HR Service, Inc. Q&A

The following are examples, to date, of requirements that employers have most frequently failed to follow:

• Provide a medical evaluation before a worker is fit-tested or uses a respirator.
• Perform an appropriate fit test for workers using tight fitting respirators.
• Assess the workplace to determine if COVID-19 hazards are present, or likely to be present, which will require the use of a respirator and/or other personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Establish, implement, and update a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures.
• Provide an appropriate respirator and/or other PPE to each employee when necessary to protect the health of the employees (ensuring the respirator and/or PPE used is the correct type and size).
• Train workers to safely use respirators and/or other PPE in the workplace, and retrain workers about changes in the workplace that might make previous training obsolete.
• Store respirators and other PPE properly in a way to protect them from damage, contamination, and, where applicable, deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve.
  For any fatality that occurs within 30 days of a work-related incident, report the fatality to OSHA within eight hours of finding out about it.
• Keep required records of work-related fatalities, injuries, and illness.

You can change plans through August 15 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. If you’re currently enrolled in Marketplace coverage, you may qualify for more tax credits. Learn more about new, lower costs.

• If you have a life event that qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period, you can change any time.
• Most people who qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and want to change plans may have a limited number of health plan “metal” categories to choose from (instead of all 4) during their Special Enrollment Period.
• This means if you want to change plans during a Special Enrollment Period that you qualify for, you may need to select a new plan within the same plan category as your current plan, or wait until the next Open Enrollment if you want to change to a plan in a different category.

If you’re currently enrolled in Marketplace coverage, you may qualify for more tax credits.

A Summary Plan Description (SPD) is a document that employers must give free to employees who participate in Employee Retirement Income Security Act-covered retirement plans or health benefit plans. The SPD is a detailed guide to the benefits the program provides and how the plan works.

Generally, no. If you only have a cafeteria plan, you are not required to file Form 5500 or Schedule F. However, if you have a welfare benefit plan, you may be required under Department of Labor regulations to file a return for that plan.

A flexible spending account (FSA) is a type of savings account that provides the account holder with specific tax advantages. 

An HSA is a type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. By using un taxed dollars in a Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for deductibles, co-payments, coinsurance, and some other expenses, you may be able to lower your overall health care costs. HSA funds generally may not be used to pay premiums.

• You can claim a tax deduction for contributions you, or someone other than your employer, make to your HSA even if you don’t itemize your deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040).

• Contributions to your HSA made by your employer (including contributions made through a cafeteria plan) may be excluded from your gross income.

• The contributions remain in your account until you use them.

• The interest or other earnings on the assets in the account are tax-free.

• Distributions may be tax-free if you pay qualified medical expenses.

• An HSA is "portable." It stays with you if you change employers or leave the workforce.

According to the Department of Labor, to qualify for COBRA you must fall under three conditions to be considered for coverage:

• You must have an event that qualifies you for COBRA coverage.
• COBRA must cover your group health plan.
• You must be a beneficiary that is qualified for the specific event.

ICHRA allows businesses the option to offer employees a monthly allowance of tax-free money to buy health insurance that fits their needs. ICHRA also 
addresses ACA compliance for employers with more than 50 employees.  ICHRA Helps Employer and Employee.

 Amounts contributed by employers are contributions to a health and welfare plan, and therefore are a qualified business expense. Contributions by employers do not add to an employee’s income that now becomes a  tax-free benefit.

You cannot contribute to your HRA. It is owned, defined, and completely funded by your employer. It’s one of the ways your employer helps you make healthcare more affordable.

Pre-existing conditions are medical conditions that a person has before enrolling in a health insurance plan.

Small employers who don't offer group health coverage to their employees can help employees pay for medical expenses through a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA). If your employer offers you a QSEHRA, you can use it to help pay your household's health care costs (like your monthly premium) for qualifying health coverage.