PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Health Plan Transparency Requirements
Podcast: What's New for Insurers in Mental Health Parity Compliance - Diagnosing Health Care
Compliance Perspective: What's New in Healthcare Privacy
Preparing Employers and Employees for 2021 Benefit Plans Decisions
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - COVID-19 Edition - Employee Benefits Considerations When Conducting Furloughs and Layoffs
COVID-19-Related Guidance Allows Employees to Revise 2020 Health Insurance Elections
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - COVID-19 Edition - Deadline Extensions Impacting HIPAA, COBRA and ERISA
Employers: Benefits Considerations Post-Pandemic [More with McGlinchey Ep. 3]
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - COVID-19 Edition; New Opportunities for Health Flexible Spending Arrangements and Cafeteria Plans
The Biggest Obstacle to Value-Based Care
The federal government may continue to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s preventive-care mandates, thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. In a 6-3 bipartisan opinion written by...more
In the first month of the second Trump presidency, the administration has focused on several executive orders and policy changes that may have significant implications for employer health and welfare plans. In a sweeping...more
Congress recently passed the Employer Reporting Improvement Act and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act (the Acts), which are now awaiting President Biden’s signature. The Acts, among other things, introduce several...more
A wave of ERISA class-action lawsuits is challenging tobacco surcharge programs in employer-sponsored health plans across the U.S. These cases center on potential fiduciary breaches, with plaintiffs arguing that surcharges...more
Family building benefits continue to be top of mind as employers and plan sponsors implement new benefit programs to support family building journeys for their employees. At the same time, there have been a few recent...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued final regulations on the nondiscrimination rules set forth in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The new rules apply to certain group health plans, as...more
Employers and plan sponsors are facing growing – and often conflicting – pressures related to the coverage of gender-affirming care. Join McDermott lawyers Sarah G. Raaii and Alden J. Bianchi for a webinar to review recent...more
A federal judge has struck down a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandating group health plans and insurers to cover a long list of preventive services without cost-sharing from participants. The March 30 decision...more
The IRS has released Notice 2022-59, which sets the applicable PCORI fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023 at $3.00 per covered life....more
Applicable large employers must adhere to many Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules to remain compliant regarding group health plan offerings. We offer the following checklist of the five most helpful reminders you should take...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
On March 10, 2021, the House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319, the “Act”), sending it to President Biden for his signature later this week. The Act includes a number of significant health,...more
Some found it somewhat ironic when, only one week before the Acting Solicitor General appeared before the United States Supreme Court to argue that Congress effectively repealed the entire Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) in...more
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
IRS Notice 2020-44 was issued this week as a reminder that Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees were extended under the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 and are now not scheduled to expire...more
In the wee hours of December 2019, Congress revived the PCORI fee and filing obligations of employer sponsors of self-insured group health plans. In accordance with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, employer...more
In enacting the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, (the “Act”), Congress, among other changes, enacted the following key changes affecting employer group health plans...more
Sponsors of health plans have long known that the only constant in life is change. In 2020, that is surely to remain true....more
In the summer of 2019, I wrote a short blog on the death of the PCORI fee — Ding, Dong, the PCORI Fee is Dead!. When enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act, the fee was set to expire with plan/policy years ending after...more
On November 15, 2019, the Federal Government issued two rules: one in final form and one in proposed form, both designed to increase price transparency in health care. The rules follow on the Executive Order announced by...more
Insurance carriers and employer sponsors of health plans were not exactly thrilled with the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. You might say, the Affordable Care Act was viewed as the “wicked witch.” Although the...more
In a surprising turn of events, on Friday, December 14th, a district court judge in the Northern District of Texas declared that the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA”) individual mandate is unconstitutional and that, a result, the...more
Changes are imminent for the Affordable Care Act and a range of other laws and regulations affecting the health care industry. Ballard Spahr attorneys established a Health Care Reform Initiative in 2008 to monitor and analyze...more
On October 23, 2015, the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Treasury issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the implementation of preventive care and wellness provisions of the...more
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”)’s 40% excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage (commonly known as the “Cadillac tax”) is slated to take effect in 2018. The IRS has issued several...more