In January 2025, The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) filed a complaint against the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (the departments) seeking to invalidate the 2024 final regulations under...more
5/22/2025
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced (see Revenue Procedure 2025-19) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), and...more
5/5/2025
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employee Contributions ,
Employer Contributions ,
HDHP ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
HRA ,
Insurance Industry ,
IRS ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Revenue Procedures ,
Taxation
For calendar-year plans, the 2025 plan year is right around the corner. And even for non-calendar-year plans, January 1, 2025, is a key implementation date for certain plan features. This is the ideal time for plan sponsors...more
12/11/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Cybersecurity ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retirement Plan
The US Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) recently issued much-anticipated final regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The newly issued...more
9/18/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Popular ,
U.S. Treasury
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced (see Revenue Procedure 2024-25) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and...more
5/10/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Deductibles ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
HRA ,
HSA ,
IRS
The Biden administration previously announced its intent to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our series introduction for more information). On April...more
5/17/2023
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
Deductibles ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health Insurance ,
Public Health Emergency ,
U.S. Treasury
The Biden administration originally announced its intent to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our prior article for more information). Although the...more
5/2/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deductibles ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health Insurance ,
HSA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vaccinations
In response to Braidwood Mgmt. Inc. v. Becerra, a recent case striking down part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive services mandate, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury...more
4/18/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Appeals ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Motion To Stay ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Religious Exemption ,
U.S. Treasury
The Biden administration has announced its intention to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our series introduction for more information)....more
4/4/2023
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HSA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
The Biden administration recently announced its intention to end the COVID-19 National Emergency and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency effective May 11, 2023. These emergency declarations have been in place for nearly...more
3/20/2023
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
Employee Assistance Programs ,
Employee Benefits ,
HDHPs ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Telehealth ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Webinars
The Biden administration has announced its intent to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our prior article for more information). A topic of great...more
On December 15, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) finalized regulations regarding Information Reporting of Health Insurance Coverage and Other Issues Under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 5000A, 6055 and 6056...more
12/22/2022
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Information Reports ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Self-Funded Health Plans ,
Shared Responsibility Rule ,
Tax Credits
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced (See Revenue Procedure 2022-24) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and...more
On April 19, 2022, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the implementation of certain reporting...more
As we continue our three-part webinar series, McDermott’s litigation and healthcare lawyers will focus on how payors can actively prepare for possible enforcement and litigation stemming from recent and potential changes to...more
4/29/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Payor Contracts ,
Reimbursements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Section 1557 ,
Webinars
On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) providing Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) reform provisions and an increase in Dependent Care Assistance Program...more
Two days before the one-year anniversary of the official start of the COVID-19 outbreak, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a last-minute notice clarifying its prior guidance that relaxed the deadlines for the Employee...more
3/4/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enrollment ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance
On October 29, 2020, the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued the Transparency in Coverage final rule (the Rule), along with a fact sheet, setting forth...more
11/11/2020
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Disclosure ,
Transparency
On June 23, 2020, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury issued tri-agency FAQs (Part 43) that clarify important health and welfare provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act...more
6/26/2020
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Telehealth ,
Third-Party Agents ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Virus Testing
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts and high-deductible health plans for 2021. Some of the dollar limits currently in effect...more
A new IRS notice will allow individuals to receive testing and care for COVID-19 without jeopardizing their ability to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). The IRS issued the notice due to the public health threat...more
The Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services have released final rules removing the prohibition on pairing HRAs with individual health policies. The final rules also allow certain HRAs and other...more
7/30/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
HRA ,
Pay or Play ,
Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Plan (QSEHRAs) ,
U.S. Treasury
On Friday, March 24, 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule (along with a related fact sheet) under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would make significant changes to the...more
On March 28, a District of Columbia federal court agreed with a New York-led challenge by a group of 11 states and the District of Columbia and found that the Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2018 association health plan (AHP)...more
On January 14, 2019, US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s carveouts to the...more