COVID-19 Impact for Health & Welfare Plans (Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton COVID-19 Issues for Employers Podcast Series)
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law. This sweeping tax and spending package affects large swaths of the US economy. Though reduced significantly from the original House...more
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
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBB), a sweeping piece of legislation that significantly reshapes the landscape of tax policy and public health coverage. While the bill’s...more
On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill (the “OBBB”) was signed into law. Compared to recent legislation, the OBBB does not contain a significant number of employee benefits provisions. However,...more
President Trump’s signing of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” on July 4, 2025, was a big win for concierge medicine practices, often called direct primary care (DPC). The new law allows favorable treatment for DPC...more
On July 4, 2025, Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law. Although most have focused on the sweeping tax reform included in the OBBB, a number of key employee benefits provisions are included in the...more
President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) on July 4, 2025. The telehealth safe harbor, which allowed first dollar coverage of telehealth services without impacting Health Savings Account (HSA)...more
In the context of medical coverage, the terms “Preventive Services” and “Preventive Care” are often used interchangeably. The two terms, however, have very different meanings. Understanding the difference can have significant...more
The IRS has announced the 2026 cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), and excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements...more
The Internal Revenue Service has released Rev. Proc. 2025-19 announcing the inflation-adjusted limits for high deductible health plans (HDHPs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) in 2026. The updated 2026 limits are as...more
After Congress declined to extend certain relief allowing first-dollar coverage of telehealth services by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), health plan sponsors may need to make immediate changes to preserve employees’...more
During the COVID-19 crisis, newly-created relief allowed first dollar coverage for telehealth services under a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without ruining health savings account (HSA) eligibility. That relief was...more
Employers providing health plan coverage through a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) may need to amend their HDHP before year-end to remove first-dollar telehealth coverage. Although prior regulatory relief permitted...more
The IRS recently issued Notices 2024-71 and 2024-75, which expand the list of “preventive care” benefits permitted to be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without a deductible and the list of benefits...more
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
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). In response to the...more
As we enter the fourth quarter of 2022, sponsors and administrators of employee benefit plans have a lot to juggle. From open enrollment and required notices to plan document deadlines, it is a busy time of year. Yet, there...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS announced the new rate for calculating the PCORI fee and provided some transition relief, but did not extend the deadline of July 31st for paying the fee. In May, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2020-32...more
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
On May 20, 2020, in Revenue Procedure 2020-32, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the annual contribution limits for 2021 for health savings accounts (HSA). The IRS also announced the 2021 definitional limits per...more
The IRS recently issued Notice 2020-29, allowing §125 cafeteria plans and high-deductible health plan (HDHP) changes during the remainder of 2020....more
On May 12, the IRS released Notices 2020-29 and 2020-33, which collectively provide various forms of relief under the existing IRC Section 125/129 rules in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. ...more
On March 27, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act” or “Act”), which contains a number of tax- and employee benefit-related provisions that are intended to provide economic...more
To encourage individuals to seek prompt medical attention for the coronavirus (COVID-19), a number of states have taken, or are considering, action to eliminate the costs associated with testing and treating the virus and to...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: One of many COVID-19 benefits-related concerns focused on the ability of individuals covered under High Deductible Health Plans to have services to diagnose or treat the coronavirus covered before their...more