Preparing Employers and Employees for 2021 Benefit Plans Decisions
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced two settlements with major insurance companies this month that highlight the importance of employers avoiding the collection of group life insurance premiums from employees until...more
Employers, this is your annual reminder that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires sponsors of group health plans to notify eligible individuals whether the employer’s prescription drug coverage is...more
Fall open enrollment is upon us, and plan sponsors and administrators are preparing to provide their employees with the required notices related to their health and welfare plans. Notice and disclosure obligations for health...more
As open enrollment approaches for the 2019 calendar year, below are some items employers may want to consider: Wellness program changes – Many employers change their wellness programs during open enrollment. This is a...more
ERISA, as amended by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), requires employers to notify their employees of potential opportunities for group health plan premium assistance through...more
On the morning of July 28, 2017, another effort to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) failed in a 49-51 Senate vote when three Republican senators voted against the bill. Attempts to pass even a trimmed down...more
On April 6, 2016, the US Department of Labor posted final versions of the updated summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) template and instructions, updated uniform glossary and other associated materials. In previous...more
Recently, we summarized the proposed revisions to the Summary of Benefits and Coverage template. This week, the agencies issued the final SBCs and related documents that must be used beginning on the first day of the first...more
Hullabaloo: noun: a commotion, a fuss. In recent years, almost every change to health care has caused a hullabaloo. Today, we thought you might enjoy reading about a few recent and proposed changes that, although...more
Ways & Means Leadership Changes – Health Policy Implications Looming: As Congress pushes forward with a two-year budget deal, and new Speaker Paul Ryan begins his tenure as the top Republican in the House of...more
As employers and plans prepare for 2016 open enrollment, they must be sure to address in their benefit design and with their third party vendors the new embedded out-of-pocket maximum limitations on individuals that were...more
With less than 50 days until open enrollment begins, tensions in Washington and around the country are high among health care stakeholders. ...more
Update: On July 2, 2013, the Treasury Department posted a blog announcing its intention to delay – until January 1, 2015 – the employer shared responsibility and related requirements of the Health Care Reform Act, and that...more
Beginning January 1, 2014, individuals and employees of small businesses will be able to purchase medical coverage through state and federal health insurance exchanges (the “Marketplaces”). These Marketplaces will offer...more