The wait is over, and now the work begins for health plan sponsors.
Much-anticipated final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) were...more
9/19/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
HMOs ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Outpatient Services ,
Substance Abuse
Once again, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have issued guidance on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) required coverage of contraception without cost sharing, clarifying the permitted...more
3/7/2024
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Compliance ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Contraceptives ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Insurance ,
HRSA ,
New Guidance ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
U.S. Treasury
What does the April 10, 2023, early end of the COVID-19 National Emergency declaration mean for employer health plans?
Well, nothing, actually....more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA 2023) holds some welcome news for employers that offer a high deductible health plan (HDHP) option paired with a health savings account (HSA). Thanks to the CAA 2023, these...more
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its highly anticipated decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, No. 19-1392. The Dobbs decision expressly overrules the two key precedents that...more
6/24/2022
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
COBRA ,
Criminal Code ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Preemption ,
Roe v Wade ,
SCOTUS ,
Telehealth
On February 23, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas struck down the part of the interagency interim final rule implementing the “independent dispute resolution” (IDR) procedures created by the No...more
On February 4, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Department of the Treasury, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued subregulatory guidance that provides greater flexibility and clarifies a...more
2/9/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs) ,
Guidance Update ,
Health Insurance ,
HSA ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Reimbursements ,
Virus Testing
Plan participants can be hit with surprise medical bills when they receive care from out-of-network providers. Sometimes, this happens when participants do not know that the care they are receiving is from an out-of-network...more
7/22/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
New Guidance ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Self-Insured Health Plans ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
U.S. Treasury
Less than a month after the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) was signed into law, new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) guidance and model forms are clearing up a number of employer concerns about the 100 percent COBRA...more
4/12/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
IRS ,
New Guidance ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Premiums ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which became law on March 11, 2021, provides a 100 percent subsidy of premiums under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) beginning on April 1, 2021, through...more
3/18/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health Insurance ,
Medicare ,
Notice Requirements ,
Popular ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2021, enacted late in 2020, imposes a new requirement on group health plans to ensure compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Unlike many of the...more
1/28/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Third-Party Service Provider
Employers now have greater clarity on how the new federal requirements covering COVID-19 testing and diagnosis apply to their group health plans, under guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of...more
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, contains several provisions - some mandatory and some optional - that affect employer-sponsored group health...more
On March 28, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down key parts of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final rule expanding the availability of association health plans (AHPs). In State of New...more
In back-to-back decisions, two federal district court judges have blocked implementation of a Trump administration rule that would exempt more employers from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement...more
1/16/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Contraceptives ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Exemptions ,
Final Rules ,
Injunctions ,
Legislative History ,
Religious Institutions ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
Under a proposed rule that the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly issued on October 29, 2018, employers may soon have more flexibility to fund...more
Small businesses and self-employed individuals may soon have more options for obtaining affordable group health coverage. As directed by Executive Order 13813, on January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released...more