Preparing Employers and Employees for 2021 Benefit Plans Decisions
Employers, this is your annual reminder that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires sponsors of group health plans to notify eligible individuals whether the employer’s prescription drug coverage is...more
On August 23, the Internal Revenue Service issued Rev. Proc. 2023-29, announcing that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability threshold will be 8.39% for plan years beginning in 2024, a substantial decrease from the 9.12%...more
Sponsors of self-funded group health plans are required to notify enrollees about the availability of the plan’s notice of privacy practices and how enrollees can obtain a copy of such notice. This must be done at least once...more
Health plan wellness programs may generally include a health plan premium incentive discount for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine(s) or, alternatively, a premium surcharge for those who are not vaccinated....more
October brings with it the approach of year-end notices and open enrollment for 2021 health & welfare benefits. While open enrollment for your organization may be a month or so away, October 15 is the deadline for...more
Join Jackson Walker and Lockton Dunning Benefits as panelists discuss the upcoming 2021 open enrollment season and provide advice on how to communicate with employees about new programs and benefits, including new initiatives...more
As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are observing all sorts of never-before-seen changes in the fully-insured group health plan space. Many insurers are liberally waiving their normal rules to accommodate the...more
For Americans and their health coverage, October and November will be a time to remember. And act. The season is upon us when it pays to learn the critical facts about your current health insurance coverage and your...more
As open enrollment approaches for the 2019 calendar year, below are some items employers may want to consider: Wellness program changes – Many employers change their wellness programs during open enrollment. This is a...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
ERISA, as amended by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), requires employers to notify their employees of potential opportunities for group health plan premium assistance through...more
On the morning of July 28, 2017, another effort to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) failed in a 49-51 Senate vote when three Republican senators voted against the bill. Attempts to pass even a trimmed down...more
We learn early on that for any action there is a reaction. On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services released “Market Stabilization” final regulations that will impact group health plans as they plan for 2018....more
On 15 February 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took a step toward addressing concerns about the stability of the individual and small group health insurance markets by proposing a modicum of...more
The EEOC has published a sample notice intended to help employers comply with the notice requirement under the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) final rule (published on May 17, 2016). The final rule requires...more
November has become more than the month devoted to families and feasting: It’s now the start of the season when Americans try like heck to avoid becoming health insurance turkeys. Open enrollment periods are under way — for...more
Bicameral Bill Introduced to Provide HHS Authority to Reject Proposed Insurance Rates - Before Congress left for its Columbus Day recess, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Health...more
As employers and plans prepare for 2016 open enrollment, they must be sure to address in their benefit design and with their third party vendors the new embedded out-of-pocket maximum limitations on individuals that were...more
This Week: Upcoming Hearing: HHS Sec. Burwell Appearing Before E&C Committee on FY2016 Budget... CMS Issues 2016 Payment and Policy Updates for Medicare Health and Drug Plans... CMS Releases Improved Rating System for Nursing...more
Employers conducting their annual group health plan open enrollments this fall must remember to include a summary of benefits and coverage (SBC), along with a uniform glossary to that SBC, as required by the Affordable Care...more