The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations require updates to the Notice of Privacy Practices that health plan sponsors furnish to plan participants and health care providers furnish to patients. The updates must be made by February 16, 2026.
The regulations require changes to the Notice of Privacy Practices for information regarding certain substance use disorder treatment information and reproductive health information.… Continue Reading
As employers gear up for another round of Affordable Care Act (Forms 1094 and 1095) reporting, they should consider guidance that may have been issued too late in the last reporting cycle for them to take into account but could provide partial relief for this annual headache this time around. The guidance makes it permissible for employers to post a website notice of availability of Forms 1095-B and 1095-C (Notice of Availability or Notice) with respect to the ACA forms rather than distributing the forms to every individual.… Continue Reading
Although much of our attention this fall was focused on the government shutdown, health plan sponsors may be interested in several less-publicized developments affecting group health plans.
A federal district court in Texas has invalidated and enjoined actions by federal agencies on and after March 23, 2010—when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted—to implement the ACA requirement that health plans and insurance policies cover the full cost of in-network preventive care that carries an A or B rating by the USPSTF.… Continue Reading
On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration said that it will end COVID-19 emergency declarations on May 11, 2023. The federal government has been paying for COVID-19 vaccines, some tests, and certain treatments under the public health emergency declaration. Many of those costs now will be transferred to private insurance and government health plans.… Continue Reading
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (CAA) and transparency regulations introduced major changes to health benefit plans. These changes continue to evolve with some requirements just now taking effect.
In a new set of Frequently Asked Questions, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury provide significant relief to health plan sponsors and insurers seeking to report on expenditures for prescription drugs and other health care items and services in compliance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.… Continue Reading
Recently, Ballard Spahr attorneys spoke about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the impact on employee benefit plans and other issues important to employers. The webinar addressed measures that employers can consider and implement in response to these developments and the legal and practical issues they present.
Below you’ll find a link to a recording of the webinar and presentation slides.… Continue Reading
Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET
The recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and state laws banning abortion in the wake of the decision have raised significant employee benefit and other issues for employers. This webinar will address measures that employers are considering and implementing in response to these developments, and the legal and practical issues they present.… Continue Reading
As previously reported here, under the American Rescue Plan Act, certain employers have until May 31, 2021 to notify eligible individuals of their potential right to subsidized COBRA coverage. Eligible individuals are those who lost group health plan coverage due to a reduction of hours or an involuntary termination of employment and who are still within the possible maximum COBRA coverage period, even if they never elected COBRA or initially elected it and let it lapse.… Continue Reading