On March 15, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (“2022 CAA”) was signed into law. Among other things, the 2022 CAA temporarily restores the telehealth relief provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act...more
3/23/2022
/ CARES Act ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Employee Benefits ,
HDHPs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
HSA ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
As indicated in our January 11, 2022 blog post and alert, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (the “Agencies”) issued FAQs Part 51 on January 10, 2022, requiring group health...more
2/9/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
New Regulations ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Safe Harbors ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Beginning January 15, 2022, and through the duration of the public health emergency, insurers and group health plans must cover at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests available over-the-counter (OTC) without imposing cost-sharing,...more
1/11/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
New Regulations ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On October 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of the Treasury jointly issued FAQs relating to COVID-19 vaccine incentives and surcharges. Under the...more
10/5/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Surcharges ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The COBRA premium assistance period, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, will expire on September 30, 2021. Plans are required to send notices to assistance eligible individuals (AEIs) to inform them about the subsidy's...more
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “ARPA”) into law. Many of the provisions in this sweeping legislation bring changes to the employee benefits world of which employers should...more
4/1/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
COBRA ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retirement Plan ,
Section 162(m) ,
Tax Credits
On March 11, the IRS issued Notice 2020-15. The new guidance permits high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to pay for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and treatment without a deductible (or with a deductible below the...more
3/12/2020
/ China ,
Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Deductibles ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Emergency Response ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Infectious Diseases ,
IRS ,
Medical Benefits ,
Medical Examinations ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health
New guidance helps plan sponsors and employers manage and operate AHPs -
The Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released guidance related to the DOL's June 28th final rule on association...more
8/28/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
COBRA ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
IRS ,
MEWAs ,
Reporting Requirements
On June 19, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule that offers new options for associations to sponsor health plans for their members. These new options allow more small businesses to come together to...more
6/22/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements
On June 19, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule that offers new options for associations to sponsor health plans for their members. These new options allow more small businesses to come together to...more
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicated that it would begin enforcing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employer Shared Responsibility provisions (commonly known as the “Employer Mandate”). Last week, the IRS...more
The United States Supreme Court recently held in King v. Burwell that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) permits individuals to receive health insurance premium subsidies through federally-facilitated exchanges (in addition to...more