Our Blog: Expert Voice

PITTSBURGH, JANUARY 6, 2015 – Melissa Hoffman, senior consultant in the Personal Lines department at Henderson Brothers, Inc., recently was awarded the designation of Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA), a professional designation conferred by the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society (the AIMS Society). Hoffman successfully completed three Insurance Success Seminars. The CPIA designation stands … Continued

  PITTSBURGH – January 6, 2015 – Andrew Siess was hired as a consultant at Henderson Brothers Inc, working in the Personal Lines department. Siess earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Slippery Rock University, with a double major in Finance and Economics. He was a member of the University’s hockey and lacrosse teams and … Continued

  PITTSBURGH, JANUARY 6, 2015 – Sarah Perryman was hired as a consultative associate at Henderson Brothers Inc, working in the Consultative department. Prior to joining Henderson Brothers, Perryman served a series of internships in copywriting, news writing and public relations. Perryman earned her Bachelor of Arts from Clemson University, with a double major in … Continued

Employers with self-sponsored health plans can be penalized beginning January 1, 2015 for failing to offer Minimum Value (MV) if they do not provide ample coverage for in-patient hospitalizations or physician’s services to employees, says the IRS. The IRS will propose regulations effectively closing the legal loophole that allows employers with Non-Hospital/Non-Physician Services plan to … Continued

Four conditions must be met in order for Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to be categorized as excepted benefits for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2015, according to final regulations issued by the IRS, DOL, and HHS. Plan sponsors must understand the criteria since EAPs classified as “non-excepted” coverage are subject to the … Continued

  Guidance for non-grandfathered group health plans using reference prices to determine maximum out-of-pocket expenses for various provider networks has been issued in a FAQ prepared jointly by the Employee Benefits Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and Department of Health and Human Services. The FAQs were released to assist group health plans to comply with … Continued

Despite rumors that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would either accommodate or exempt self-funded plan sponsors from applying for a Health Plan Identifier (HPID), no official statement has been made and specified health plans should obtain their HPID by November 5, 2014 under a final rule released by the Department of Health … Continued

All Part D Eligible Individuals working for the company must be notified by October 15 as to whether the prescription drug coverage the company offers to employees and former employees (including spouses and dependents) qualifies as creditable. Plan sponsors should also annually disclose this information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Who … Continued

ANASTASIA CHEIKHI HIRED AS AN ACCOUNTANT AT HENDERSON BROTHERS   PITTSBURGH – September 23, 2014 – Anastasia Cheikhi was hired as an accountant at Henderson Brothers Inc, working in the Accounting department. Prior to joining Henderson Brothers, Cheikhi worked as a finance assistant at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Previously, she worked as a staff … Continued

Many employers established a Cafeteria Plan well over 20 years ago, and it is very likely, because of IRS rules, that a written plan document was formally adopted at the time the plan was established, and a booklet summarizing the plan was distributed to participants. The IRS cafeteria plan regulations indicate that if there is … Continued