As indicated in our January 11, 2022 blog post and alert, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (the “Agencies”) issued FAQs Part 51 on January 10, 2022, requiring group health...more
2/9/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
New Regulations ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Safe Harbors ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Beginning January 15, 2022, and through the duration of the public health emergency, insurers and group health plans must cover at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests available over-the-counter (OTC) without imposing cost-sharing,...more
1/11/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
New Regulations ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On October 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of the Treasury jointly issued FAQs relating to COVID-19 vaccine incentives and surcharges. Under the...more
10/5/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Surcharges ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The COBRA premium assistance period, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, will expire on September 30, 2021. Plans are required to send notices to assistance eligible individuals (AEIs) to inform them about the subsidy's...more
Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) first emerged as a serious health emergency, Congress has moved quickly to pass three major pieces of legislation designed to address the public economic and health crises caused by the...more
On March 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which addresses the public economic and health crisis related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)....more
4/1/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
HRA ,
HSA ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
As we counsel clients on best practices in addressing the coronavirus pandemic, we continue to caution clients on potential HIPAA issues with internal response plans. In a recent Bulletin, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at...more
3/17/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OCR ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
PHI ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management
On March 11, the IRS issued Notice 2020-15. The new guidance permits high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to pay for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and treatment without a deductible (or with a deductible below the...more
3/12/2020
/ China ,
Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Deductibles ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Emergency Response ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Infectious Diseases ,
IRS ,
Medical Benefits ,
Medical Examinations ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health