If you are an ERISA fiduciary charged with management or investment of plan assets, and recent market activity has not tripped any alarm bells — or, if the alarm bells have been tripped, but you are are looking for a bit of guidance on how to respond, then keep reading.  Due to a combination of recent factors, including the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the stock market suffered its worst drop in over 30 years this past week. Moreover, the market outlook will likely continue to be uncertain for the near future as businesses around the world adjust and take action in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and many consumers are quarantined in their homes.

In this volatile market, it is important for fiduciaries of retirement and other funded plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security (ERISA) to keep their fiduciary duties in mind and take appropriate action. As a reminder, those duties under Sections 404 and 406 of ERISA include:

• The duty to act prudently;
• The duty to diversify assets of the plan;
• The duty to comply with provisions of the plan;
• The duty of loyalty;
• The duty to pay only reasonable plan expenses; and
• The duty to avoid prohibited transactions.

The first three of these are particularly relevant when the market is uncertain.

• The duty to act prudently: It is important to remember that this duty requires the fiduciary to act with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence that a prudent person acting in
  

Yesterday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-15 announcing that a high deductible health plan’s payment of COVID-19 (coronavirus) testing and treatment prior to satisfaction of the plan’s minimum deductible will not affect its status as a high deductible health plan.

Pursuant to Section 223(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, high deductible health plans generally must require covered individuals to satisfy minimum deductibles before the plan can pay for any medical care services and items (subject to certain limited exceptions such as preventive care) in order for the covered individuals to remain “eligible individuals” for health savings account (HSA) purposes.   Under the relief provided in Notice 2020-15, this minimum deductible requirement will not apply to:

• Medical care services and items related to testing for and treatment of COVID-19. These services and items may, therefore, be provided without a deductible or with a deductible that is less than the otherwise applicable minimum deductible.  For 2020, the minimum deductibles are $1,400 for self-only coverage and $2,800 for family coverage.
• Any COVID-19 vaccine developed in the coming months. The IRS included a reminder that vaccines will continue to be treated as preventive care to which the minimum deductible requirement does not apply.

This is welcome news for employers sponsoring high deductible health plans who have been exploring ways in which to help alleviate the financial obstacles that may prevent employees from getting tested or seeking treatment for COVID-19 as well as for individuals with fully-insured