A federal district court has vacated a federal regulation under HIPAA that provided special restrictions on the disclosure of reproductive health information....more
6/25/2025
/ Abortion ,
Biden Administration ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Fertility Treatments ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Judicial Authority ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Trump Administration ,
Vacated ,
Women's Rights
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act mandates nondiscrimination in health care programs managed or funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with upcoming deadlines for compliance set for May and July...more
4/18/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Biden Administration ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Discrimination ,
Executive Orders ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Foreign Language ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
LGBTQ ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Section 1557 ,
Trump Administration
The Biden administration has issued two sets of final regulations that overturn rules adopted during the Trump administration pertaining to association health plans and short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI). The...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the final regulations issued by the Trump administration that increased the availability of short term, limited duration insurance (STLDI). ...more
In a 2-1 decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a district court ruling that the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. However, the Fifth Circuit has sent the case back to the...more
Once again, the IRS has extended the deadline for furnishing Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals. Reporting penalties will not apply to those who meet the applicable deadlines and complete the forms in good faith....more
12/5/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Deregulation ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Mandate ,
IRS ,
Penalties ,
Popular ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Tax Planning ,
Trump Administration
Federal executive agencies recently published two rules, one final and one proposed, aimed at publicizing the various costs associated with health care. A final rule, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services...more
12/4/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Expenses ,
Medical Loss Ratio ,
MLR Rebate ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has set aside the most significant portions of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) regulations on Association Health Plans (AHPs)....more
4/2/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Set-Asides ,
Trump Administration
The Affordable Care Act returned to the front page this weekend when a federal district court in Texas issued an opinion striking down the entire law as unconstitutional. ...more
Following up on the direction provided by Executive Order 13813, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued proposed regulations that would expand the ability of small employers to band together and provide coverage under...more
1/8/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
As it did last year, the IRS has extended the deadline for furnishing Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals by 30 days. This reprieve will allow employers, health insurers, and other plan sponsors to distribute the forms on...more
12/27/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Mandate ,
IRS ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Returns ,
Trump Administration
After a brief lull in activity, recent developments are likely to involve all three branches of government in addressing issues under the Affordable Care Act....more
10/19/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Religious Exemption ,
Repeal ,
Subsidies ,
Trump Administration
The momentary lull in congressional activity on health care provides an opportune time for an update on the efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)....more
8/16/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
Senate Republicans have released a draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) that aims to repeal and replace a number of provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Senate bill mirrors many of the terms in the...more
As widely reported, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that, if enacted, would make the first major legislative changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Modified to...more
5/8/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
American Health Care Act (AHCA) ,
Cadillac Tax ,
CBO Report ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Health Benefits ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Medicare ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has finalized regulations designed to help stabilize the individual and small group health insurance markets and, in particular, the health insurance exchanges...more
As has been widely reported, proponents of the American Health Care Act withdrew the bill from consideration before the full House of Representatives could vote on it last Friday. Early statements suggest there is no...more
The House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees have released, in two parts, budget reconciliation legislation, the first steps of Congress' proposal to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act. Reconciliation...more
3/8/2017
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration ,
Ways and Means Committee
Changes are imminent for the Affordable Care Act and a range of other laws and regulations affecting the health care industry. Ballard Spahr attorneys established a Health Care Reform Initiative in 2008 to monitor and analyze...more
1/20/2017
/ AARP ,
Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Age Discrimination ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Birth Control ,
Claim Procedures ,
COBRA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Benefits ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HRA ,
IRS ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Religious Exemption ,
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Section 1557 ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title IX ,
Trump Administration ,
Wellness Programs ,
Women's Preventable Healthcare Mandates