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An Update From Our Benefits Division About the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

The benefits team at Allen Insurance and Financial continues to monitor the progress of the rulemaking process on the Maine PFML, working with both legal and insurance company experts.

With the recent release of the draft rules for public comment, one previously unclear aspect of the rule has come to light and we are encouraging employers to comment.

Draft rules indicate that an employer may not submit an application to exit the state plan and substitute with a private plan until January 1, 2026, with an effective date not earlier than April 1, 2026.

Regulations towards private plan entry also note the employer as responsible for premiums under the state program until the effective date of the private plan, which would be April 1, 2026. What this means, as currently outlined, is that employers seeking private plan administration will be required to pay into the state plan starting January 1, 2025, without a refund of those contributions.

The regulations are not final and are open to public comment. We want to make you aware of the opportunity to express any impacts the proposed regulations may have on your business.

For additional background, in a number of other PFML states, a Declaration of Insurance process was utilized for employers seeking to use PFML private plans. Declarations of Insurance, effective as of the date state plan contributions begin, administratively assure states the employer is complying with PFML requirements through a private plan. This process also avoids state plan pre-funding as the state plan would not bear the cost of private plan claims. If Maine is amenable to this approach, a Declaration of Insurance process would allow time for rulemaking and for a state plan opt-out process for employers interested in private plan solutions.

To submit your comments, you may do so here:  MDOL Proposed Rulemaking. Select 12-702 Department of Labor, Paid Family and Medical Leave Program and within this dropdown identify the applicable section within which you would like to comment.

The public comment period for PFML rulemaking will end on July 8, 2024.

For more information about the benefits team at Allen Insurance and Financial and the services we offer, click over to AllenIF.com/benefits.

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Greg Karlik Joins Our Benefits Team

Greg KarlikGreg Karlik has joined the benefits division at Allen Insurance and Financial to work with individual and group health insurance clients.

Following a three decades-long career in the television broadcasting industry, Karlik has spent the past three years as a licensed insurance professional in the individual health insurance market place, helping customers manage and better understand, what, for many, is a stressful decision-making process.

He is a graduate of the University of Vermont and the University of San Francisco, where he earned a Master of Business Administration.

Karlik and his family live in Northport. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, their children and two dogs as well as gardening and exploring the Maine outdoors.

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ACA Pay or Play Rules: Penalties Updated

Benefits Buzz Newsletter - September 2022 image

This month’s Benefits Buzz discusses updated penalties under the ACA’s pay or play rules, as well as the health reforms that are included in the Inflation Reduction Act.

On Aug. 16, 2022, the IRS updated its FAQs on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer shared responsibility (pay or play) rules to include updated penalty amounts for 2023. The adjusted $2,000 penalty amount is $2,880 and the adjusted $3,000 penalty amount is $4,320.

You can read more on this PDF.

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Understanding Accident Insurance

Whether you suffer a concussion falling off a ladder or dislocate your shoulder moving the couch, injuries can lead to costly medical care, loss of work time and various other related expenses. If you don’t want to be caught financially unprepared to handle an accident, consider accident insurance.

Regular medical insurance won’t cover all the expenses that result from an injury. At the very least, you will likely owe a deductible and copays. Accident insurance acts as a safety net to help you pay out-of-pocket medical and nonmedical costs resulting from an accident or injury. Accident insurance might cover the following occurrences:

  • Injuries, such as fractures, burns, concussions, cuts, eye injuries,
    broken teeth and paralysis
  •  Medical services and treatments, such as ambulance rides,
    emergency care, nonemergency care, hospital stays, physician
    follow-ups, therapy services, surgery and medical testing
  •  Family lodging and travel needs related to an accident and follow-up
    careCall the Allen Insurance and Financial benefits division today for more information.
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How a Biden Administration Might Impact HR and the Workplace

While we don’t have a Magic 8 ball, with a new Executive Administration, all signs point to changes to how you approach your human resources.  Our seasoned prognosticators have some insight for you.

Each presidential transition brings changes to the HR landscape. And the more prepared an HR team is, the easier it will be for them to succeed amid these changes. To that end, this article discusses potential changes employers can expect during a Biden presidency.

To read more, click the image at right to view the article (PDF) in a new window.

HR Insights December 2020
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