COVID-19 Impact for Health & Welfare Plans (Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton COVID-19 Issues for Employers Podcast Series)
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced (see Revenue Procedure 2024-25) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and...more
A recent string of lawsuits, regulatory guidance, and market trends have dramatically impacted the types of services that enjoy first dollar coverage under high deductible health plan (HDHP) and health savings account (HSA)...more
On May 17, 2023, the IRS announced the Health Savings Account limits for 2024. With respect to contribution limits, the limits are higher than the ones for 2023 and the required deductible and out-of-pocket maximums have...more
After nearly three years of emergency measures related to COVID-19, the U.S. government acted this spring to officially end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and the National Emergency. Accordingly, the Departments of...more
The Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) recently released guidance for group health plans on required preventive services coverage. The guidance was issued in response to a...more
The Biden Administration recently announced its plan to end both the National Emergency and Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (together, the “COVID-19 Emergencies”) on May 11, 2023. The end of the COVID-19...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA 2023) holds some welcome news for employers that offer a high deductible health plan (HDHP) option paired with a health savings account (HSA). Thanks to the CAA 2023, these...more
As we enter the fourth quarter of 2022, sponsors and administrators of employee benefit plans have a lot to juggle. From open enrollment and required notices to plan document deadlines, it is a busy time of year. Yet, there...more
The COVID-19 pandemic brought multiple temporary changes for ERISA-governed group health and welfare plans. Certain coverage mandates apply for only the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (the Public Health...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
This chronology traces the major ongoing relief provided by legislation, regulatory action, and other agency guidance to assist ERISA plan participants, fiduciaries, and sponsors during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through...more
On May 12, the IRS issued Notice 2020-29 “COVID-19 Guidance Under Section 125 Cafeteria Plans and Related to High Deductible Health Plans” and Notice 2020-33 “Section 125 Cafeteria Plans – Modification of Permissive Carryover...more
Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton are producing a series of podcasts to discuss employee benefits, executive compensation, and labor and employment issues that employers are confronting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,...more
On May 20, 2020, in Revenue Procedure 2020-32, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the annual contribution limits for 2021 for health savings accounts (HSA). The IRS also announced the 2021 definitional limits per...more
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued two important notices allowing employer-plan sponsors to amend their §125 cafeteria plans to provide employees with increased flexibility for elected benefits and account...more
In response to the realization that many employees will have unanticipated medical and childcare challenges due to COVID-19, the IRS just provided employers with a number of optional amendments that can be made to Section 125...more
As federal and state governments respond to COVID-19, employers and plan fiduciaries must also address the evolving issues arising under employer-sponsored health plans. The specific considerations covered in this update are...more
Families First Coronovirus Response Act (FFCRA) Proposed Legislation as Amended as of March 17, 2020 – Employee Benefits Considerations - The FFCRA is a bill that has not yet been signed into law, and the bill has a...more
COVID-19 (commonly referred to as the coronavirus) has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The disease is highly contagious, and has recently resulted in unprecedented measures being taken by both...more
HDHP and HSA participants - The IRS has expanded prior guidance to allow health plans to pay first-dollar costs for testing and treatment of COVID-19 without jeopardizing the participant’s HSA eligibility. ...more
Employers and health plans that want to provide some relief for participants during the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19) may waive deductibles for COVID-19 testing without...more
On March 11, 2020, the IRS issued Notice 2020-15, allowing health savings account (HSA)-compatible high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to provide coverage for testing and treatment of COVID-19-related services without an...more
Employers across the country are currently considering what actions to put in place in light of the potential spread of COVID-19 (the coronavirus). Many employers offer their employees high-deductible health plans that can...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a notice that allows individuals to participate in a health savings account (HSA) while participating in a high deductible health plan (HDHP) that provides coverage for both the...more
Benefit plan sponsors are responding to participant questions about the coronavirus/COVID-19. In particular, employers’ HR departments are fielding questions about whether their health plan will pay for any necessary testing...more