The Pension Protection Act Blog

Published by Suzanne L. Wynn of Qualified Pension Consulting Inc.

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Entries Tagged as 'Cafeteria Plans'

Annual Limitation on Deductions for Health Savings Accounts for 2010

May 14th, 2009 · No Comments

Today, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2009-29 containing the inflation adjusted amounts for Heath Savings Accounts (HSAs) as determined under Code section 223 for 2010. For calendar year 2010, the annual limitation on deductions under Code section 223(b)(2)(A) is $3,050 for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deductible health plan. For [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans

Disabled by AIDS in 1994 Does Not Mean Still Disabled in 2006 According to 7th Circuit

May 6th, 2009 · No Comments

If a condition is grave enough to warrant disability in 1994, why isn’t it sufficient to warrant disability in 2006? The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals addressed this question in Jenkins v. Price Waterhouse Long Term Disability Plan, No. 06 C 603 (May 4, 2009).
In 1994, Charles Jenkins started receiving long-term disability benefits under [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · Litigation

Dept. of Labor Issues Model COBRA Notices

March 19th, 2009 · No Comments

Today, the Dept. of Labor issued 4 Model Notices which can be used to comply with the notification requirements contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) relating to COBRA provisions.
The Model Notices are:
The full version General Notice which must be sent to all qualified beneficiaries, not just covered employees, [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · DOL

IRS Updates Dollar Limitations for Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits

October 19th, 2008 · No Comments

In Revenue Procedure 2008-66, the IRS has updated the dollar limitations for parking, transit passes, and carpooling or vanpooling fringe benefits. Specifically, effective for taxable years beginning in 2009, Code section 132(f)(2)(A) is updated to provide that the fringe benefit exclusion amount for parking is increased to $230. For qualified carpooling or vanpooling, [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · IRS

Supreme Court Rules Against MetLife in Gordian Knot of a Decision

June 20th, 2008 · No Comments

Often the entity that administers the plan, such as an employer or an insurance company, both determines whether an employee is eligible for benefits and pays benefits out of its own pocket. We here decide that this dual role creates a conflict of interest; that a reviewing court should consider that conflict as a factor [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · Litigation

Guidance on Funding Distributions from IRAs or Roth IRAs to Health Savings Accounts

June 3rd, 2008 · No Comments

Today, the IRS released 2 pieces of guidance for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) – Notice 2008-51 and Notice 2008-52.
First, the IRS released Notice 2008-51. It provides guidance on Code section 408(d)(9), which was added to the Tax Code in 2006 by Section 307 of the Health Opportunity Patient Empowerment Act of 2006, which was [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · IRS

Wisconsin Supreme Court Finds Denial of Health Benefits Arbitrary and Capricious, Lacking Specificity

May 29th, 2008 · No Comments

Yesterday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided Summers v. Touchpoint Health Plan Inc., No. 2005AP2643 (May 28, 2008), affirming the Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision ordering the case remanded and the participant’s benefits in the Kimberly Clark health plan reinstated as of the date that the benefits were terminated.
When the Summers’ young son was [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · Litigation

Health Savings Account Limits Announced for 2009

May 13th, 2008 · 1 Comment

The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2008-29, containing the 2009 inflation adjusted amounts determined under Code section 223(g) for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). For calendar year 2009, the annual limitation is $3,000 for deductions under Code section 223(b)(2)(A) for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deducitble health plan. For an indiviudal with [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans

MetLife Day at the U.S. Supreme Court

April 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Glenn, No. 06-923. MetLife v. Glenn is a case from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals about conflicts of interest for ERISA administrators. The 6th Circuit reversed the judgment of the district court that MetLife’s decision finding Glenn no [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · Litigation

Update on a Walmart Case and New Online Website for Calculating Annuities

April 2nd, 2008 · No Comments

CNN is reporting that Wal-Mart has decided to not pursue reimbursement for medical expenses paid by the Walmart Stores, Inc. Associates Health and Welfare Plan for Deborah Shank. I previously blogged about this case here. (hat tip to Paul Secunda of the Workplace Prof blog).
Deborah Shank was the former Walmart employee who [...]

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Tags: Cafeteria Plans · Litigation