Updates to Statute 1557 that Healthcare Providers Need to Know
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Can Employers Impose a Health Insurance Surcharge on Plan Participants Not Vaccinated for COVID-19?
PODCAST: Wellness Program Compliance Update
On July 26, 2024, OFCCP published Directive 2024-01: Expedited Conciliation Procedures (the “Directive”). The Directive is intended to “outline updated procedures for an expedited conciliation option, giving contractors and...more
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, or any combination thereof, in a health program or activity, any part of which is...more
In a Final Rule issued on May 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) finalized regulations implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”). The Final Rule updates and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: New regulations effective August 6, 2024 restore and expand scope of civil rights protections under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act....more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a final rule on April 26, 2024 (the “Final Rule”) under Section 1557 of...more
In just a few days’ time, recently promulgated federal final rules addressing sex-based nondiscrimination in the administration of health care benefits have created a flurry of healthcare industry activity. The angst arises...more
On April 26, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule (press release, fact sheet, FAQs) (final regulations) reinterpreting Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits...more
Over the last several weeks, the Biden administration has released numerous final regulations in order to “beat the clock” before it ticks down to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) deadline. The CRA authorizes Congress to...more
On April 26, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule (press release, fact sheet, FAQs) reinterpreting Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits discrimination on the...more
n January 9, 2024, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a final rule, entitled “Safeguarding the Rights of Conscience as Protected by Federal Statutes” (the 2024 Final Rule). The 2024 Final Rule clarifies the...more
On March 1, 2023, the Department of Labor issued its guidance on Religious Exemption Final Rule Frequently Asked Questions. The DOL’s Guidance dovetails very tightly with the Freeman Law Insights blog published on February...more
On August 4, 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM or proposed rule) to reinterpret section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits...more
Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), "covered entities," which were defined as health programs or activities that receive "federal funding" from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...more
In October 2016, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) sought an injunction against the implementation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) final rules on wellness programs, alleging that the...more
In May 2016, the Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) issued a Final Rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). Section 1557 prohibits “covered...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has finalized a rule expanding nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements in apprenticeship programs registered with the USDOL or state apprenticeship agencies. Program sponsors...more
Balancing Gene Therapy’s Promise and Price - Editor’s Note: Exciting advances in science have led to developing treatment breakthroughs, such as gene scripting therapies, that could represent the first potential cures...more
Employers in the health care industry are likely to face significant changes under President-elect Donald J. Trump’s administration and should expect a healthy dose of uncertainty for the next few months. During his campaign,...more
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) published a final rule to implement Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Most prominently, this rule...more
As we have previously discussed in detail in several blogs (New EEOC Regulations Provide Roadmap for Wellness Programs; EEOC Issues Final Rules On Employer-Sponsored Wellness Program Compliance Under the ADA and GINA; and...more
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Recently, the Federal Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a Final Rule clarifying...more
Final regulations under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) published on May 18, 2016, impose several new requirements on sponsors of covered health plans. ...more
ALERT: Immediate Action Required by Health Care Providers to Comply With Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act by October 16, 2016 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Civil Rights...more
As our colleagues reported earlier this month, on May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a final rule titled “Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities” (“Final Rule”)...more
As the current presidential administration winds up its time in office, the administrative branch is hard at work completing its regulatory agenda. Part of this effort is implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act...more