Telemedicine is an increasingly popular type of benefit that enables people to use technology-based communication (for example, videoconferencing) to access medical care without being in the same physical space as a healthcare provider. Telemedicine can make healthcare more accessible and affordable for individuals, while improving employee productivity by reducing healthcare-related absences.   However, employers that implement telemedicine benefits should be aware of compliance concerns, including:   the Affordable Care Act’s market reforms;   ERISA’s reporting and disclosure requirements; and   COBRA’s continuation coverage requirements.   Employers can address these compliance concerns by integrating the telemedicine benefit with their group medical plans. Employers that sponsor high-deductible health plans should also consider how a telemedicine benefit may impact employees’ eligibility for health savings account contributions.  Resource...

The Affordable Care Act created reporting requirements under Internal Revenue Code Sections 6055 and 6056. Under these rules, certain employers must provide information to the IRS about their employees' health plan coverage (or that the organization does not offer health plan coverage). However, things are set to change in the new 2024 ACA reporting requirements. In the original rules, any reporting entity that was required to file at least 250 individual statements under Sections 6055 or 6056 had to file electronically. However, on Feb. 23, 2023, the IRS released a final rule implementing a law change in the Taxpayer First Act of 2019, which lowers the 250-return threshold for mandatory electronic reporting to 10 returns. This means most reporting entities will be required to complete their ACA reporting electronically starting in 2024. This ACA blog describes the process for reporting electronically under Sections 6055 and 6056. Action steps Employers that are subject to the AC...