Insurance, Labor & Employment Law

The Burden of Excluded Parties After OIG’s Special Advisory Bulletin

by Mintz Levin - Health Law on 5/24/2013

The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (“OIG”) recently issued an updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion from Participation in Federal Health Care Programs, an...more

Department of Labor Releases Updated Model COBRA Election Notice - Notice Incorporates Alternatives to COBRA Available Through...

by Allison De Tal, Isabel Safie, John Wahlin | Best Best & Krieger LLP on 5/24/2013

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a revised model COBRA election notice which includes information about coverage available through the state insurance exchanges. This change is aimed at informing individuals of...more

Supplemental Life Benefits, Paid for by Employee, Governed by ERISA

by D. Michael Reilly | Lane Powell PC - ERISA Law on 5/24/2013

You know that many ERISA governed plans provide basic life insurance benefits. But what happens when the plan offers employees the choice to purchase supplemental life insurance? If the employee pays the entire premium...more

Cigna Agrees to Re-evaluate and to Compensate Disability Insureds in the Amount of $77 million

by Gary Bresee | Barger & Wolen on 5/24/2013

In a wide ranging re-evaluation of disability claims covering its insureds in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, Cigna Corporation may pay up to $77 million in past disability income insurance...more

A Recent Development in “Wage and Hour” Insurance

by Rachel Kronowitz, Jason Rubinstein | Gilbert LLP on 5/23/2013

In our August 1, 2012 blog entry titled “Insurance Coverage for Wage and Hour Litigation Claims,” we discussed the recent surge in wage and hour litigation and the potential for insurance coverage related to wage and hour...more

OIG's Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion—Continuing the Focus on Individual Accountability

by George Breen, Jonah Retzinger, Carrie Valiant | Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. on 5/23/2013

On May 8, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General ("OIG") released an Updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion from the Participation in Federal Health Care...more

Healthcare Law -- May 21, 2013

by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP on 5/22/2013

Clearing up the Rumors around Health Reform Delays: What Really Happened, What Won’t and Steps Employers and Insurers Can Take Now - Rumors are flying in health policy circles that the Obama Administration might delay...more

Exclusions: OIG Offers Relationship Counseling to Providers

by Summer Swallow | BakerHostetler on 5/22/2013

On May 8, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued an updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion from Participation in Federal Health Care Programs...more

U.S. Department Of Labor Issues Model Notices Of Health Insurance Options

by Michael N. Morea | Cole Schotz on 5/22/2013

By October 1, 2013, most employers will be required to provide their current employees and new hires with notices of health insurance options. The notice is required to, among other things, inform employees of the existence...more

The Employer's Playbook for ACA Compliance: Are You In The 2014 "Pay Or Play" Game?

by Dan S. Brandenburg, Sarah Lockwood Church, Joanne G. Jacobson, Paul Kasicky, Joni Landy, Kevin Wiggins | Saul Ewing LLP on 5/22/2013

For better or worse, the ACA or Health Care Reform is still with us. If you do not want to end up in the penalty box in 2014, you must know whether you are subject to the employer shared responsibility provisions of the ACA...more

Act Now Advisory: Important Affordable Care Act Deadline: Employee Notices of the Health Insurance Marketplace (Exchange) Due by...

by Michelle Capezza, Gretchen Harders | Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. on 5/22/2013

On May 8, 2013, the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") issued Technical Release No. 2013-02 ("Release") providing important guidance under the Patient Protection and Affordable...more

Retired County Employees Can Amend Their Complaint In An Attempt To Prove Existence Of A Contract for Health Benefits

by Laura Izon Powell, Bruce A. Scheidt, Kristianne Seargeant, David W. Tyra | Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard on 5/22/2013

In 2008, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (“County”) acted to cap the county’s contributions for health care benefits for retired employees at $500 per month. The Sonoma County Association of Retired Employees...more

ERISA Litigation Alert: Check Your Plan Subrogation and Reimbursement Language to Eliminate “Contractual Gaps”

by Richard Birmingham | Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on 5/21/2013

