Straight From The Source Blog by Higginbotham Insurance

Is your business compliant with state and federal regulations? Even if you’re staying on top of the ACA, ADA, ERISA, HIPAA and FMLA, there may be one rule you’ve forgotten about: COBRA. Although the ACA has created new options for health insurance, companies are still required to offer continuation coverage in certain situations. Make sure you don’t get caught in this compliance pitfall.

IRS Provides Transition Relief for 2019 ACA Reporting

On Dec. 2, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2019-63 that:

• Extends the due date for furnishing forms under Sections 6055 and 6056 for 2019 from Jan. 31, 2020, to March 2, 2020;
• Extends good-faith transition relief from penalties related to 2019 information reporting under Sections 6055 and 6056; and
• Provides additional penalty relief related to furnishing 2019 forms to individuals under Section 6055. Under this relief, employers will only have to provide Form 1095-B to covered individuals upon request.

Please be aware that these delays relate to the furnishing of forms to individuals only — the due date for filing forms with the IRS for 2019 remains Feb. 28, 2020 (March 31, 2020, if filing electronically). 

During the holiday season, most of us are focused on family gatherings, good food and giving back. What most of us don't think about is the rise in theft during the holidays. Homes are burglarized, contents are stolen from cars and people’s identities taken — start thinking about these ways to protect yourself from thieves this holiday season.

Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years, both as certain products have become more popular and as people have tightened their budgets. Unfortunately, stories about crowd-related injuries and fatalities make the news every year.

According to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 4,889 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2017, the latest year for which statistics are available. That’s a 9 percent increase from 2016 and a 42 percent increase from 2009.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives covered employees the right to take time off for qualified family and medical reasons. Employers who do not understand the intricacies of this law may land themselves in hot water.

DOL Wage Office Nets Record $322 Million For Underpaid Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) releases an annual report highlighting its work in the previous fiscal year, specifically how much it recovered for underpaid workers. Last week it reported that in 2019 it collected a record $322 million for workers shorted on overtime, minimum wages and other compensation.

By James Hall, Senior Care Fitness

Medicare is a complex system that can be confusing for most seniors, but with the right resources, you can make sense of all of the different parts and plans. You also need to know when to put those resources to use and when to seek coverage. With this in mind, here are some tips to make understanding and enrolling in Medicare less stressful and time-consuming.

Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services can make it easy to get a quick car ride or make some extra income, and they’re only becoming more popular. In fact, in the cities where these platforms are available, taxi ridership has declined anywhere from 10 to 30 percent. However, the convenience of ride-sharing isn’t without risks. Most ride-sharing businesses are in the early stages of development, and the popularity, risk management and compliance issues they’re facing are all in uncharted territory.

You’re planning a home remodel or some landscape work – great! Most people start this process by laying out exactly what they’d like, then calling multiple companies to get the best quote to have the job completed. After all, this is your palace, and it should be exactly as you’d like it!