The Biggest Obstacle to Value-Based Care
Earlier this week, Governor Kathy Hochul released her Executive Budget proposal totaling $233 billion for State Fiscal Year 2025. The budget proposes several initiatives targeted at improving access to, quality of, and...more
The IRS has announced increased annual limits for retirement and other benefit plans for 2024. While the increases for 2024 are smaller than we’ve seen in prior years, they still may have a significant impact on plans and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: IRS quietly extends relief for the “family glitch” to calendar year cafeteria plans in unannounced revisions to Notice 2022-41. ...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Recently, on October 11, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations which finalized changes to affordability of employer coverage for the family members of employees under Internal...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued FAQ guidance encouraging health insurers to relax their utilization management and prior authorization requirements in view of the COVID-19 pandemic while at the same...more
A U.S. District Court in Connecticut recently issued an order that highlights the importance of understanding exactly what the term “medically necessary” means in an ERISA health plan....more
QUALIFIED PLANS - Student Loan Repayment Benefits - ? Qualified plan benefit tied to student loan debt repayment ? Special rules apply to these benefits when they are connected to the 401(k) plan ? IRS Private Letter...more
The Agency of Transportation has submitted a proposal to the House Transportation Committee that would allow the agency to seek damages from a utility that fails to move or adjust a utility line that is in a state or local...more
Qualified Health Plans (“QHPs”) and other stakeholders have until October 27, 2014, to comment on CMS’s proposed cost sharing reduction payment reconciliation reporting process. On Friday, September 26, 2014, CMS released...more
On August 4, 2014, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule delaying the compliance date for health care providers, health plans, and health care clearinghouses to transition to the...more
Employers and plan sponsors must comply with numerous filing and notice deadlines for their retirement and health and welfare plans. Failure to comply with these deadlines can result in costly penalties and excise taxes. To...more
In This Issue: - ADA Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Avoid Rigid Policies and Consider Technology - IRS Issues Guidance on Qualified Plan Amendments Regarding Same Sex Spouses - OSHA to Refer Untimely...more
Employers have been considering the impact on benefit programs, including the qualified retirement plans, of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision recognizing the validity of same sex marriages. In September, 2013, the IRS issued...more
HIGHLIGHTS - - The Treasury Department and the IRS released final regulations regarding amounts used by a qualified plan to pay for accident or health insurance premiums. Under the regulations, there is one notable...more
On February 4, 2014, CMS released a Draft Letter containing guidance for issuers seeking to offer Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) in Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs). The Draft Letter offers operational and technical...more
Preventive Care Expansion for Calendar Plan Year 2015 for Non-Grandfathered or Non-Exempt Plans - The preventive care coverage requirements were updated in September 2013 to include a requirement that there must be...more
As we approach the end of the year, employers and plan sponsors of qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans should take time to meet various upcoming deadlines. Failure to comply with the deadlines may result...more