Affordable Care Act, Employer Group Health Plans, Department of Labor (DOL)

U.S. Department of Labor Rescinds Trump-Era Rule on Association Health Plans (AHPs)

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 5/15/2024

On April 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued a final rule (the “Final Rule”) rescinding the 2018 Association Health Plan rule (“2018 AHP Rule”), thereby marking a return to the more rigid pre-2018...more

ACA-Required Coverage of Contraceptive Care Remains Agency Focus

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 3/7/2024

Once again, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have issued guidance on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) required coverage of contraception without cost sharing, clarifying the permitted...more

Agencies Update Guidance on Group Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Requirements

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive... on 2/15/2024

The Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) recently issued guidance for group health plans outlining a “therapeutic equivalence” medical management technique for required preventive...more

[Webinar] Workday Clients: A Game Changing Approach to ACA Compliance - January 11th, 10:00 am - 10:30 am PST

Trusaic on 1/8/2024

Join us for a workshop tailored exclusively to teams who use Workday. Discover how to revolutionize your ACA compliance process with Trusaic’s game-changing approach. Led by ACA expert Anuj Mongia, Vice President of Strategic...more

Year-End Health Benefits Roundup 2023

Alston & Bird on 12/7/2023

It was a lively year for health benefits. Our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group unpacks 2023, from the end of the COVID-19 emergencies to the much-anticipated Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act...more

Special Report - Funding Employer-Sponsored Group Health Coverage: The Group Captive Solution - November 2023

McDermott Will & Emery on 11/28/2023

Employer-sponsored health insurance covers almost 159 million non-elderly US workers and their dependents, and employees and jobseekers alike view group health coverage as the single most important non-cash job-related...more

2023 End-of-Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists (Part 1) Health and Welfare

Snell & Wilmer on 10/12/2023

We are pleased to present our annual End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we present our “To Do” Lists in four separate Employee Benefits Updates. This Part 1 covers year-end health and welfare plan issues....more

The ‘No More Restrictive’ Requirement for NQTLs Under the Proposed MHPAEA Regulations

McDermott Will & Emery on 8/29/2023

We previously reported on proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). If adopted in final form, these regulations would vastly complicate compliance by group health plans and health...more

High Deductible Health Plan First Dollar Coverages in Flux

Foley & Lardner LLP on 7/21/2023

A recent string of lawsuits, regulatory guidance, and market trends have dramatically impacted the types of services that enjoy first dollar coverage under high deductible health plan (HDHP) and health savings account (HSA)...more

Navigating the Wild West of the New ACA Preventative Care Ruling

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 5/12/2023

On March 30, Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra (“Braidwood”), invalidating the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA’s”) mandate...more

Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of Some ACA Preventive Health Service Requirements: What Plan Sponsors Should Consider

Dickinson Wright on 5/8/2023

In a March 2023 ruling, a Texas federal district court vacated all actions taken by the Departments of Labor (“DOL”), Health and Human Services (“HHS”), and Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”) to implement or enforce...more

Compliance Alert: DOL Issues Guidance on Preventive Care Court Order

Woodruff Sawyer on 4/27/2023

On March 30, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued an order in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra (“Braidwood”), vacating any and all actions taken by the DOL and other federal...more

Preventive Care in a Post-Braidwood World: Agencies Release Guidance on Preventive Services Coverage Requirements

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive... on 4/26/2023

The Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) recently released guidance for group health plans on required preventive services coverage. The guidance was issued in response to a...more

Departments Issue Guidance on Preventive Services under the ACA Following the Braidwood Decision

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP on 4/21/2023

In light of the March 30 Braidwood Mgmt. Inc. v. Becerra decision, the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of the Treasury (the “departments”) have issued FAQ guidance on how the...more

Tri-Agencies Address Preventive Services Coverage in the Wake of Braidwood

McDermott Will & Emery on 4/18/2023

In response to Braidwood Mgmt. Inc. v. Becerra, a recent case striking down part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive services mandate, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury...more

It’s a Roller Coaster … Employer Considerations After Court Invalidates ACA Preventive Care Mandate

Holland & Hart - The Benefits Dial on 4/7/2023

Since the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) became law in 2010, numerous groups have attempted to invalidate the ACA or specific parts of the ACA through litigation. Even after a number of plaintiffs unsuccessfully attempted to...more

Proposed Universal Contraceptive Coverage in Response to Roe Reversal

McDermott Will & Emery on 2/9/2023

The US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury (the Departments) recently issued a proposed rule (the proposed rule) to eliminate a moral exemption to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraceptive mandate...more

When Will the Pandemic End for Employer-Sponsored Health Plans?

Laner Muchin, Ltd. on 8/29/2022

While many in the U.S. have attempted to resume a sense of normalcy despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, for employer-sponsored health plans, special “emergency” pandemic rules and extensions remain in effect. As previously...more

HHS, DOL, and Treasury Give Employer-Sponsored Health Plans Another Warning on Providing Contraceptive Coverage

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 8/5/2022

Employers can’t say they weren’t warned. For the second time in six months, frequently asked question (FAQ) guidance from federal regulators is calling attention to the requirement that employer-sponsored health...more

Group Health Plan Considerations in the Face of (Potentially) Changing Abortion Laws

Jackson Lewis P.C. on 6/15/2022

On May 2, 2022, a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health was leaked to the press, and as a result the Court is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey,...more

Dealing With Undocumented Workers In ERISA Plans

Jackson Lewis P.C. on 5/13/2022

Whether because of the tight U.S. labor market or flawed onboarding processes, many undocumented workers are becoming participants and accruing benefits in ERISA-governed employee benefit plans. Dealing with such plan...more

Agencies Provide Guidance on Transparency in Coverage Rule Implementation

McDermott Will & Emery on 4/26/2022

On April 19, 2022, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the implementation of certain reporting...more

July 1 Deadline for Health Plan Website Disclosures

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP on 4/21/2022

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury recently issued FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part 53 (FAQ), which provides additional guidance for non-grandfathered group health plans and...more

Report on the January 19, 2022 Three Agency “Listening Session” on Provider Non-Discrimination Rules: The Impact on Group Health...

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints on 2/1/2022

Section 108, Division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 requires the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services and the Treasury (the “Departments”) to issue regulations under Section 2706(a) of the Public...more

New COVID-19 Guidance: Government Requires Health Plans to Cover At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP on 1/31/2022

On January 10, 2022, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury issued guidance addressing a group health plan’s obligation to cover the cost of over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests starting January...more

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) › Employer Group Health Plans › Department of Labor (DOL)

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"