American Benefits Group (ABG) Navigating the Road to Consumer Directed Healthcare 2.0
The rapid adoption of consumer-directed health plans and accounts is a megatrend. In 2021 over 80 percent of U.S. employers offer a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a pre-tax consumer spending account or an HSA. According to Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), the average industry-wide Health Savings Account (HSA) balance is about $2,100, while an average couple will require more than $285,000 in savings at retirement age to cover their likely out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Moreover, only 30 percent of health savings account holders fall in the ‘saver’ category, carrying account balances from year to year. These statistics highlight the need for better education, tools, and resources to help consumers better manage the financial responsibility for their current and future healthcare costs.
American Benefits Group (ABG) Upping the Benefits Administration Game
In recent years, the US’ employee benefits landscape has rapidly evolved owing to factors such as escalating healthcare costs, changes in employment and benefits laws, and new initiatives and options in healthcare benefits. As employers continue to explore various ways to manage the costs and strategic design of their health benefits programs, integrated consumer-driven accounts such as Healthcare FSA, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) play an instrumental role to empower participants with the tools they need to manage their health care spending and out of pocket costs. Delivering comprehensive tools and guidance to manage these accounts in one place with access real time healthcare cost and quality assessment tools and data is a responsibility that Massachusetts-based American Benefits Group (ABG) take very seriously.
The IRS announced Revenue Procedure 2020-45 which provides the 2021 cost-of-living increases for inflation for certain items. In 2021, the:
Annual Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution limits will not increase they will remain at the 2020 amount of $2,750
Monthly limit for Transit and Parking will not increase they will remain at the 2020 amount of $270 per benefit
Annual maximum reimbursement for a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) will increase $50 for individual coverage from the current amount of $5,250 to $5,300 and the maximum reimbursement amount will increase $100 for family coverage from the current amount of $10,600 to $10,700
As a reminder, the IRS announced 2021 Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions limit increases earlier this year. In 2021, the annual HSA contribution limit for individual coverage will increase $50 from the current $3,550 to $3,600, and the family coverage contribution limit will increase $100 from the current $7,100 to $7,200.
Please note that this email has been sent to the Company Plan Administrator and Broker Contacts, please share with others in your organization.
If you have any questions, please contact American Benefits Group for more information.
The IRS announced Revenue Procedure 2020-45 which provides the 2021 cost-of-living increases for inflation for certain items. In 2021, the:
Annual Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution limits will not increase they will remain at the 2020 amount of $2,750
Monthly limit for Transit and Parking will not increase they will remain at the 2020 amount of $270 per benefit
Annual maximum reimbursement for a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) will increase $50 for individual coverage from the current amount of $5,250 to $5,300 and the maximum reimbursement amount will increase $100 for family coverage from the current amount of $10,600 to $10,700
As a reminder, the IRS announced 2021 Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions limit increases earlier this year. In 2021, the annual HSA contribution limit for individual coverage will increase $50 from the current $3,550 to $3,600, and the family coverage contribution limit will increase $100 from the current $7,100 to $7,200.
Please note that this email has been sent to the Company Plan Administrator and Broker Contacts, please share with others in your organization.
If you have any questions, please contact American Benefits Group for more information.
Recently there have been multiple regulatory announcements regarding Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Please be mindful that not every announcement applies to every plan type, nor to all configurations of a given plan type.
On May 12th, the IRS released Notice 2020-29 and 2020-33. These notices provided new relaxed rules for 2020 for making elections under Cafeteria plans, using amounts during a grace period or carryover period changes to the method determining the carryover amounts under Health FSAs and clarifying which premiums can be reimbursed under ICHRAs. The following is an explanation of both notices.
COVID-19 Update - Please forward this communication to others in your organization who may need it.
Reminder - We request you help us in an effort to reduce US mail wherever possible
Manual Claim Reimbursement: these can be submitted electronically either by uploading information through the participant portal, using the camera feature with our mobile application or faxing to our secure fax viewer.
Monthly Administrative Service Fee Invoices Payments: communications have been sent to all AP contacts for each organization. Within the communication, we identify alternative methods of payment.
