This Advisory provides a summary of recent developments impacting Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) requirements applicable to employers, as well as other recent changes impacting employer-sponsored health plans. ACA...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
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
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
Insurers feast on uncertainty the way most of us attack a holiday spread. They can relish risk because they know it can mean higher premiums and profits for their dealing with clients’ risks. This is one point to keep in mind...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Although it is not law yet, according to the must-pass spending legislation passed by both the House and Senate, it looks like the infamous Cadillac Tax and the Annual Fee on Health Insurance Providers (HIP...more
This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a repeal of the Cadillac tax, which is a forty percent tax on high-cost health plans. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that repealing the tax would cost an estimated...more
This Advisory supplements our previous advisories dated January 2018, December 2016, December 2015 (as supplemented in January 2016), October 2014, October 2013, November 2012, November 2011, and October 2010, addressing...more
Over the past year, there has been a significant focus in the press on various attempts to overhaul or repeal key elements of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), which was originally passed into law almost eight years ago. While...more
Cadillac Tax - The budget deal recently struck by Democrats and Republicans further delays, until 2022, the Cadillac Tax. As you recall, the tax, designed to impose a 40 percent tax on the cost of employer-sponsored...more
On January 22, 2018 Congress passed (and the President signed) the Federal Register Printing Savings Act (the “Act”), which temporarily (until February 8, 2018) continued funding federal government activity and appropriates...more
The Congressional agreement that reopened the federal government for three weeks quietly addressed—at least temporarily—several high-profile issues affecting public and private health benefits. ...more
As 2017 comes to an end, we are pleased to present our traditional End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we are presenting our “To Do” Lists in four separate Employee Benefits Updates. This Part 1 will cover...more
The momentary lull in congressional activity on health care provides an opportune time for an update on the efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)....more
Senate Republicans failed to pass legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act last week. After voting to proceed with debate on the American Health Care Act, which was passed by the House in May, the Senate...more
The chart below compares key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). This chart is current as of July 13, 2017, and as of that date,...more
With Open Enrollment season just around the corner, employers have been hoping for answers regarding the direction of health insurance under the Trump Administration. However, it’s looking like clarity is a long way off....more
On June 22, 2017, the Senate released its much anticipated health care reform legislation – the Better Care Reconciliation Act (“BCRA”) (linked to amended version released June 26, 2017). In many respects the BCRA is similar...more
After weeks of secrecy, the Senate has released a discussion draft of legislation that is the counterpart of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) previously passed by the House. The Senate legislation, entitled the Better Care...more
U.S. Senate Republicans on June 22, 2017, unveiled a "discussion draft" of their healthcare plan, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. This memorandum provides highlights of key provisions. The Congressional Budget Office...more
After a brief recess, Congress is back in session and health care reform negotiations continue. Below is a summary of a few, relatively minor, developments that took place during recess and the week of June 5th....more
On May 4, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) by a slight majority (217-213). As we previously wrote, AHCA...more
The ACA reduced uninsurance among veterans by 40%; Marketplaces showed signs of stabilizing in 2016; and some states are giving insurers more time to make decisions about offering coverage on the Marketplace next year in...more
Republicans hoped to mark the seventh anniversary of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) enactment by passing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to dismantle it. Instead, facing the failure of a bill on the House...more