A celebrity collapses on stage and is rushed to the hospital. Rumors race through social media faster than the ambulance can navigate city streets. Was it exhaustion? Was it her heart? Was there a gunshot? ...more
The 21st Century Cures Act set the stage for additional guidance to be issued under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and increased enforcement of its requirements....more
The IRS has announced that it will restore the family deduction limit for Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions to $6,900 for 2018. The IRS had previously set this limit last spring, but earlier this year announced that...more
The virtual world offers opportunities and obligations not found in nature.
For a couple of years, my wife has followed the adventures of a bonded eagle couple, Liberty and Freedom, residing in the hills near Hanover,...more
4/5/2018
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Hackers ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Breach ,
Information Technology ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
PHI ,
Risk Management ,
Security Rule
Following a brief shutdown of the federal government, on February 9, Congress passed and President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Budget Act), which provides Congress until March 23 to...more
2/19/2018
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Bipartisan Budget Act ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Federal Budget ,
Hardship Distributions ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
IPAB ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Medicare Part D ,
Retirement Plan ,
Telehealth
The Congressional agreement that reopened the federal government for three weeks quietly addressed—at least temporarily—several high-profile issues affecting public and private health benefits. ...more
1/24/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Shutdown ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medical Device Tax
Following up on the direction provided by Executive Order 13813, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued proposed regulations that would expand the ability of small employers to band together and provide coverage under...more
1/8/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
As it did last year, the IRS has extended the deadline for furnishing Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals by 30 days. This reprieve will allow employers, health insurers, and other plan sponsors to distribute the forms on...more
12/27/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Mandate ,
IRS ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Returns ,
Trump Administration
The IRS has announced its intent to begin enforcing the employer-shared responsibility provisions (otherwise known as the employer mandate or pay-or-play provisions) of the Affordable Care Act for the 2015 calendar year....more
After a brief lull in activity, recent developments are likely to involve all three branches of government in addressing issues under the Affordable Care Act....more
10/19/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Religious Exemption ,
Repeal ,
Subsidies ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a draft model form for plan participants to request disclosures from group health plans and insurers about restrictions on mental health coverage. The form is designed to...more
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) must revisit regulations governing employee wellness programs because the agency did not provide adequate supporting information for the...more
8/24/2017
/ AARP ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Incentives ,
Wellness Programs
The momentary lull in congressional activity on health care provides an opportune time for an update on the efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)....more
8/16/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
Senate Republicans have released a draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) that aims to repeal and replace a number of provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Senate bill mirrors many of the terms in the...more
As widely reported, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that, if enacted, would make the first major legislative changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Modified to...more
5/8/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
American Health Care Act (AHCA) ,
Cadillac Tax ,
CBO Report ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Health Benefits ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Medicare ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has finalized regulations designed to help stabilize the individual and small group health insurance markets and, in particular, the health insurance exchanges...more
As has been widely reported, proponents of the American Health Care Act withdrew the bill from consideration before the full House of Representatives could vote on it last Friday. Early statements suggest there is no...more
The House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees have released, in two parts, budget reconciliation legislation, the first steps of Congress' proposal to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act. Reconciliation...more
3/8/2017
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration ,
Ways and Means Committee
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the IRS have each published guidance on matters arising under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is too early to tell whether these measures—some of the first guidance...more
Changes are imminent for the Affordable Care Act and a range of other laws and regulations affecting the health care industry. Ballard Spahr attorneys established a Health Care Reform Initiative in 2008 to monitor and analyze...more
1/20/2017
/ AARP ,
Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Age Discrimination ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Birth Control ,
Claim Procedures ,
COBRA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Benefits ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HRA ,
IRS ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Religious Exemption ,
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Section 1557 ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title IX ,
Trump Administration ,
Wellness Programs ,
Women's Preventable Healthcare Mandates
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued guidance reminding employers that it is illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws to discriminate against an employee simply because...more
12/16/2016
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Disabilities ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Harassment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Job Promotions ,
Mental Health ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation
The Cures Act aims to increase the speed by which new drugs are brought to market by streamlining clinical trials, allowing the use of patient data in the regulatory review process, and modernizing U.S. Food and Drug...more
12/16/2016
/ 21st Century Cures Initiative ,
Addiction Equity Act ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Reimbursements ,
Clinical Trials ,
Employee Benefits ,
Federal Funding ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Devices ,
Medical Research ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
New Legislation ,
Obama Administration ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Research and Development
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has posted an alert (and a follow-up alert) warning health plans, health care providers, and their vendors of a mock communication...more
12/1/2016
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Security ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Email ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
HIPAA Audits ,
OCR ,
PHI ,
Phishing Scams
The IRS has extended the deadline for furnishing 2016 Forms 1095-C and 1095-B to individuals by 30 days to March 2, 2017. The reprieve offers welcome relief to employers, health insurers, and other plan sponsors who would...more
11/21/2016
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Deadlines ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
IRS ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Time Extensions
The U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers that, among other things, implement certain of the recommendations included in a report...more
11/7/2016
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Data Collection ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
Opioid ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Tobacco ,
Tobacco-Cessation