OneDigital's VP of Legal Counsel Erica Cordova-Zinkie Featured in ThinkAdvisor

In the midst of a growing gig economy employers must be aware of the federal regulations in place when they offer benefits programs to employees.

If services presented to temporary workers do not comply with federal laws, significant monetary penalties could be administered to employers. OneDigital’s VP of Legal Counsel Erica Cordova-Zinkie describes certain sticky situations employers can find themselves in when they offer telehealth program benefits to employees who are not qualified for a group health plan. In the article “Telehealth Regs Can Bite Your Client's Leg Off: Idea File” published by ThinkAdvisor, Cordova-Zinkie explains in further details the possible consequences of failed compliance to federal regulations when it comes to temporary workers benefits.

The government has not classified telehealth services plans as an excepted benefit. If an employer offers a telehealth plan separately from its group health plan, federal regulators may treat the telehealth plan as a group health plan and expect it to meet the federal standards for group health plans.
 
— Erica Cordova-Zinkie, VP of Legal Counsel, OneDigital

Click here to read the full article.

To find out more about the specifications of your program and how to ensure your company is not at risk for penalties, contact your OneDigital Consultant today.