Top 10 Compliance Issues for 2017 Health Benefit Planning 

Mercer’s Washington Resource Group recently released our top 10 compliance priorities for 2017 health benefit planning. There aren’t any surprises on this list. In fact, we’ve recently blogged about many of them. Employee Benefit News created a slide show on our Top 10 and here is a list of related posts and podcasts if you want to take a deeper dive into a topic. 

• Wellness Plans (podcast): More innovative designs make it critical to know the new rules that begin on January 1, 2017.

• Essential Health Benefits (podcast): Check those dollar limits and maximum out-of-pocket maximums against updated benchmark plans for 2017.

• Mental Health Parity (podcast): Make sure your benefits are aligned with current law and best practices.

• Employer Shared Responsibility: Affordability (podcast): Know the impact of opt-out cash and flex credits; 30-hour (podcast): Understand what payments must be converted to hours of service; ACA Reporting (podcast): Make sure it’s right – no more good faith standard and the old deadlines return for the 2016 reporting year.

• Preventive care: Modify benefit terms to reflect latest recommendations and guidance on preventive care.

• Summary of Benefits and Coverage (podcast): New model SBC must be used for open enrollments on and after April 1, 2017.

• FLSA overtime rules: It’s not just a compensation issue – don’t forget to consider the benefits implications.

• Expatriate group health plans: Position group health plans covering globally mobile employees to take advantage of ACA relief. 

• HIPAA privacy, security, and electronic transactions: Revisit health plans’ privacy and security obligations.

• DOL fiduciary rule: Assess the impact on welfare plans with an investment component.