Book excerpt: Mandated Benefits 2015 Compliance Guide is a comprehensive and practical reference manual covering key federal regulatory issues that must be addressed by human resources managers, benefits specialists, and company executives in all industries. Mandated Benefits 2015 Compliance Guide includes in-depth coverage of these and other major federal regulations: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act (HEART Act) Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) Mandated Benefits 2015 Compliance Guide helps take the guesswork out of managing employee benefits and human resources by clearly and concisely describing the essential requirements and administrative processes necessary to comply with each regulation. It offers suggestions for protecting employers against the most common litigation threats and recommendations for handling various types of employee problems. Throughout the Guide are numerous exhibits, useful checklists and forms, and do's and don'ts. A list of HR audit questions at the beginning of each chapter serves as an aid in evaluating your company's level of regulatory compliance. Mandated Benefits 2015 Compliance Guide has been updated to include: The Dodd Frank Act, creating an ethics training program, and practices and trends Information on payroll cards and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tip credit New regulations and guidelines for health care reform as mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Updated requirements for certificates of creditable coverage; excepted benefits under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); and transaction standards The revised model general and election notices as required under PPACA Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts and definition of spouse per the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor and updates to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's required premiums The payment of long-term disability insurance by qualified retirement plans PPACA's effect on health reimbursement arrangements; new information on the proposed $500 carryover of unused funds in health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and PPACA's effect on health FSAs; new material on the effect of amendments to HIPAA's excepted benefit rules on Employee Assistance Programs; and revised information on providing employee benefits to legally married same-sex couples based on the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor and the decision's effect on cafeteria plan mid-year election changes New sections on "no-fault" attendance policies and pregnancy and the Americans with Disabilities Act Information on the definition of spouse based on the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor New material on the proposed Equal Pay Report