The No Surprises Act (Act), which establishes protections for health plan participants from surprise medical billing, was passed in late 2020 as part of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. On October 7, 2021, the Departments of Labor, the Treasury, and Health and Human Services (collectively, Departments) issued Interim Final Rules implementing certain provisions
Court Strikes Down a Portion of the No Surprises Act Interim Regulations
While health plans, insurers, and providers are busy understanding and implementing the new requirements under the No Surprises Act, a U.S. District Court recently vacated an essential portion of the interim regulations carrying out the Act. While this decision applies nationwide, the court only vacated a portion of the interim regulations affecting the new dispute
It’s Almost the End of 2021. Do You Know Where Your Healthcare Dollars Go?
The CAA Transparency Rules Will Let Plans and Participants Know. The Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the IRS (collectively the Departments) recently released the Interim Final Rules with a request for Comment (IFC), Prescription Drug and Health Care Spending. These rules implement Section 204, Title II, another phase of the transparency provisions
Mental Health Parity – Don’t Be Left Out in the Cold!
News Flash: There’s no actual statutory mandate that employers offer group health coverage at all, much less coverage for specific conditions. However, federal law requires health plans that provide mental health and substance use disorder coverage to ensure that the financial requirements (like coinsurance) and treatment limitations (like visit limits and provider access) applicable to
2021 Plan Amendment Deadlines and Other Looming Fourth Quarter Considerations
As the year draws to a close, it is helpful for employers to pause to evaluate employee benefit plan amendment deadlines and other crucial fourth-quarter considerations, including: More…
Happy National Employee Benefits Day, April 6, 2021!
You didn’t know it was a thing? Or maybe, like most, you just lost track of what day it is? Or maybe it ranks somewhere behind New Beer’s Eve (the day before the end of prohibition) and National Tartan Day, both of which are most certainly things and also fall on April 6th.
American Rescue Plan Act Extensions, Changes to Select Tax Credit, Compensation Deduction Provisions
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expands upon some popular tax credit provisions and makes other changes to a key tax provision regarding compensation deduction limitations. These changes are summarized below. More
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: COBRA Subsidy, Pension Funding, and Other Employee Benefit Changes
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) is the latest federal COVID-19 relief bill, which the President signed into law on Thursday, March 11, 2021. ARPA includes new COBRA continuation coverage election, notice, and subsidy requirements; pension plan funding relief; and some cost-saving benefit opportunities employees may be able to leverage. Some of these
TOP 5 EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS TO CONSIDER IN 2021
A spate of recent legislation and IRS guidance promises to make 2021 an active year for any employer seeking to provide its employees with a competitive array of employee benefits. My “top 5” list of employee benefits that an employer should introduce or enhance in 2021, to improve retention and/or recruitment, is set forth below:
Mandatory COVID-19 Benefits Under Families First Coronavirus Response Act Have Ended, Now What?
In March 2020, when Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) with a sunset date of December 31, 2020, few anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic would be ongoing into 2021. Several similar state and local laws also sunset at the end of 2020. But the pandemic has not slowed, and requests for COVID-19-related leave