On July 4, 2025, Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law. Although most have focused on the sweeping tax reform included in the OBBB, a number of key employee benefits provisions are included in the...more
7/10/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Federal Budget ,
FSA ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
HSA ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
New Legislation ,
One Big Beautiful Bill Act ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Retirement ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Reform ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
In the wake of a recent federal District Court decision, the reproductive health care HIPAA Privacy rules finalized during the Biden Administration have been vacated and plan sponsors should re-evaluate the language included...more
6/25/2025
/ Abortion ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Covered Entities ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Fertility Treatments ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Patient Access ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Vacated ,
Women's Rights
On May 15, 2025 the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Departments”) announced they will temporarily not enforce their new standards published under the mental health parity Final Rule last...more
5/19/2025
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Deregulation ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Patient Access ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services (the “Agencies”) released its annual report to Congress assessing compliance with statutory mental health parity requirements under...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 9, 2024, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) released highly anticipated Final Rules under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity...more
9/30/2024
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Proposed Rules ,
U.S. Treasury
As organizations begin renewing and entering into new contractual relationships for 2024, an oft-forgotten aspect of the contracting process is determining whether a Business Associate Agreement (a “BAA”) is required. Under...more
10/4/2023
/ Business Associates ,
Business Associates Agreement (BAA) ,
Covered Entities ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
PHI
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and insurers to cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders in a manner that is equitable to the...more
8/22/2023
/ Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
U.S. Treasury
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and insurers to cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders in a manner that is equitable to the...more
8/22/2023
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Safe Harbors ,
U.S. Treasury
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and insurers to cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders in a manner that is equitable to the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of a recent focus on price transparency, claims data, and hidden fees in the health plan world, employer-sponsored health plans have been bringing their fight to the courtroom in an effort to lower...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed enforcement of a Texas federal district court ruling that that voided the ACA requirement for health plans to cover preventive care items and services (without...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Tri-Agencies issued Frequently Asked Questions addressing the impact of the Braidwood decision on the ACA’s preventive care mandate, including guidance on certain preventive care services that must...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Under a Tri-Agency Proposed Rule, health plans could be required to report information relating to air ambulance services by March 31, 2023. As this proposed deadline approaches, plan sponsors should reach...more