Many employers have expressed interest in offering a student loan payment program as an employee benefit, both to attract and retain talent. While individuals have come to expect traditional benefits like health insurance and paid time off, many new graduates…

On Aug. 1, 2017, Massachusetts enacted a new law intended to help fund MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. The new law temporarily: Increases the existing Employer Medical Assistance Contribution (EMAC) amount; and Imposes an employer penalty for each employee who…

Minuteman Health announced it has been unable to secure financing in order to form a new company that would offer plans on the state’s exchange in 2018. The Massachusetts-based health insurance co-op announced in June that it would stop writing…

Harvard Pilgrim has confirmed to the New Hampshire Insurance Department they will offer plans on the state's exchange in 2018, joining Anthem and Ambetter. “Today's announcements by Anthem and Harvard Pilgrim mean that New Hampshire residents will now be able…

Due to volatility in the individual markets, insurance companies have been considering whether to continue to offer exchange coverage in New Hampshire and around the country. As of today, Anthem and Ambetter have confirmed to the New Hampshire Insurance Department…

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Office of Chief Counsel has recently issued several information letters regarding the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual and employer mandate penalties. These letters clarify that: Employer shared responsibility penalties continue to apply for applicable large…

On July 28, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released draft 2017 forms for reporting under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 6055 and 6056. 2017 draft Forms 1094-C and 1095-C will be used by applicable large employers (ALEs) to report…

On July 25, 2017, members of the U.S. Senate voted 50-50 to open up the American Health Care Act (AHCA) for debate and amendments in the Senate, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote in favor of the…

Your employee handbook is an important document. Not only does it help employees understand company policies, promote solid company-employee communication and set a consistent standard of expectations, but it can also have serious legal ramifications. NEEBCo clients have access to…

On July 17, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued an updated version of Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9). Under federal law, every employer that recruits, refers for a…

Minuteman Health announced it will be ceasing operations as a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (COOP) as of January 1, 2018, and is actively seeking to organize a new Massachusetts health insurer to begin operations on that same date both…

On June 7, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew a 2015 administrative interpretation on classifying workers as employees or independent contractors. The withdrawal became effective immediately. Employers are still required to properly classify workers as employee or independent…