Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has announced an increase to the applicable dollar amount for determining the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (“PCORI”) Fee for 2024 as well as other health and welfare limits....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In August, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived a challenge by Airlines for America (“A4A”), to San Francisco’s Healthy Airport Ordinance (the “Ordinance”), which requires airlines that use the San...more
10/17/2023
/ Airline Employees ,
Airlines ,
Aviation Industry ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employees ,
Employment Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Preemption ,
San Francisco
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and insurers to cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders in a manner that is equitable to the...more
8/22/2023
/ Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
U.S. Treasury
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and insurers to cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders in a manner that is equitable to the...more
8/22/2023
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Mental Health ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Safe Harbors ,
U.S. Treasury
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans and insurers to cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders in a manner that is equitable to the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency and Public Health Emergency, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has announced the end of prior COVID-19-related special rules for health plan...more
7/13/2023
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Public Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Virus Testing
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CAA”) contains a requirement that that group health plans may not have agreements with service providers that would restrict certain information that the plan may...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: With staggered effective dates continuing over the course of the next several years, the No Surprises Act (NSA) and Transparency in Coverage requirements impose a number of additional compliance...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Since March 18, 2020, group health plans have been required to provide benefits for certain items and services related to testing for or diagnosis of COVID-19 during the applicable emergency period - see...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has announced the adjustment to the applicable dollar amount for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (“PCORI”) Fee for 2022....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The latest COVID relief bill, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), provides for a 100% COBRA premium subsidy from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. ARPA, which was signed into law by President...more
Synopsis: For years, employers have struggled to understand what level of incentives in wellness programs might be considered “voluntary” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to modify the HIPAA Privacy Rule that protects the privacy and security of individuals’ protected health...more
Seyfarth Comments: The final Transparency in Coverage Rule was published jointly by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor on November 12, 2020. The Rule aims to increase transparency in...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS announced the new rate for calculating the PCORI fee and provided some transition relief, but did not extend the deadline of July 31st for paying the fee. In May, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2020-32...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Tuesday, shortly after the IRS extended deadline relief to employee benefit plans, the U.S. Department of Labor granted its own relief for a number of deadlines related to the administration of employee...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: We previously blogged that the so-called Cadillac tax was movin’ out. Well, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (“PCORI”) fee is moving back in. On December 20th, the President signed the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Although it is not law yet, according to the must-pass spending legislation passed by both the House and Senate, it looks like the infamous Cadillac Tax and the Annual Fee on Health Insurance Providers (HIP...more
This is the one hundred and nineteenth issue in our series of alerts for employers on selected topics on health care reform. ...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The EEOC has withdrawn the incentive provisions in its ADA and GINA wellness program regulations. The remaining provisions have less bite as a consequence, especially in the ADA context. But HIPAA wellness...more
1/30/2019
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Final Rules ,
GINA ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Vacated ,
Wellness Programs
On April 26, 2018 the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2018-27 providing transition relief for the 2018 limit on Health Savings Account (“HSA”) contributions for family coverage. The guidance allows individuals to continue to...more
Last year, the IRS published the calendar year 2018 health savings account (HSA) contribution limits for individual and family coverage. Rev. Proc. 2017-37, I.R.B. 2017-21 (5/4/2017). ...more
This is the one hundred and seventeenth issue in our series of alerts for employers on selected topics on health care reform. This series of Health Care Reform Management Alerts is designed to provide an in-depth analysis...more
1/9/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Comment Period ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
MEWAs ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
This is the one hundred and sixteenth issue in our series of alerts for employers on selected topics on health care reform. This series of Health Care Reform Management Alerts is designed to provide an in-depth analysis of...more
This is the one hundred and fifteenth issue in our series of alerts for employers on selected topics on health care reform. This series of Health Care Reform Management Alerts is designed to provide an in-depth analysis of...more