Wellness Programs

IRS, Treasury Department Issue Proposed Rules Governing Minimum Value, Affordability, and Wellness Programs

by Alden J. Bianchi | Mintz Levin - Employment, Labor & Benefits on 5/17/2013

A key policy goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “Act”) is the expansion of health insurance coverage to all Americans. The concepts of “minimum value” and its correlate “actuarial value” speak to the...more

Health Care Reform Update -- May 13, 2013

by Joseph P. Hammang, Alexander Hecht, Abby Matousek, Jeremy Rabinovitz | Mintz Levin - Health Law on 5/15/2013

In This Issue: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Other Health Care News; and Hearings and Mark-Ups...more

Strategic Implementation of Employer Shared Responsibility Rules & 2014 Planning Considerations

by Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP on 5/14/2013

In This Presentation: •Welcome •Overview of the Employer Shared Responsibility Rules - Impact on Corporate Structure - Time Line Examples to Demonstrate Application of Measurement, Administrative & Stability...more

IRS Releases Guidance on Wellness Programs and “Affordability” under the Employer Mandate

by Stacy H. Barrow, Lynda Noggle, Austen Townsend | Proskauer - ERISA Practice Center on 5/13/2013

On May 3, 2013, the IRS released proposed regulations on certain provisions relating to the federal premium tax credits that eligible individuals will use to purchase subsidized health insurance coverage from public exchanges...more

EEOC Signals Increased Focus on Employer-Sponsored Wellness Programs

by Martha J. Zackin | Mintz Levin - Employment, Labor & Benefits on 5/9/2013

A majority of US employers offer some sort of wellness program designed to reduce the cost of health insurance and healthcare costs, and to improve the health and well-being of employees. However, unless care is taken, even...more

Employer Wellness Programs Need Guidance to Avoid Discrimination

by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission... on 5/9/2013

Panel of Experts Tells EEOC of Need to Clarify Interplay Between Programs, Anti-Discrimination Laws - WASHINGTON-Wellness programs are an increasingly common feature of employee benefits programs, and guidance is...more

EEOC Hears Testimony Concerning Employer Wellness Programs and the Need for Agency Clarification

by Matt Nusbaum | Proskauer - Government Contractor Compliance... on 5/8/2013

Leslie Silverman, former EEOC Commissioner, now Co-Chair of Proskauer’s Government Regulatory and Contract Compliance Group, was part of a panel that testified before the EEOC today concerning the need for clearer guidance...more

Happy, Healthy Court Reporters – Health Initiative Bonanza

by Kramm Court Reporting on 5/3/2013

At our holiday party this year, I appointed Linda Pool, one of our great San Diego realtime court reporters, with the task of putting together a Health Initiative Bonanza Program for Kramm Court Reporting. The reason I chose...more

EEOC to Explore Wellness Programs

by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission... on 5/2/2013

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a meeting on Wednesday, May 8, at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E. In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the...more

EEOC Requires Reasonable Accommodations For Wellness Plans

by Angela Bohmann | Leonard, Street and Deinard - Employee... on 5/1/2013

Many employers are offering wellness programs to employees in connection with their health plans and are aware of the HIPAA regulations that govern such programs. Although employers design their wellness programs to conform...more

Wellness Programs—Money and Trinkets for Healthy Habits May Be Taxable

by Aimee Dreiss, Vicki M. Nielsen | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 4/11/2013

More and more employers and insurance companies are providing incentives and rewards to employees and their covered dependents to encourage participation in wellness programs. These programs are designed to improve an...more

Money And Trinkets Provided For Wellness

by Aimee Dreiss, Vicki M. Nielsen | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 4/10/2013

More and more employers and insurance companies are providing incentives and rewards to employees and their covered dependents to encourage participation in wellness programs—programs designed to improve an individual’s...more

Take 5 Newsletter: EEOC Update; Intern Wage and Hour Claims; NLRB Quorum; Unemployment Discrimination; Social Media Passwords

by David Garland | Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. on 4/5/2013

