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TPA Services: COBRA & ERISA

Commitment - Above and beyond The Ordinary

Montage has its own, in-house TPA department dedicated to your COBRA and ERISA compliance.

We moved ERISA services in-house because it’s just too important to be an afterthought. The Department of Labor’s own statistics show that about 75% of plans are out of compliance. Our ERISA wrap tool has successfully passed hundreds of DOL audits and is endorsed by the largest underwriting association in America.

Housing COBRA under our own roof means that as your employees get to know us and trust us over the years as your broker, they get a familiar face to transition them onto their COBRA coverage. We are licensed TPA’s and take care of your COBRA population with the same love and care we give to your full time employees.

Additional Information

With COBRA coverage there are many potential risks, liabilities and claims issues that any employer can face. We work with you to minimize these risks while simultaneously being able to bring forth noteworthy savings for our clients. Some of these risks include adverse selection and payment of unnecessary claims.

Handling COBRA issues with employees and former employees can be stressful and emotional. Montage will use our personal touch to work with you and your participants, even guiding employees towards individual plans if necessary, with our sister company Simpolicy. We will ensure your requirements to offer individual plans and exchange plan information.

Our in-house certified benefits experts are trained and knowledgeable, and are skilled at managing every aspect of your COBRA administrative duties. Montage services include reporting, timely notification, updated employee information and comprehensive documentation.

Our List of COBRA Administrative Services Include:

  • Personalized answers to any COBRA-related questions that any employee, spouse or dependents should have
  • Reliable Qualifying Event (QE) notifications and tracking
  • Initial Notification in writing to all newly covered employees and dependents of their COBRA Initial Rights
  • Notification to qualified beneficiaries of their rights under COBRA when a qualifying event occurs
  • Notification to beneficiaries of their conversion rights
  • Notification to beneficiaries of changes in premium rates
  • Notification to the employer and the beneficiaries when a participant’s eligibility expires under COBRA
  • Reinstatement notification to beneficiaries upon their COBRA election and payment
  • Billing and collecting beneficiary COBRA premiums
  • Remittance of collected insurance premiums to the employer (or insurance carriers as an optional service) with accounting documentation
  • Comprehensive management reports at the beginning of each month informing the employer of all COBRA activity
  • Implementation of any new requirements for federal compliance as a COBRA law changes
  • Skilled assistance with any open enrollment changes for all beneficiaries
  • Enrollment packets are sent to all COBRA participants and those in the election period

Montage’s COBRA Administrative Services is your worry-free solution for your COBRA compliance. When you are a Montage client, you deserve a hands-on approach.

Not only do we pay for all costs for you associated with this important aspect of compliance, but we enlist some of the most acclaimed professionals as your partner. Our CPA partner is truly an expert in Form 5500 filings, specializing in just this segment of preparation. We will actively monitor your organization and the lines of insurance you have as well as the enrollment numbers in each line of coverage to ensure that, with Montage, you never miss a filing. We gather all Schedule-A’s and any necessary documentation for you, getting everything to the point that is simply needs your review and final signature.

As further requirements continue to make their way onto our clients’ plates, Montage continues to find ways to take work off your desk. When the PPACA implemented a new series of 1094 and 1095 forms that needed to be filled out, Montage jumped into action, staffing internal experts and taking this labor-intensive project off of our clients’ backs. We are able to consult on codes, build workbooks for you and liaison between your carriers, your payroll vendor and any HRIS systems and provide you with simple to use, upload-friendly software that will dramatically reduce the work surrounding these required filings.

ERISA Compliance applies to your company…and it is serious.

Did you know the Employee Benefits Association has reported the Department of Labor recently  issued an edict that 100% of group health plans subject to ERISA will be audited within the next 3 years—regardless of size?

To support this initiative, it’s been reported that the DOL has hired more than 15,000 auditors.

There’s also a misconception on size of employer exposed—so it’s important to note that the DOL has an increased focus on small to medium sized employers, rather than only large groups.

The first two items the DOL most commonly requests are the plan document and the SPD. According to the Department of Labor’s own statistics, it’s anticipated that about 75% of plans are out of compliance—specifically with the SPD.

According to Zywave cited surveys 90% of employers would value support in creating the SPD. Couple this high demand with the fact that most employers fall into one of three buckets—(1) they don’t have an SPD, (2) they’re relying on the carrier’s certificate, which is commonly not ERISA compliant, or (3) they’re paying a substantial fee for an Attorney’s support in creating the documents, and it should make you ask if you’re getting the support you need.

  • DOL statistics show 32% of employer fines are over $10,000
  • Penalties can be as high as $110 per day, per violation with no maximum cap and no statute of limitations
  • The Department of Labor reports that approximately 75% of plans audited have a violation

Imagine receiving a call from the DOL tomorrow.  Montage has a portal where you can store these and all other pertinent documents—making them available 24/7.

Our ERISA wrap tool has passed hundreds of DOL audits and is endorsed by the nation’s largest underwriting association. Montage is truly the ideal partner for your ERISA compliance.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

We are very proud to be recognized for our hard work.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Plans you can count on, people you can trust

Contact Our Experts

Reach out to us for more information – we’d love to hear from you!