COBRA and Direct Billing: If you are currently receiving your remittances by check we ask that you sign up for ACH. Please reach out to accounting@amben.com.
Today, the IRS announced Revenue Procedure 2019-44 which provides the 2020 cost-of-living increases for inflation for certain items. In 2020, the:
Annual Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution limits will increase $50 from the current amount of $2,700 to $2,750
Monthly limit for Transit and Parking will increase $5 each from the current amount of $265 to $270
Annual maximum reimbursement for a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) will increase $100 for individual coverage from the current amount of $5,150 to $5,250, and the maximum reimbursement amount will increase $150 for family coverage from the current amount of $10,450 to $10,600
As a reminder, the IRS announced 2020 health savings account (HSA) contributions limit increases. In 2020, the annual HSA contribution limit for individual coverage will increase $50 from the current $3,500 to $3,550, and the family coverage contribution limit will increase $100 from the current $7,000 to $7,100.
If you have any questions, please contact American Benefits Group for more information.
American Benefits Group CEO and Founder Bob Cummings Reelected as President of NAPBA May 28th 2019 - Bob Cummings has been reelected to serve as President of The National Association of Professional Benefits Administrators (NAPBA). A NAPBA Trustee since 2007, Cummings was first elected NAPBA president in 2015, and has been an instrumental force in the emergence of the Consumer Directed HealthCare industry over the last 20 years, orchestrating the growth of NAPBA as the primary compliance standards and best practice organization for third party employee benefits administrators serving the consumer directed healthcare industry.
Today, the IRS announced Revenue Procedure 2018-57 which provides the 2019 cost-of-living increases for inflation for certain items. In 2019, the:
Annual healthcare flexible spending account (FSA) contribution limits will increase $50 from the current amount of $2,650 to $2,700
Monthly limit for transit and parking will increase $5 from the current amount of $260 to $265
Annual maximum reimbursement for a qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA) will increase $100 for individual coverage from the current amount of $5,050 to $5,150, and the maximum reimbursement amount will increase $200 for family coverage from the current amount of $10,250 to $10,450
As a reminder, on May 10, 2018, the IRS announced 2019 health savings account (HSA) contributions limit increases. In 2019, the annual HSA contribution limit for individual coverage will increase $50 from the current $3,450 to $3,500, and the family coverage contribution limit will increase $100 from the current $6,900 to $7,000.
If you have any questions, please contact your Service Delivery Manager for more information.
On October 26, 2016, the IRS announced the 2017 annual inflation adjustments, which included increased limits for Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) under an IRC §125 cafeteria plan. The Parking and Transit limits for 2017 remain the same.
When Bob Cummings started out in benefits administration, health-insurance co-pays were $3, premiums were well under $100 a month, his office ran on MS-DOS, and it issued paper statements. Much has changed since then, obviously, but not his company’s success formula, based on personalization, creativity, knowledge of a complex and ever-changing subject, and what American Benefits Group prefers to call ‘enabling technology.’
Northampton - Robert Cummings, CEO and founder of American Benefits Group of Northampton, Massachusetts, has been elected President of the National Association of Professional Benefits Administrators (NAPBA) . . .
Published in The Republican, Business Monday - http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2015/07/people_in_business_robert_cummings_of_am.html
On Oct. 1, 2014, the IRS, EBSA and HHS released final regulations related to excepted benefits. As background, plans or programs that qualify as excepted benefits are generally exempt from PPACA’s mandates such as preventive care services and the prohibition on annual dollar limits.
On Sept. 18, 2014, the IRS published Notice 2014-55, which creates two new Section 125 midyear qualifying events. The two new events apply in very specific situations and – like all Section 125 events – are optional. Employers who wish to include these new Section 125 qualifying events as options in their plan design need to amend the plan document accordingly.
Moments ago, the Department of Treasury issued a press release and informational fact sheet announcing a major policy change relating to flexible spending accounts (FSAs) that has many positive implications for all FSA constituents – including administrators, employers and participants. The Department of Treasury has modified its FSA “use-it-or-lose-it” provision to allow a limited rollover of FSA funds.
