Don’t Bring Me Down. Open Enrollment Already?

Open enrollment is fast approaching for calendar year employer health plans. It’s a time when employees (don’t forget those on COBRA or leave) can enroll in or make changes to their employer-based health insurance benefit options. Often, other benefit elections are involved, like life insurance, flexible healthcare spending and dependent care, disability, and other fringe benefit coverage. Employees may need help navigating the morass of choices, like “Do I enroll in a high-deductible plan or stay with my PPO?” The decision-making process can be a lot. Be prepared to help by using our notices and checklists.

Read now »

Related Content

• Open Enrollment Notices Checklist (Health and Welfare Plans)
  Use this checklist to identify participant and beneficiary disclosures that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), and other laws require health and welfare plan sponsors to provide annually where compliance is satisfied by providing employee disclosures at initial plan eligibility and with the employer's annual open enrollment materials.
• Participant Disclosure Checklist (Health and Welfare Plans)
  Reference this chart too, which compiles basic information regarding health and welfare plan required participant disclosures under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.

Practical Guidance Updates 

Featuring the latest updates from your Practical Guidance account.    

• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Key Legal Developments Tracker
  Stay informed on new developments.
  • Retirement Plans. IRS announces a two-year administrative transition period for the SECURE 2.0 Act requirement that catch-up contributions made on behalf of certain eligible participants are to be designated as Roth contributions. That section was statutorily scheduled to apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023; the IRS now paused that rule until taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. I.R.S. Notice 2023-62.
  • Health and Welfare Plans. IRS issues a 2024 index adjustment for ACA contribution percentages used to determine affordability under the ACA employer shared responsibility mandate that applies to applicable large employers (ALEs). The required contribution percentage for ALEs will decrease to 8.39% (down from 9.12% for 2023). Rev. Proc. 2023-29.

• Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Resource Kit is a collection of current guidance on generative AI, ChatGPT, and similar tools.
• Public Interest, Pro Bono, and Non-Profit Resource Kit provides an overview of guidance for those working in the public interest space seeking resources to assist with a variety of issues, including Tenant's Rights, Fair Housing, Discrimination, Immigration, plus best practices when providing pro bono legal services and when working with nonprofit organizations.
• Document alerts allow you to stay current on legal developments that affect your practice. Find out how to set up your document alerts. 
• Practical Guidance Journal Third Edition 2023 features Generative AI cautions and benefits, new trends in lending, environmental law considerations, market intelligence, and an offer to participate in our annual Private Market Data Surveys.
• Check out the new Practical Guidance Author Center! Learn about the 1750+ leading attorney authors contributing to our 26 practice areas and find out how you can Become a Practical Guidance Author.  Practical Guidance is committed to amplifying diverse voices of attorneys across all differences, including gender and race.
• Legal Developments provide the latest updates and analyses of emerging topics impacting your practice area. Visit the Legal Developments page to see the latest topics, which also include breaking legal news and related Practical Guidance content. 
• Listen Up! The Practical Guidance and Law360 Podcasts Resource Kit features interviews with industry-leading attorneys on cutting edge issues in the law: AI, NFTs, Cannabis, and more.
• New and Updated Practical Guidance Content
  • Executive Separation Agreement Negotiation (Pro-executive)
  • Agencies Propose Overhaul of Fixed Indemnity Plan Rules
  • PBGC Finalizes Rule on Asset Valuation and Benefit Payments
  • Cigna Strikes Deal to Settle Suits Over Drug Prices
  • 5th Circ. Upholds Abortion Pill’s Approval, But Backs Limits
  • Agencies Issue Proposed Regulations on Mental Health Parity Implementation
  • Correcting Retirement Plan Overpayments under SECURE 2.0
  • Who Do I Need to Sue to Get a Decent Cup of Coffee? Jittery Fiduciaries Consider Options as Health Plan Litigation Froths Up

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE CUSTOMER EMAIL EDITION ON THE WEB

Experience results today with practical guidance, legal research, and data-driven insights—all in one place.

Experience Lexis+