On January 9, 2014, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (collectively, the “Departments”) published the eighteenth installment of a series of answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA).

The FAQ provides guidance on a number of issues, including new recommendations made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and how they affect the ACA’s preventive care requirement, limits on participant cost-sharing (i.e., out-of-pocket limits), expatriate health plans, wellness programs, fixed-indemnity insurance, and guidance on the ACA’s impact on the MHPAEA.

The FAQ generally confirms previous Department guidance on the issues addressed and does not significantly change the application of these rules and mandates to employer-sponsored group health plans. We will release additional commentary specific to key areas addressed in the FAQ in the coming days. In the meantime, the FAQ, along with others in the series, can be found at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/regulations/acaimplementationfaqs.html.