EEOC Releases Letter Addressing Wellness Programs and Reasonable Accommodation Obligations - In a letter issued recently by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), Peggy Mastroianni, the agency's Legal Counsel,...more

Still No EEOC Guidance on Permissible Wellness Program Incentives

by Austen Townsend | Proskauer - ERISA Practice Center on 3/25/2013

Despite the clear support for employers’ continued and expansive use of wellness programs as a means of promoting health and preventing disease expressed in the Affordable Care Act and the recently-proposed rules implementing...more

Healthcare Reform Compliance: Checklist of Next Steps

by Lori Oliphant | Winstead PC on 3/25/2013

It is impossible to ignore. Healthcare reform under the Affordable Care Act is on the minds, agendas and budgets of all employers, and now is the time for employers to review their health programs to address compliance with...more

Taking a Look at the Latest on Affordable Care Act

by Erin Jones Adams, Eric E. Kinder | Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC on 2/27/2013

Employers nationally continue to struggle with how to respond and adapt to the ever-changing landscape that is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often known as ObamaCare or the ACA). We at Spilman Thomas &...more

Implementing the Affordable Care Act: Countdown to 2014 - Affordable Care Act

by Cozen O'Connor on 1/25/2013

The countdown to the 2014 implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has begun. Each week, administrative decisions, guidance, rules and regulations are coming from the federal and state governments to make ACA a...more

Take 5: Views You Can Use - January 2013

by Greta Ravitsky | Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. on 1/17/2013

In this issue: - Assess the Workforce - Choose Whether to "Pay" or to "Play" - Evaluate Existing Wellness Programs and/or Implement New Wellness Programs to Enhance Employees' Health Profiles and to Avoid or Minimize...more

Proposed Regulations Would Promote Growth of Wellness Programs

by Brooke Colaizzi | Sherman & Howard L.L.C. on 1/4/2013

Five federal agencies have collectively proposed regulations to implement elements of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA") healthcare reform legislation designed to encourage employers to sponsor employee wellness programs. The...more

Wellness Programs: Keeping Up With the Times

by Thomas N. Makris, Marta K. Porwit, Christine L. Richardson | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP on 12/28/2012

On November 20, 2012, the IRS, DOL and HHS jointly issued proposed regulations under the Affordable Care Act building on existing HIPAA regulations of wellness programs. The new proposed regulations provide clearer guidance...more

Corridors: News for North Carolina Hospitals - Winter 2012

by Wilson Hayman, Jennifer G. Parser, Laura Broughton Russell, Pamela A. Scott | Poyner Spruill LLP on 12/24/2012

In this issue: - Proposed Affordable Care Act Regulations are Designed to Encourage Participation in Wellness Programs - Proposed Rules Implementing Affordable Care Act Rules Prohibit Discrimination by Health...more

Proposed Affordable Care Act Regulations are Designed

by Laura Broughton Russell | Poyner Spruill LLP on 12/24/2012

With the conclusion of the 2012 elections, federal agencies now are releasing proposed regulations crucial to the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act). On Tuesday,...more

Group Health Plans: Year-End Action Items, Upcoming Changes, New Guidance

by Andy R. Anderson | Morgan Lewis on 12/21/2012

As 2012 closes, group health plan sponsors turn their attention to completing 2012 tasks, implementing upcoming 2013 changes, and preparing for the full impact of ACA in 2014. As 2012 draws to an end, employers pass...more

Employers - Be Prepared For ACA, GINA And Wellness Plan Compliance Audits!

by Tracy Morley | XpertHR - Partnered with LexisNexis on 12/19/2012

Updated audit protocols from the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) include a review for compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)...more

New Proposed Regulations Released Under the Affordable Care Act

by Jenny C. Baker, Jesse M. Dove, Dodi Walker Gross, John D. Martini, Rachel Cutler Shim | Reed Smith on 12/13/2012

The Obama administration recently released three important proposed regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "ACA"). These proposed regulations, the highlights of which are discussed below, aim...more

Home

Legal News

Find a Lawyer

Browse Subjects

Subscribe

Pro Services

For Reporters