ERISA
According to a DOL website, “The Form 5500 Series is an important compliance, research, and disclosure tool for the Department of Labor, a disclosure document for plan participants and beneficiaries, and a source of information and data for use by other Federal agencies, Congress, and the private sector in assessing employee benefit, tax, and economic trends and policies.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires most employers, who offer health and welfare benefits, to provide a written plan document to participants. The plan documents that are issued by insurance companies and other benefits providers are typically standardized and don’t include all of the customized, employer-specific language that the ERISA law requires.
The IRS and other agencies have issued three different sets of guidance making it clear that employers cannot give actively employed workers pre-tax dollars through a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) ,or any other type of arrangement, to purchase individual coverage on their own.
Benefits Buzz
Enter Your Email