Labor & Employment Symposium - Topics: Religious Accommodations—Vaccinations; DOL Mental Health Parity Audits
It was a lively year for health benefits. Our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group unpacks 2023, from the end of the COVID-19 emergencies to the much-anticipated Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act...more
We previously reported on proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). If adopted in final form, these regulations would vastly complicate compliance by group health plans and health...more
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). Among other...more
On April 2, 2021, the Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services departments (the “Departments”) issued ACA FAQs Part 45 (“FAQ 45”), which elaborates on the new reporting requirements implemented by the Consolidated...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
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
By way of background, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) prevents group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder benefits from imposing less...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 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
Editor's Overview - For over two decades, federal law has required covered health plans and insurers to ensure that certain mental health benefits are in parity with offered medical/surgical benefits. The meaning of...more
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
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
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
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
The Senate’s health care reform bill was released today, and we will report on that separately. In the meantime, below are key health care reform developments from the week of June 12th....more
Banner Health and the Kaiser Foundation were recently hit with separate class action lawsuits challenging their denials of certain mental health care coverage...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
The U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers that, among other things, implement certain of the recommendations included in a report...more
In Depth - The US Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (collectively, the Departments) published frequently asked questions (FAQs) on April 20, 2016, clarifying the implementation of...more
On April 20, the “Big Three” agencies (DOL, Treasury/IRS, and HHS) released another set of FAQs (the 31st, for those of you counting at home). Consistent with earlier FAQs, the new FAQs cover a broad range of items under the...more
On March 30, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published its long-awaited final rule (“Final Medicaid Parity Rule” or “Final Rule”) implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health...more
On October 23, 2015, the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Treasury issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the implementation of preventive care and wellness provisions of the...more
With so much attention focused on the particulars of the employer shared responsibility and, to a slightly lesser extent, reporting rules, it’s easy to lose sight of other important changes—including final regulations issued...more
Recent guidance clarifies important issues under the Affordable Care Act, including mental health parity requirements; coverage of preventive care services; cost-sharing requirements; and out-of-pocket maximums, wellness...more