In February, President Biden further extended the National Emergency declaration, which is ongoing today. We are, however, beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccinations increase. It’s been a long, tiresome road, and we wanted to recap on a few of the changes that came about due to the pandemic.

We put together a timeline of events describing how COVID has affected the employee benefits industry.

March 18, 2020: Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The FFCRA requires all employers with less than 500 employees and public employers,...

Every June, we celebrate Pride to observe the Stonewall riots. On June 28, 1969, many from the LGBTQIA+ community gathered and protested in response to a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in NYC. This event sparked the gay rights movement in the U.S.

At the time the riots started, homosexual acts were illegal in every state except Illinois. Bars and restaurants were shut down simply for serving gay people or having gay employees. Because of this, police raidings of gay bars were common. However, on this night the community decided to fight back.<...

Did you know the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010!? That’s right, ACA legislation has been in effect for 12 years. However, most of the significant provisions came later in 2014, prompting the establishment of Medcom’s ACA Solutions department in 2015.

A lot has happened since 2010, but certain areas still confuse employers and brokers. For example, ACA employee tracking, compiling data, offering affordable coverage, and filing with the IRS have many of us scratching our heads each year.

Our Senior Legal Counsel, Michelle Barki, put together a brief quiz to help test...

On May 18, 2021, the IRS issued Notice 2021-31. The notice provides guidance on tax breaks under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for continuation health coverage under COBRA.

We realize it’s a bit overwhelming, but our senior legal counsel, Michelle Barki, summarized the main points covered in the 41-page document. So don’t be scared; we are here to help!

1. Employers may require attestations to AEI status.

2. Involuntary Termination, like ARRA, is broadly interpreted based on facts and...