The US Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) recently issued much-anticipated final regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The newly issued...more
9/18/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Popular ,
U.S. Treasury
Recent lawsuits filed against the group health plans of two large US employers underscore the importance of implementing formal welfare benefit plan governance structures that include fiduciary committees comparable to the...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced (see Revenue Procedure 2024-25) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and...more
5/10/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Deductibles ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
HRA ,
HSA ,
IRS
Federal legislative and regulatory activity related to employer-sponsored group health plans shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the issuance of interpretive guidance regarding the transparency and surprise-billing...more
2/26/2024
/ Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Insurance Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
SCOTUS ,
Self-Funded Health Plans
Employers and plan sponsors are facing growing – and often conflicting – pressures related to the coverage of gender-affirming care. Join McDermott lawyers Sarah G. Raaii and Alden J. Bianchi for a webinar to review recent...more
2/16/2024
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Best Practices ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Denial of Insurance Coverage ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Insurance Claims ,
Insurance Industry ,
Minors ,
Standard Setting Organizations ,
State Bans ,
Transgender ,
Webinars
The US Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) recently issued much-anticipated proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) to better...more
8/4/2023
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Proposed Regulation ,
U.S. Treasury
In response to Braidwood Mgmt. Inc. v. Becerra, a recent case striking down part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive services mandate, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury...more
4/18/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Appeals ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Motion To Stay ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Religious Exemption ,
U.S. Treasury
The Biden administration has announced its intention to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our series introduction for more information)....more
4/4/2023
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HSA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
The US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury (the Departments) recently issued a proposed rule (the proposed rule) to eliminate a moral exemption to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraceptive mandate...more
2/9/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Burwell v Hobby Lobby ,
Contraceptives ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Proposed Rules ,
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Roe v Wade ,
SCOTUS ,
U.S. Treasury
While the United States awaits the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, which may overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the federal standard for abortion access, some states are considering setting their own standards...more
On May 18, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued much-anticipated Notice 2021-31 (the Notice) regarding the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) premium subsidy provisions of the American Rescue...more
6/3/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Beneficiaries ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Eligibility ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
IRS ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Time Extensions
On January 7, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued proposed guidance regarding employer-sponsored wellness programs and the level of incentives employers may offer employees who participate in these...more
1/18/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Compliance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Title I ,
Title II ,
Wellness Programs
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (the “Act’”) was signed into law by the president on December 27, 2020, and includes significant health and welfare benefits provisions that affect group health plans and health insurance...more
1/12/2021
/ Carryover Basis ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Dependent Care ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Grace Period ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
Trump Administration
On October 29, 2020, the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued the Transparency in Coverage final rule (the Rule), along with a fact sheet, setting forth...more
11/11/2020
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Disclosure ,
Transparency
Senate Republicans failed to pass legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act last week. After voting to proceed with debate on the American Health Care Act, which was passed by the House in May, the Senate...more
8/5/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Repeal ,
Shared Responsibility Rule ,
Trump Administration
In Depth -
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released final wellness plan regulations providing guidance on how employer wellness programs may comply with Title I of the Americans with...more