A recent string of lawsuits, regulatory guidance, and market trends have dramatically impacted the types of services that enjoy first dollar coverage under high deductible health plan (HDHP) and health savings account (HSA)...more
7/21/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. Treasury
On January 30th, President Biden announced his intention to end both the COVID-19 national emergency and the COVID-19 public health emergency (together, the “Emergency Declarations”) effective May 11, 2023. The Emergency...more
Not surprisingly, leading up to and in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, our employee benefits team has been spending a lot of time helping our clients wade through...more
7/20/2022
/ Abortion ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
IRS ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
SCOTUS
Health plan wellness programs may generally include a health plan premium incentive discount for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine(s) or, alternatively, a premium surcharge for those who are not vaccinated....more
Readers will recall that in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EEOC published a plethora of responses and updates to frequently asked COVID-19 questions. As the months went by, the pace of EEOC updates slowed, and...more
6/1/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disability ,
Employer Mandates ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Incentives ,
New Guidance ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations
Takeaway Message. The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has recently issued model notices and forms that can be used to comply with the new subsidized COBRA requirements created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA” or...more
Last year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) issued two notices that extended certain benefit plan deadlines for both employees/plan participants and for plan administrators as a result of...more
COBRA compliance requires extra attention right now. There has been a wave of litigation surrounding COBRA election notices. Regulatory agencies have extended certain COBRA deadlines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the...more
The IRS issued two notices on May 12, 2020, Notice 2020-29 and Notice 2020-33. These Notices provide a number of options that employers could choose to offer their employees with respect to their 2020 cafeteria plan benefits...more
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), which was signed by the President on March 27, 2020, includes several provisions affecting employer benefit plans.
Expansion of Withdrawal and Loan...more
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) into law. The CARES Act contains several provisions affecting healthcare benefits and the expansion of...more
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which was signed by the President on March 27, 2020, includes several provisions affecting group health plans, as discussed below.
Health Plan Rules and...more
3/31/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medical Supplies ,
Medicare ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Telehealth