In U.S. Airways v. McCutchen, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ability of U.S. Airways’ health plan to recover medical expenses that it previously paid to the injured party from a third party settlement, but remanded the...more

Health Care Reform Blog: Bare Bones" Health Plans- Are They Legal?

by Susan J. Freed | Davis Brown Law Firm on 5/21/2013

You may have woken up today to media reports of large employers exploring the idea of dropping traditional health plans in favor of very limited health care plans as a way to lessen the burden imposed on large employers for...more

Florida Legislative Session 2013: Healthcare Summary

by Martin Dix, Steven Grigas, Bruce Platt, Sheryl D. Rosen | Akerman Senterfitt on 5/21/2013

The 2013 Florida Legislative Session concluded on May 3, 2013. The following is a partial summary of healthcare-related bills that may impact your business or practice. Note that some of these bills have become law, but...more

Health Care Reform Update -- May 20th, 2013

by Joseph P. Hammang, Alexander Hecht, Abby Matousek, Jeremy Rabinovitz | Mintz Levin - Health Law on 5/21/2013

In This Issue: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Other Health Care News; and Hearings and Mark-Ups...more

The Affordable Care Act's Marketplace Notice: What Employers Need to Know

by Katie Morton, Mary Turk-Meena, Lynne Shore Wakefield | K&L Gates LLP on 5/20/2013

On May 8, 2013, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued long-awaited guidance on the notice that must be provided to employees by October 1, 2013, the first day of the Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period (the...more

Affordable Care Act Standards Related to Essential Health Benefits, Minimum Value, Actuarial Value and Accreditation

by Erin Jones Adams | Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC on 5/20/2013

On February 25, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its final rule (the Final Rule) setting forth standards for health insurance issuers under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the...more

Obamacare Loophole Allows Large Employers To Offer Bare-Bones Health Plans

by Joe Conley on 5/20/2013

On May 20, 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported that many large employers are looking to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA”) employer mandate by offering bare-bones coverage that does not even cover...more

DOL Releases Exchange Notice Guidance and Model Notices

by Dennis R. Bonessa, John D. Martini, Rachel Cutler Shim, Allison Warden Sizemore | Reed Smith on 5/17/2013

On May 8, the Department of Labor ("DOL") issued guidance regarding the requirement that employers provide notice to employees describing the coverage options available under Health Insurance Marketplaces (formerly known as...more

Health Law Alert: OIG Issues Updated Special Advisory Bulletin On The Effect Of Exclusion From Participation In Federal Health...

by Jessica Kracl, Sheva J. Sanders | Leonard, Street and Deinard on 5/17/2013

On May 8, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued an updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the effect of exclusion from participating in federal health care programs....more

Model Notices Issued To Meet Affordable Care Act Requirements – Notices Must Be Issued By October 1, 2013

by Andrew E. Graw | Lowenstein Sandler LLP on 5/17/2013

On May 8, 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance and model forms to assist employers in fulfilling their obligations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to notify employees of the availability of health care...more

6th Circuit: Plan Administrators are NOT Necessarily Required to Obtain Vocational Evidence or an IME Before Making their LTD...

by Gabriel Baker, Steve Jensen, D. Michael Reilly | Lane Powell PC - ERISA Law on 5/17/2013

In Judge v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company [PDF], 710 F.3d 651 (6th Cir. 2013), the Sixth Circuit rejected plaintiff’s proposed bright-line rule requiring plan administrators to obtain vocational evidence and an IME...more

IRS, Treasury Department Issue Proposed Rules Governing Minimum Value, Affordability, and Wellness Programs

by Alden J. Bianchi | Mintz Levin - Employment, Labor & Benefits on 5/17/2013

A key policy goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “Act”) is the expansion of health insurance coverage to all Americans. The concepts of “minimum value” and its correlate “actuarial value” speak to the...more

DOL (Finally) Issues Model Exchange Notice

by Jewelie Grape | Leonard, Street and Deinard - Employee... on 5/16/2013

On May 8, 2013, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued long-awaited temporary guidance and a model notice to be provided to employees about upcoming coverage options through the health care exchange, known as the Marketplace,...more

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Insurance › Labor & Employment Law