On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced that he ordered OSHA to develop emergency temporary standards (ETSs) that would require employers with 100 or more employees to mandate that employees either receive one of the three available COVID-19 vaccines or submit to at least weekly COVID-19 testing. Employers who do not comply with these requirements [Read More]
In October 2020, CMS Released its Transparency in Coverage Final Rules (the “TiC Final Rules”) which require non-grandfathered group health plans and carriers offering health insurance in the individual and group markets to: (1) make available to the public three separate machine-readable files (for in-network rates, out-of-network allowed amounts and prescription drugs) that include detailed [Read More]
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “CAA”), which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, included several provisions impacting group health plans and health insurance issuers. Below is a summary of the provisions focused on mental health parity and health plan transparency (specifically, broker/consultant commissions and pharmacy benefits and drug costs). Mental Health Parity [Read More]
On May 10, 2021, the IRS released Notice 2021-26, which provides additional guidance on relief authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and previous IRS guidance issued in Notice 2021-15. Specifically, IRS Notice 2021-26 clarifies the maximum amount that can be excluded from an individual’s gross income for [Read More]
On May 18, 2021, the IRS released Notice 2021-31, which contains its much anticipated guidance on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) COBRA premium assistance provisions. In many respects, the guidance is consistent with previous IRS guidance under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which is welcome news as many employee benefits [Read More]
Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2021 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) to conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of [Read More]
In Rev. Proc. 2021-25, the IRS released the inflation adjusted amounts for 2022 relevant to Health Savings Accounts (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 [Read More]
On April 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a link to its webpage dedicated to the COBRA premium assistance authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARPA), the third COVID-19 stimulus bill. The webpage includes model notices, frequently asked questions, and related information. With the exception of the model notices, the [Read More]
Congress has passed, and President Biden has signed, the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARPA), the third COVID-19 stimulus bill. This new $1.9 trillion stimulus package includes several health and welfare benefits-related provisions relevant to employers and plan sponsors, as summarized below. FFCRA Paid Leave Extended and Enhanced While COVID-19 vaccines are starting to become [Read More]
We are just weeks shy of the one-year anniversary of the President’s declaration of the COVID-19 National Emergency, and the COVID-19 National and Public Health Emergencies are still in effect. As a result of the long-term impact of the pandemic, many employees faced forfeiting their unused health FSA and dependent care assistance program (DCAP) funds [Read More]