesses occurring in 2016 will be subject to this change. Employers of as few […]

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What Employers Need to Know about the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match Program

What Employers Need to Know about the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match Program

Beginning in early 2016, many employers received letters from the IRS-SSA-CMS Data Match program. These letters are addressed to the employer and begin by stating that “Medicare needs your cooperation.” Employers are directed to report information on the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Match Secure Web Site (https://www.cob.cms.hhs.gov/DataMatch/). The data being requested is often extensive, and can cover […]

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Nondiscrimination Regulations Relating to Sex, Gender, Age and More Finalized

Nondiscrimination Regulations Relating to Sex, Gender, Age and More Finalized

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which will take effect on July 18, 2016. If entities need to make changes to health insurance or group health plan benefit design as a result of this final rule […]

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Overtime Exemption Rules Arrive

Overtime Exemption Rules Arrive

After a long wait, the Department of Labor (DOL) has released the revisions to the white collar overtime exemption rules in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new rule becomes effective on December 1, 2016. Generally speaking, the Fair Labor Standards Act applies to employees of “enterprises.” Enterprises are: 1. A federal, state, or local […]

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DOL Issues 31st FAQ on ACA Implementation

DOL Issues 31st FAQ on ACA Implementation

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued its 31st FAQ on the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), dedicated to coverage of preventive services, rescissions of coverage, out-of-network emergency services, clinical trial coverage, cost-sharing limitations, the Mental Health Parity Act, and the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act. Some highlights […]

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