Below is a summary of those key provisions. I. SECURE Act The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the SECURE Act, H.R. 1994) is arguably the most significant and comprehensive retirement saving...more
12/23/2019
/ 401k ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance Tax ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Medical Leave ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
PCORI ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors ,
SECURE Act ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Rates ,
Tax Reform ,
UBIT
Federal executive agencies recently published two rules, one final and one proposed, aimed at publicizing the various costs associated with health care. A final rule, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services...more
12/4/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Expenses ,
Medical Loss Ratio ,
MLR Rebate ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
Trump Administration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released two proposed rules restructuring the Physician Self-Referral...more
10/18/2019
/ ACOs ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law ,
Value-Based Care
The Affordable Care Act returned to the front page this weekend when a federal district court in Texas issued an opinion striking down the entire law as unconstitutional. ...more
The U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services have jointly issued final rules modifying the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI). STLDI provides health coverage that is...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Tuesday released final regulations modifying the Association Health Plan (AHP) rules to expand their availability for small and large employers and to address their affordability by...more
6/25/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
MEWAs ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements
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
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
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
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
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
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
Before departing for the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday, the Obama administration released several new regulatory announcements and guidance relating to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The new guidance delays...more