News & Analysis as of

Health Insurance Benefit Plan Sponsors

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

What the Final Mental Health Parity Rules Mean for Employers

The wait is over, and now the work begins for health plan sponsors. Much-anticipated final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) were...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Landmark Mental Health Parity Final Rule: What Plan Sponsors and Insurers Need to Know

McDermott Will & Emery on

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

Bricker Graydon LLP

You May be Able to Increase Health Plan Premiums and Stay Affordable in 2025

Bricker Graydon LLP on

For the first time in four years, the IRS adjusted the affordability percentage used for the shared responsibility penalties. The IRS recently announced that the affordability percentage for 2025 will be 9.02%....more

Baker Donelson

Health Plan Compliance Concerns for Year-End 2024

Baker Donelson on

As employers look toward open enrollment for their group health plans, now is a good time to review action items needed for those plans by year-end, as well as upcoming deadlines in the near future. While fully-insured health...more

Venable LLP

2025 Changes to Medicare Part D Will Impact Group Health Plans' Creditable Coverage Determination

Venable LLP on

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 made significant design changes to Medicare Part D effective January 1, 2025. The changes will cause an increase in the actuarial value of Medicare Part D coverage, which will impact...more

Hall Benefits Law

9th Circuit Explains ERISA Preemption of State Law Claims Arising from Preservice Coverage Communications

Hall Benefits Law on

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently issued an opinion with critical implications for the healthcare industry. This court decision clarifies the expansive reach of the Employee Retirement Income Security...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Group Medical Captives, Level Funding and US Healthcare Policy

McDermott Will & Emery on

In a recent article in Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein examines the trend of self-funding of group health benefits by smaller employers who used to depend mainly or entirely on fully insured programs....more

Laner Muchin, Ltd.

Eleventh Circuit Finds Gender-Affirming Surgery Exclusion in Governmental Employer’s Health Plan Violated Title VII

Laner Muchin, Ltd. on

held that a governmental employer’s health plan violated Title VII by applying an exclusion for services and supplies associated with gender reassignment surgery. The Court relied on the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v....more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

IRS Releases Increased HSA Limits for 2025

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has announced increases to key limits for certain health and welfare benefit programs, including HSA contributions for 2025. The IRS recently released 2025 cost-of-living adjustments applicable to...more

McDermott Will & Emery

The ACA 1557 Final Regulations: Plans and Plan Sponsors as Covered Entities

McDermott Will & Emery on

In a recent On the Subject (available here), we reported on the impact of the final rule (final rule) interpreting Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on self-funded group health plans that contract with licensed...more

McDermott Will & Emery

IRS Announces 2025 Limits for Health Savings Accounts, High-Deductible Health Plans and Excepted Benefit HRAs

McDermott Will & Emery on

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

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

HIPAA Privacy Rules Get a Post-Dobbs Refresh on Reproductive Health Care

Employers will soon see the national debate about abortion popping up in some unexpected places: the HIPAA privacy policies and procedures and notices of privacy practices they use for their health benefit plans....more

Fenwick & West LLP

The Shifting Regulatory Landscape for Level-Funded Plans: An Alternative for Group Health Insurance

Fenwick & West LLP on

In the constantly changing health insurance landscape, level-funded health plans are steadily gaining ground as a viable middle approach between fully insured health plan and self-funded health plans—arguably offering...more

Morgan Lewis - ML Benefits

Managing Welfare Plan Risk: The Fiduciary Committee

Fiduciary committees have long been established in connection with retirement plans to manage the investment, legal compliance, and operational risks that can arise under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,...more

Hall Benefits Law

The No Surprises Act: A Cost Saving Opportunity for Employer Plan Sponsors

Hall Benefits Law on

Benefits costs continue to increase globally, and in the midst of high inflation and potentially a recession, executives are exploring cost effective methods to manage their self-insured health plans without compromising the...more

Baker Donelson

Surprise! Gag Clause Attestation Due by 12/31/2023

Baker Donelson on

As part of the No Surprises progeny of legislation seeking transparency in health care, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 prohibits the use of "gag clauses" in group health plan agreements. All group health plans...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

Year-End "To Do's": Reminders for Your Company's Retirement and Health & Welfare Plans

Husch Blackwell LLP on

As the year is quickly coming to an end, it is critical that plan sponsors set time aside to review their operational and administrative practices throughout the year. As appropriate, operational errors may be corrected and...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Let the Plan Speak: First Gag Clause Attestation Due December 31, 2023

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC on

By December 31, 2023, group health plans and health insurance issuers must submit an attestation to certify compliance with the “gag clause prohibition” under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA)....more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Options for Menopause Benefits for Employees

Employers often target benefit offerings to specific groups of workers—think dependent care accounts or student loan repayment matching contributions—so maybe it was inevitable....more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Prescription for Chaos: Copay Accumulator Programs Called Into Question

Ballard Spahr LLP on

Summary - Employers taking advantage of copay accumulator programs now face unexpected administrative complications following a recent federal court decision....more

Dickinson Wright

10 Important Issues For Employers During the 2024 Open Enrollment Season

Dickinson Wright on

Open enrollment is rapidly approaching for employers with calendar-year employee benefit plans. Following are ten important issues for employers to consider for the 2024 open enrollment season...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

Gag Clause Attestations due December 31, 2023

Bricker Graydon LLP on

If you sponsor a group health plan, make sure you set a calendar alert before the winter holidays to submit the annual gag clause prohibition compliance attestation. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA),...more

Baker Donelson

ACA Affordability Test Will Be More Difficult to Pass in 2024

Baker Donelson on

As employers are preparing for 2024 open enrollment, they should be aware that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability safe harbors are going DOWN for 2024. The IRS has just released Revenue Procedure 2023-29, which...more

McDermott Will & Emery

New MHPAEA Guidance Regarding NQTLs: Network Access and Composition

McDermott Will & Emery on

Recently proposed regulations attempt to ensure that health plans allow access to mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits as easily as medical or surgical (M/S) benefits. The proposed regulations, issued by...more

Morgan Lewis

Plan Sponsors and Fiduciaries: Some Clarity on Mental Health Parity Compliance

Morgan Lewis on

A recently issued White House Fact Sheet, along with a regulatory package from the US Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments), provides some welcome clarity for plan sponsors and...more

203 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 9

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide