Expanded Information Block Rules Go into Effect
Podcast: Interoperability: The Provider Perspective - Diagnosing Health Care
Podcast–Interoperability: How Far We’ve Come and Where We’re Going - Diagnosing Health Care
The New Information Blocking Rule: What It Means For Hospices
Podcast: Non-binding Guidance: Real-World Evidence in Drug Development and FDA Submissions
As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) annually funds over $38 billion in extramural research, including about $6 billion for clinical trials. On May 28,...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) amended the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) to include substantial new compliance requirements. The Department of Labor (DOL), Health and Human...more
One potentially unintended consequence of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the demise of the average health reimbursement account (HRA). Such benefits were seen to violate the ACA prohibitions on annual and lifetime limits,...more
HEADLINES - President Donald Trump has two Midwest trips scheduled this week, while he continues to face bipartisan criticism on his performance last week in Europe....more
It’s hard to believe a decade has passed since we delivered our first edition of Pro Te: Solutio to your door. Those years have brought enormous changes in the world and in our industry. Innovation has driven everything we...more
On April 23, 2018, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (together, the “Agencies”) released proposed frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) related to nonquantitative treatment limitations...more
On April 23, 2018, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (together, the “Agencies”) released proposed frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) related to required disclosures and...more
The Trump Administration on Feb. 12 released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request, titled "An American Budget." Unlike last year's budget, which was released in late May, the release of this budget conforms to the typical...more
Congress moved one step closer to avoiding a government shutdown on Feb. 6, voting overwhelmingly (245-182) to pass a short-term, GOP-backed government funding bill (text; section-by-section) that would keep the federal...more
On January 20, 2017, businessman Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States following a contentious and unconventional 2016 presidential election. Republicans also successfully maintained control...more
As the calendar turns to November, pressure continues to grow in Congress to pass a CHIP package. The relevant House and Senate committees each passed different versions of CHIP, and finding payfors continue to be the main...more
As 2017 comes to an end, we are pleased to present our traditional End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we are presenting our “To Do” Lists in four separate Employee Benefits Updates. This Part 1 will cover...more
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (“MHPAEA”) generally requires that the financial requirements and treatment limitations that apply to mental health and substance use disorder (“MH/SUD”) benefits...more
Although telehealth has the potential to improve or maintain quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, payment and coverage restrictions create barriers that prevent providers from fully utilizing telehealth technologies....more
The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), enacted on December 13, 2016, provides a new opportunity for small employers to help employees pay for health insurance: the “qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement”...more
Until very recently, employers were at risk of receiving steep fines if they reimbursed employees for non-employer sponsored medical care – the Affordable Care Act (ACA) included fines of up to $36,500 a year per employee for...more
On February 27, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2017-20 delaying the notice requirement for qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (“QSEHRAs”). By way of background, prior to enactment of...more
The impact of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) on health reimbursement arrangements (“HRAs”) has not been favorable. Many employers got rid of their HRAs or integrated them with a major medical plan in order to avoid...more
While on this day, most people focus on the heart, we’re going to spend a little time focusing on the head. Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), health plans generally cannot impose more stringent...more
On December 13, 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act (the Act) was signed into law. It allows small employers to offer stand-alone qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs) to employees who have...more
New Relief for Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements - As mentioned in prior advisories, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury have taken the position that employers cannot reimburse...more
On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act (the Act), which provides government funding and support for a number of health care initiatives. Significantly, the last section of the Act eases...more
One of the unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act had been the elimination of health reimbursement arrangements as a tool for small employers to avoid the complexities of maintaining a group health plan and the...more
On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which allows small employers to maintain health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) for the purpose of reimbursing employees for the cost of...more
Tucked at the end of the recently enacted 300-plus-page 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) is a provision that offers certain small employers a new opportunity to help employees purchase individual market major medical...more