K&L Gates Triage: An Insider’s Perspective on the Health Care Debate in Washington, DC
House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Holds Legislative Hearing on Improving Medicaid Access. Daniel Tsai, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), testified. Members...more
We are pleased to present our annual End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we present our “To Do” Lists in four separate Employee Benefits Updates. This Part 1 covers year-end health and welfare plan issues....more
With the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) set to end on May 11, 2023, the Department of Labor, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Health and Human Services (the “departments”) have published FAQs explaining...more
The expanded Medicaid and CHIP coverage offered during the COVID-19 public health emergency ended March 31, 2023, and employees and dependents who were participating in the expanded government-provided health insurance were...more
Since we published our prior client alert on state efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, state-level anti-DEI efforts have gained significant momentum. Several new anti-DEI legislative...more
With just a few short weeks left until August recess, there is no shortage of items on the congressional to-do list. The latest round of Supreme Court decisions has inspired new action within Congress to pass legislation...more
Since 2015, federal agencies have been required to annually review the laws and regulations they enforce to adjust applicable penalties for inflation. The idea has been to provide increasingly greater incentives for plan...more
We recognize that many of our clients sponsor ERISA welfare benefit plans and are currently undergoing their open enrollment process and issuing related participant communications. To assist our clients with that process, we...more
The merger between the Department of Labor and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development as proposed by the Scott Administration is off the table, but work that was spawned by consideration of the idea has gathered...more
One Shutdown Averted, Countdown Begins Again: With the government funded through December 22, House and Senate leadership are shifting their focus on how to structure a long-term spending deal that would include an increase...more
House Majority Leader McCarthy informed members on Thursday that they should be ready to vote this evening on a motion to go to conference with the Senate on tax legislation, despite the House not scheduled to be in session....more
House Narrowly Passes 2018 Budget Resolution: The House passed the Senate’s version of the budget resolution by a vote of 216-212 allowing Republicans to begin their work on tax reform. The budget resolution calls for...more
House Passes Bill on Disaster Funding: House Republicans easily passed a supplemental spending bill that included $36.5 billion of disaster aid with a vote of 353-69 after some initial worries on Thursday afternoon that it...more
House and Senate Overwhelmingly Passed Legislation that Included a Short-Term Continuing Resolution, Lift of the Debt Ceiling, and Emergency Aid: The bill includes over $15 billion in disaster assistance for Hurricane Harvey...more
The incoming Trump Administration selects HHS and CMS leadership; Alaska moves forward with its proposed 1332 waiver for its ACA reinsurance program; and a new Manatt Health report considers the role of Medicaid supplemental...more
Pursuant to recently amended federal legislation, the Department of Labor (DOL), among several other federal agencies, is increasing its civil monetary penalties to adjust for inflation. Among the penalties to be increased...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published on July 1, 2016, an interim final rule adjusting the civil monetary penalties that it can enforce. These adjustments are the result of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation...more
On June 30, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued an interim final rule that significantly increases various penalties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). The interim rule is the...more
The Department of Labor recently issued updated model COBRA continuation coverage and Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) notices. Plan administrators should begin using the new notices immediately. ...more
On November 8, 2013, the Departments of HHS, Labor, and Treasury jointly issued a final rule implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). ...more