BLUE FOX | Accounting for Nonprofits and Social Enterprises
  • Accounting Services
    • Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Eligibility
  • Tax Preparation
    • Tax Deadlines
  • About
    • Our Founder & CEO
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
    • Now Hiring: Bookkeeper
    • Our Philosophy
    • Benefits of Outsourced Accounting Services for Nonprofits
    • Technology Solutions
    • Testimonials
    • FAQs
    • Join the Team >
      • Now Hiring: Tax Specialist (Remote)
  • Blog
  • Freebies
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Our Client Asked for Advice on Covering Medical Travel and Abortion Travel

7/1/2022

0 Comments

 

Here's our CEO's Actual Email Response

Picture
Hi Client That We Love,
 
Jina and Randi looped me in on your recent discussion regarding covering medical travel and abortion travel. I understand you all will speak with your health insurance advisors on this, which is a good next step.
 
I suggest that you speak to your general counsel/corporate attorney as well because, depending on how this unfolds, there could be an additional risk to employers who want to offer this kind of support if the structure of the reimbursement doesn’t line up with the current guidance in the code regarding medical reimbursements.
 
Here’s a brief overview of some considerations. What we’re probably looking at to keep employer risk as low as possible is the setup of a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) with clearly outlined policies on what types of expenses will be covered. This would answer potential questions from employees like:
 
  • If her abortion travel is covered, can my facelift be covered? (That’s a crazy example but just saying the crazy stuff is what we have to solve for as employers sometimes… )
  • Does the abortion have to be medically necessary to cover the travel? (The answer will determine if an employee could ask for travel coverage for any elective procedure.)
 
I just wanted to add this additional insight in case it’s helpful.
The lawyers on both sides will have a field day with this…

 
Suppose Congress supports the Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and puts pressure on the Treasury. In that case, we may even be looking at a future where employers who choose to cover abortion travel will be subject to an audit of their fringe and health benefits more regularly. (Think: the travel benefit is set up as non-taxable, and because proper plan documents or policies aren’t in place, the IRS claws it all back and makes it taxable to the employer and employee. Then adds penalties, fines, and interest.)
 
For all these reasons, I strongly suggest legal guidance before proceeding.

Let me know if you want to talk this through more.

Chantal

NOTE: Blue Fox is an advisory and financial consulting firm, not a law firm or a public accounting firm. Any anecdotal advice shared here should not be relied upon for decision-making. Please consult a CPA, attorney, or other qualified professional before making changes to any benefits policy.

Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Our Blog

    Welcome to the Blue Fox Blog! A fairly entertaining source of info and news related to our company, nonprofits, social sector trends, and, of course, accounting. Enjoy!

    Subscribe

    Top Articles

    Back to Basics: How to Set Up Your Nonprofit Chart of Accounts

    How "Small" Payroll Mistakes Cause Multi-Year S#!t Storms for Nonprofits


    Behind the Scenes, New Client Onboarding Call

    When to Hire a Tax Professional - 10 Factors to Consider

    40+ Ideas to Light a Fundraising Fire Under Your Nonprofit Board Members

    Why Outsource Your Nonprofit Accounting to Blue Fox?  Ask One of Our Newest Clients

    Client CASE STUDY: One of The Most Financially Sustainable Nonprofit Orgs We Know

    The Magical Nonprofit Financial Ratio Matrix

    10 Reasons to Outsource Your Nonprofit Accounting
    ​
    How to Make Your Nonprofit Recession-Proof


    ​How to Engage Your Board of Directors in Financial Conversations

    QB Tip of the Month: How to Use Classes for Painless Grant Writing
    ​
    When to Hire an Accountant for Your Social Impact Org

    Are You Paying Too Much for Payroll?

    Company News

    Blue Fox Teams Up With Bloomerang to Develop Nonprofit Resources

    Blue Fox Earns Better Business Bureau Accreditation

    Blue Fox Launches Protected By Logo
    ​
    Blue Fox - The Origin Story
     

    Categories

    All
    Blue Fox Foundation
    Company News
    For Individuals
    For Nonprofits
    For Social Enterprises
    Press Announcements

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

    RSS Feed

Request A Quote

Services

Subscribe

Contact

Disclaimer


Picture
Picture
NTEN Nonprofit Technology Network Member
QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Certified Financial Planner
Picture

BLUE FOX
Phone:
(321) 233-3311, Email: hello@yourbluefox.com
Mailing Address: 2542 Woodfield Circle, Melbourne, FL 32904
Copyright © 2023 - All Rights Reserved
​
​Holiday office closures:
To give our employees time to unplug and refresh with their family and friends, the Blue Fox virtual office closes 
for all federal holidays, the week of Thanksgiving, and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.
  • Accounting Services
    • Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Eligibility
  • Tax Preparation
    • Tax Deadlines
  • About
    • Our Founder & CEO
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
    • Now Hiring: Bookkeeper
    • Our Philosophy
    • Benefits of Outsourced Accounting Services for Nonprofits
    • Technology Solutions
    • Testimonials
    • FAQs
    • Join the Team >
      • Now Hiring: Tax Specialist (Remote)
  • Blog
  • Freebies
  • Contact
  • Subscribe