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Akerman LLP - Health Law Rx

MHPAEA Final Rule: Clarity on Mental Health Parity?

The three federal agencies tasked with enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) — the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services (through CMS), and Treasury (the Departments) — issued their...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

What the Final Mental Health Parity Rules Mean for Employers

The wait is over, and now the work begins for health plan sponsors. Much-anticipated final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) were...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Landmark Mental Health Parity Final Rule: What Plan Sponsors and Insurers Need to Know

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) recently issued much-anticipated final regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The newly issued...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

You May be Able to Increase Health Plan Premiums and Stay Affordable in 2025

Bricker Graydon LLP on

For the first time in four years, the IRS adjusted the affordability percentage used for the shared responsibility penalties. The IRS recently announced that the affordability percentage for 2025 will be 9.02%....more

Baker Donelson

Health Plan Compliance Concerns for Year-End 2024

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As employers look toward open enrollment for their group health plans, now is a good time to review action items needed for those plans by year-end, as well as upcoming deadlines in the near future. While fully-insured health...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Group Medical Captives, Level Funding and US Healthcare Policy

McDermott Will & Emery on

In a recent article in Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein examines the trend of self-funding of group health benefits by smaller employers who used to depend mainly or entirely on fully insured programs....more

Laner Muchin, Ltd.

Eleventh Circuit Finds Gender-Affirming Surgery Exclusion in Governmental Employer’s Health Plan Violated Title VII

Laner Muchin, Ltd. on

held that a governmental employer’s health plan violated Title VII by applying an exclusion for services and supplies associated with gender reassignment surgery. The Court relied on the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v....more

McDermott Will & Emery

IRS Announces 2025 Limits for Health Savings Accounts, High-Deductible Health Plans and Excepted Benefit HRAs

McDermott Will & Emery on

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

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

HIPAA Privacy Rules Get a Post-Dobbs Refresh on Reproductive Health Care

Employers will soon see the national debate about abortion popping up in some unexpected places: the HIPAA privacy policies and procedures and notices of privacy practices they use for their health benefit plans....more

Fenwick & West LLP

The Shifting Regulatory Landscape for Level-Funded Plans: An Alternative for Group Health Insurance

Fenwick & West LLP on

In the constantly changing health insurance landscape, level-funded health plans are steadily gaining ground as a viable middle approach between fully insured health plan and self-funded health plans—arguably offering...more

Baker Donelson

Surprise! Gag Clause Attestation Due by 12/31/2023

Baker Donelson on

As part of the No Surprises progeny of legislation seeking transparency in health care, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 prohibits the use of "gag clauses" in group health plan agreements. All group health plans...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Let the Plan Speak: First Gag Clause Attestation Due December 31, 2023

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC on

By December 31, 2023, group health plans and health insurance issuers must submit an attestation to certify compliance with the “gag clause prohibition” under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA)....more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Options for Menopause Benefits for Employees

Employers often target benefit offerings to specific groups of workers—think dependent care accounts or student loan repayment matching contributions—so maybe it was inevitable....more

Baker Donelson

ACA Affordability Test Will Be More Difficult to Pass in 2024

Baker Donelson on

As employers are preparing for 2024 open enrollment, they should be aware that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability safe harbors are going DOWN for 2024. The IRS has just released Revenue Procedure 2023-29, which...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Proposed Rules Push Mental Health Parity Up Benefit Priority List

Now you know. It could not be any clearer to employers that compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) will be a—maybe the—top health and welfare benefit priority for federal...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

What risks do employers face by excluding coverage for gender affirming care in their health plans?

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

In recent years, courts have ruled upon a growing number of cases arising from delivery of and payment for gender affirming care. At the same time, state legislatures have passed a variety of laws aimed at such services. ...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Illinois Insurance Law Update: H.B. 579 and H.B. 2296 Signed Into Law; Significant Changes On The Horizon For Illinois Health...

Foley & Lardner LLP on

On June 29, 2023, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bills 579 and 2296 into law, enacting sweeping changes to Illinois health insurance law that grants the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) expanded regulatory powers....more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

DOL Issues Long Awaited Mental Health Parity Guidance

Plan sponsors, insurers, and third-party administrators should pay close attention to the new guidance to facilitate health plan compliance with complex nonquantitative treatment limitation comparative analyses requirements....more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Making the First “Gag Clause” Attestations: A Quick Reference Guide

Under the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021 (CAA), group health plans and health insurance issuers are prohibited from entering into agreements with service providers restricting certain information that the plan may...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

High Deductible Health Plan First Dollar Coverages in Flux

Foley & Lardner LLP on

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

Verrill

Gag Clauses – New Guidance and Litigation Will Inform Compliance

Verrill on

Certain provisions of the Transparency in Coverage Final Regulations and the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 (“CAA”) require group health plans and/or their vendors to report information to federal agencies. On December...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Navigating the Wild West of the New ACA Preventative Care Ruling

On March 30, Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra (“Braidwood”), invalidating the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA’s”) mandate...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Departments Issue Guidance on Preventive Services under the ACA Following the Braidwood Decision

In light of the March 30 Braidwood Mgmt. Inc. v. Becerra decision, the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of the Treasury (the “departments”) have issued FAQ guidance on how the...more

Burr & Forman

The Burr Broadcast April 2023 - The Official End of COVID-19 Emergencies

Burr & Forman on

In this episode of the Burr Broadcast, Burr Associate Savannah McCabe discusses the official end of COVID-19 emergencies and what that means for employers and health insurance plan sponsors....more

Woodruff Sawyer

Compliance Alert: Agencies Issue Guidance on the End of COVID-19 Emergencies

Woodruff Sawyer on

On January 30, 2023, President Biden issued a Statement of Administration Policy announcing his intent to end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, 2023. However, on April 10, 2023, the President...more

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