Affordable Care Act, 21st Century Cures Initiative

New Mental Health Parity Guidance and Enforcement Efforts May Warrant a Deep Dive Into Plan Administration

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 5/14/2018

The Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are making good on their promise to issue more guidance and to aggressively enforce the federal Mental...more

21st Century Cures Act Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements (“QSEHRAs”) May Not Be the Total Cure

Winstead PC on 11/3/2017

QSEHRAs are designed for employers that are not applicable large employers under the employer shared responsibility tax (Code section 4980H). QSEHRAs may only be offered by employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees (as...more

DOL Releases Draft Model Form for Mental Health Parity Disclosure Requests

Ballard Spahr LLP on 8/25/2017

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

New Guidance on Coverage for Eating Disorders

Tucker Arensberg, P.C. on 8/16/2017

The Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services recently released a frequently asked question (“FAQ”) regarding the implementation of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction...more

Here Comes the Rain: Employers Offering Mental Health Benefits Should Prepare for More Scrutiny

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 6/27/2017

Employers can expect some challenging information requests about the mental health and substance abuse benefits offered to employees and their dependents through group health plans, if a draft form released by federal...more

Health and Welfare Grab Bag of End of Administration Changes

Winstead PC on 1/23/2017

21st Century Cures Act Impacts Employers with 50 or More Employees - Employers with 50 or more employees need to watch developments under the 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures”) because in addition to the establishment of...more

2016/2017 Labor & Employment Observer

Cozen O'Connor on 1/12/2017

Activist NLRB Created More Problems For All Employers in 2016 - What Happens Under President Trump? During 2016, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) maintained its generally pro-union, anti-employer...more

New Law Allows Small Employers To Establish Stand-Alone Health Reimbursement Accounts

Locke Lord LLP on 12/29/2016

President Obama recently signed the 21st Century Cures Act (the Cures Act) which contains numerous health-care related provisions. One such provision allows small employers, beginning on and after January 1, 2017, to...more

New ACA FAQs - Special Enrollment, Women’s Preventive Care and a Cure for the HRA that Ails You (If You’re Small Enough)

BCLP on 12/28/2016

In the latest round of FAQs on ACA implementation (now up to 35 if you’re keeping track), the DOL, HHS and Treasury Department addressed questions regarding HIPAA special enrollment rights, ACA coverage for preventive...more

Back from the Dead – Cures Act Resurrects Premium Reimbursement Arrangements for Small Employers

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive... on 12/20/2016

Last week, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act (the “Cures Act”), which contains numerous provisions touching on a wide range of public health matters. Among the provisions is the creation of a new health...more

Some Small Employers May Reimburse Employees' Premium and Other Uninsured Medical Expenses

Clark Hill PLC on 12/20/2016

The IRS previously determined that employers are not allowed to reimburse employees for premium expenses incurred for an individual health insurance policy or directly pay such premiums without violating the Patient...more

21st Century Cures Act: Small Employer Changes under the Affordable Care Act

McDermott Will & Emery on 12/16/2016

President Obama has signed the 21st Century Cures Act, Pub. L. No. 114-225 (Dec. 13, 2016). As we previously mentioned, the new legislation permits small employers (those that are not considered applicable large employers...more

Obama Signs 21st Century Cures Act, Adding $6.3 Billion For Medical Research

Ballard Spahr LLP on 12/16/2016

The Cures Act aims to increase the speed by which new drugs are brought to market by streamlining clinical trials, allowing the use of patient data in the regulatory review process, and modernizing U.S. Food and Drug...more

Cures Act Permits Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements in 2017

Saul Ewing LLP on 12/16/2016

President Obama has signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), that expands funding for medical research. Hidden within the Cures Act is a provision entitled “Exception from Group Health Plan Requirements for...more

Small Employers Cheer Recently Eased Affordable Care Act Restrictions

Cozen O'Connor on 12/15/2016

On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act (the Act) that provides government funding and support for a number of health care initiatives. Significantly, the last section of the Act eases...more

Basics of New Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA)

Perkins Coie on 12/15/2016

The Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA), part of the 21st Century Cures Act signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2016, makes available to small employers a new option to...more

New Law Permits Stand-Alone Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) For Small Employers

Stinson - Benefits Notes Blog on 12/14/2016

On December 13, 2016 President Obama signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act. The law had been approved with bipartisan support in the House by a vote of 392 to 26 and in the Senate by a vote of 94 to 5. The law addresses...more

How Does the 21st Century Cures Act Affect Employee Benefits?

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 12/14/2016

There are two key benefits takeaways for employers in the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which President Obama signed into law on December 13, 2016. The act, which passed both houses of Congress by large...more

Congress Passed the 21st Century Cures Act

McDermott Will & Emery on 12/13/2016

Congress has passed, and President Obama is expected to sign the 21st Century Cures Act, H.R. 34. Among other things, the new legislation will permit small employers (those that are not considered applicable large employers...more

21st Century Cures: Congress Enacts Medicare Advantage and Small Business Insurance Market Reforms

McDermott Will & Emery on 12/12/2016

The 21st Century Cures Act encourages biomedical research investment and facilitates innovation review and approval processes, but also serves as a vehicle for a wide variety of other health-related measures, including...more

Capitol Hill Healthcare Update

BakerHostetler on 12/7/2016

The Senate this week is likely to give final congressional approval to legislation that adds billions of dollars for biomedical research and aims to speed the discovery and development of new drugs and medical devices. The...more

New Presidency Will Compel Action in Key Areas of Health Care in 2017

Foley & Lardner LLP on 11/5/2016

As we enter the final stretch of the U.S. presidential election, health care remains one of the most contested issues with great potential for change, particularly to existing insurance and patient care systems. Compounding...more

Health Care Congressional Outlook for the June Work Period

Mintz - ML Strategies on 6/7/2016

The next six weeks are shaping up to be the final work period before the summer recess, with both chambers scheduled to leave DC by July 15th for party conventions followed by the August recess. The National Defense...more

Health Care Update - November 2015 #3

Mintz - ML Strategies on 11/25/2015

Drug Pricing Issues Heat Up Following HHS Forum - Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a forum on prescription drug costs which featured players from every corner of the industry, including...more

Health Care Update - November 2015

Mintz - ML Strategies on 11/4/2015

Ways & Means Leadership Changes – Health Policy Implications Looming: As Congress pushes forward with a two-year budget deal, and new Speaker Paul Ryan begins his tenure as the top Republican in the House of...more

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) › 21st Century Cures Initiative

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