Legal Alerts

Legal Alert: President Trump Issues Executive Order Encouraging Transparency in Pricing and Expanding Consumer-Directed Arrangements

By Stacy Barrow - June 28, 2019

On June 24, 2019, President Trump issued an Executive Order intending to develop price and quality transparency initiatives to ensure that healthcare patients can make well-informed decisions about their care. This is part of the consumer-driven healthcare initiative, which has been a focus of government and patient groups alike to have more transparency regarding the [Read More]

Legal Alert: Final Rule Released on Individual Coverage and Excepted Benefit HRAs

By Stacy Barrow - June 14, 2019

On June 13, 2019 the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department (the “Departments”) released the final rule concerning health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) for individual market coverage and excepted health benefits. The rule, based on an executive order from President Trump in 2017, is intended to increase choice [Read More]

Legal Alert: IRS Releases 2020 HSA Contribution Limits and HDHP Deductible and Out-of-Pocket Limits

By Stacy Barrow - May 29, 2019

In Rev. Proc. 2019-25, the IRS released the inflation-adjusted amounts for 2020 relevant to HSAs and high deductible health plans (HDHPs). The table below summarizes those adjustments and other applicable limits. Out-of-Pocket Limits Applicable to Non-Grandfathered Plans The ACA’s out-of-pocket limits for in-network essential health benefits have also been announced and have increased for 2020. [Read More]

Legal Alert: Reminder PCORI Fees Due By July 31, 2019

By Stacy Barrow - May 21, 2019

REMINDER: PCORI Fees Due By July 31, 2019 Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2019 deadline for paying fees that fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). As background, the PCORI was established as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) [Read More]

Legal Alert: IRS Increases Health FSA Contribution Limit for 2019, Adjusts Other Benefit Limits

By Benefit Advisors Network - November 19, 2018

On November 15, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2018-57, which raises the health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) salary reduction contribution limit by $50 to $2,700 for plan years beginning in 2019. The Revenue Procedure also contains the cost-of-living adjustments that apply to dollar limitations in certain sections of the Internal Revenue [Read More]

Legal Alert: Medical Loss Ratio Rebates

Medical Loss Ratio Rebates Under the Affordable Care ActThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has provided guidance on the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA’s”) medical loss ratio (“MLR”) rule, which requires health insurers to spend a certain percentage of premium dollars on claims or activities that improve health care quality or provide a [Read More]

Legal Alert: IRS Issues Affordability Percentage Adjustment for 2019

In Rev. Proc. 2018-34, the IRS released the inflation adjusted amounts for 2019 relevant to determining whether employer-sponsored coverage is “affordable” for purposes of the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA’s”) employer shared responsibility provisions and premium tax credit program.  As shown in the table below, for plan years beginning in 2019, the affordability percentage is 9.86% [Read More]

Legal Alert: IRS Adjusts 2018 HSA Contribution Limit – Again

The IRS has announced it is modifying the annual limitation on deductions for contributions to a health savings account (“HSA”) allowed for taxpayers with family coverage under a high deductible health plan (“HDHP”) for the 2018 calendar year. Under Rev. Proc. 2018-27, taxpayers will be allowed to treat $6,900 as the annual limitation, rather than [Read More]