After Congress declined to extend certain relief allowing first-dollar coverage of telehealth services by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), health plan sponsors may need to make immediate changes to preserve employees’...more
After much uncertainty, Congress has extended many Medicare telehealth flexibilities through March 31, 2025, in its end-of-year appropriations bill. However, several important flexibilities, such as first-dollar coverage of...more
Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a number of new notices updating and clarifying the preventive services expenses that high deductible health plans (“HDHP”) can cover without affecting a...more
The telehealth services safe harbor for high deductible health plans (“HDHPs”) will expire for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2025, absent Congress passing legislation extending or making the safe harbor...more
Last month, the IRS released the 2025 cost-of-living adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). The IRS requires that in order to contribute to an HSA, an individual must be...more
As we come to the end of the year, it is a good time for employers with January 1st health plan renewals to review their plan documents and get ready for open enrollment. The following is a checklist that lists some of the...more
The IRS recently issued Notice 2023-37 (Notice) relating to pre-deductible coverage of COVID-19 testing and treatment under high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). Specifically, the Notice establishes a 2024 expiration date for...more
Employers’ high deductible health plans (HDHPs) can continue to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment without violating the eligibility rules for health savings accounts (HSAs)—but only through 2024—under new Internal Revenue...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued new guidance, Notice 2023-37, which states that for plan years ending after December 31, 2024, HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) will no longer be permitted to...more
The June Monthly Minute highlights EPCRS expansion under SECURE 2.0 as well as various SECURE 2.0 technical corrections, and the termination of COVID-19 relief previously applicable to HDHPs....more
Earlier this week, the government released Revenue Procedure 2023-23 outlining the 2024 inflation adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs). An HSA is a tax-advantaged way for...more
Summary - Sponsors of employee benefit plans face heightened plan design and administrative challenges in the wake of President Biden’s surprise termination of the COVID-19 national emergency. This unexpected development,...more
The Biden administration recently announced its intention to end the COVID-19 National Emergency and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency effective May 11, 2023. These emergency declarations have been in place for nearly...more
High deductible health plan (“HDHP”) sponsors take note: the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2023 (“CAA23”) temporarily extends the flexibility for HDHPs to provide pre-deductible coverage of telehealth services without...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (“CAA 2023”), signed into law on December 29, introduced sweeping reforms to the employee benefits landscape. Not only do the CAA 2023’s “SECURE 2.0” provisions make some...more
On December 29, 2022, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (“CAA, 2023”), into law. The CAA 2023, which is largely a bipartisan spending bill, includes a new telemedicine safe harbor similar to...more
In late December, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law a $1.7 trillion year-end omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through FY2023. This alert summarizes the notable health policies and...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 (“CAA 2022”), signed by President Biden on March 15, 2022, reinstated temporary relief for high deductible health plans (“HDHPs”) to provide pre-deductible coverage of telehealth...more
On March 15, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (the “2022 CAA”) was signed into law. Section 307 of the 2022 CAA extends the relief permitting high deductible health plans (“HDHPs”) to provide telehealth and...more
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
On November 4, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2021-61, which sets forth the 2022 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The...more
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced (See Revenue Procedure 2021-25) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and...more
While there has been some improvement in the spread of COVID-19 in the US, the daily count of new cases remains high. As a result, many large employers have extended their remote working policies through the fall, with others...more
As health insurers and managed care companies work to serve their patient communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, they must also track and adapt to a multitude of new state and federal COVID-19-related regulatory actions...more
On May 12, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-29 (the Notice), an important piece of guidance for employers that sponsor health & welfare plans. The Notice provides much-needed flexibility for...more