News & Analysis as of

Employer Group Health Plans Healthcare Reform Health Insurance

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Why More Employers Are Turning to ICHRA for Affordable Health Care Benefits

Many employers have faced the same “knot in the stomach” moment during insurance renewal season. We’re all too familiar with the stress of inexplicably rising health care costs, especially when group plan risk pools take an...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Key updates on the US health benefits and reimbursement landscape

The world of health benefits is constantly evolving. Recent policy shifts and legislative developments are expected to impact the economic landscape and have significant implications for employer plan sponsors, insurers,...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

A win for telehealth providers, health plans, and participants: HDHP telehealth safe harbor permanently reinstated

On July 4, 2025, the president signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) into law. Among many other healthcare provisions, the bill permanently extends the telehealth safe harbor for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs)...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Cutting Out the Middle Man

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Arkansas has become the first state in the nation to enact legislation, effective starting in 2026, prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers (PBM’s) from owning or operating actual pharmacies within the state. We take a look at...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Special Report: Examining Group Health Coverage Alternatives for Small Employers - Update

Originally published in February 2025, this updated report provides new material on physician practice management (PPM) arrangements, reference-based pricing arrangements, minimum essential coverage (MEC) and MEC+ plans, and...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Practical Pointers for Compliance With New MHPAEA Regulations

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The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services have published final regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that prohibit group health plans and health insurers from imposing...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Application of New Mental Health Parity Rules to Provider Network Composition and Reimbursement: Perspective and Analysis

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On September 23, 2024, the U.S. Departments of Labor, the Treasury, and Health and Human Services (collectively, the “Departments”) released final rules (the “Final Rules”) that implement requirements under the Mental Health...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

On the Basis of Sex… Discrimination in Group Health Plans and What Employers Should Know

In just a few days’ time, recently promulgated federal final rules addressing sex-based nondiscrimination in the administration of health care benefits have created a flurry of healthcare industry activity. The angst arises...more

Fenwick & West LLP

The Shifting Regulatory Landscape for Level-Funded Plans: An Alternative for Group Health Insurance

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In the constantly changing health insurance landscape, level-funded health plans are steadily gaining ground as a viable middle approach between fully insured health plan and self-funded health plans—arguably offering...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

The Proposed MHPAEA Regulations’ ‘Meaning of Terms’ Part One: Benefits

This post continues our investigation of proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) issued by the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (the...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

The ‘No More Restrictive’ Requirement for NQTLs Under the Proposed MHPAEA Regulations

We previously reported on proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). If adopted in final form, these regulations would vastly complicate compliance by group health plans and health...more

Verrill

DOL Continues Enforcement of Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitation Requirements

Verrill on

Fifteen months ago, we wrote that the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) had informed Congress that it intended to devote substantial resources to enforcing the new comparative analysis requirement for non-quantitative...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

OMG! OMB Reviewing Long-Awaited Mental Health Parity Regulations – Public Release Imminent

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: Employer health plan sponsors, administrators, and insurers have been eagerly awaiting the U.S. Department of Labor’s upcoming guidance on mental health parity.  According to recent reports, newly proposed...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Preventive Care Rules Remain in Place for Now

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The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed the broad application of a district court decision that would have invalidated a number of preventive care requirements under the Affordable Care Act. As a result, health plans,...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Navigating the Wild West of the New ACA Preventative Care Ruling

On March 30, Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra (“Braidwood”), invalidating the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA’s”) mandate...more

Groom Law Group, Chartered

CAA 2023 Includes HSA Telehealth Relief, MHPAEA, Medicare, and Medicaid Changes

Last week the Senate passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2023 (“CAA23”).  The House of Representatives will likely consider the measure today, and President Biden is expected to sign the bipartisan measure into law...more

Akerman LLP - Health Law Rx

Biden Administration Signals MHPAEA Enforcement a Priority with Fiscal 2023 Budget

The Biden Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 serves as a warning to all plan issuers and administrators that enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is a top priority for...more

Kaufman & Canoles

Employee Benefits Client Alert – March 2021

Kaufman & Canoles on

Increased Obamacare Health Insurance Subsidies Provide Savings Opportunity for Small Employers - How the Federal Government Subsidizes Health Insurance - Since 2014, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has provided...more

McAfee & Taft

More details on transparency rules that apply in 2022 and beyond

McAfee & Taft on

On December 6, 2020, we posted an article titled “RADICAL new transparency rules likely apply to your health plan in one year.” The regulations are a little more than 150 PDF pages long. The following is intended to provide a...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Consolidated Appropriations Act Underscores Mental Health Parity Compliance

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

Morgan Lewis - ML Benefits

Mental Health Parity Transparence: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

As we addressed in our recent LawFlash covering the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act), the Act includes several requirements to enhance group health plan transparency. One provision we wanted to further highlight...more

Morgan Lewis

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021: Health and Welfare Provisions

Morgan Lewis on

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act) that was signed into law on December 27, 2020 contains provisions impacting employer sponsored group health plans, including protecting group health plan participants from...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

Could new Individual Coverage HRAs replace your group health plan?

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Employers and employees are continually feeling the pinch of rising health care costs. 2020 provides a potentially better approach to consider: Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs)....more

Stoel Rives LLP

Group Health Plans: What Employers Need to Know About Year-End Federal Legislation

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The year-end federal spending bill, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (“FCAA”), was signed into law on December 20, 2019. Although the media spotlight has focused primarily on provisions affecting retirement...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

“Cadillac Tax” on High-Cost Group Health Plans Repealed

On December 20, 2019, the President signed into law the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020” (the “Act”). Among many other things, the Act repeals the Affordable Care Act’s controversial 40% excise tax on high-cost...more

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