DoL Issues 2003 Form M-1

February 11, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The US Department of Labor's (DoL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) published the 2003 Form M-1 annual report for multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs) and will make it available online.

According to a news release, Form M-1 is a one-page document filed by administrators once per year; this is the first year it will be available on the Internet so administrators can fill it out and submit online at no cost.

The online filing system will be available on EBSA’s Web site beginning March 1.   To encourage use of the online filing option, the DoL extended the filing deadline for Form M-1 from March 1 to May 1, 2004, and the 60-day extension will be extended from May 1 to July 1, 2004, the release said.  

Also available on line is a user manual, frequently asked questions and a link to submit questions electronically.   The form can be completed in multiple sessions and can be printed, according to the release.

MEWAs are arrangements that offer medical benefits to the employees of two or more employers or to their beneficiaries and, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the DoL requires reporting of such arrangements.  

The online filing process can be found at  http://www.askebsa.dol.gov/mewa/  .    Technical assistance for the online filing system is available at (202) 693-8600 and more information about the Form M-1 can be found on the Web site http://www.dol.gov/ebsa or at (202) 693-8360.

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