compliance
March 2, 2021
Extended Time Frames for Employee Benefit Plans
3/2/2021 Update: The DOL issued EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 providing that the outbreak period relief noted below ends on the earlier of one year from the date an individual or plan was first eligible for relief (extension period) or the original outbreak period of 60 days after the ...
March 2, 2021
Employee Benefits Security Administration Disaster Relief Notice 2020-01
3/2/2021 Update: The DOL issued EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 providing that the outbreak period relief noted below ends on the earlier of one year from the date an individual or plan was first eligible for relief (extension period) or the original outbreak period of 60 days after the ...
March 1, 2021
Mandatory Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines under Group Health Plans
3/5/2021 Update: ACIP recommended the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer vaccine). The following day, December 12, 2020, the Centers for ...
February 20, 2021
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 5: Advance EOB, Patient/Consumer Protections, and Reporting
On December 27, 2020, former President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act). The Appropriations Act amends Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), Part 7 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and Chapter ...
February 20, 2021
Compliance Recap | January 2021
January was a busy month in the employee benefits world. President Biden issued a memorandum putting a regulatory freeze on new rules. President Biden also issued an executive order on strengthening Medicaid and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Department of Labor (DOL) ...
February 20, 2021
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 4: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits Parity
The Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act) signed into law on December 27, 2020, includes several provisions requiring that group health plans and health insurance insurers provide comparative analysis regarding utilization and compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete ...
January 21, 2021
Final 2022 Benefit Payment and Parameters Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule along with a fact sheet and press release for benefit payment and parameters for 2022. According to CMS, the proposed 2022 benefit payment and parameters rule intended to reduce fiscal and regulatory burdens ...
January 12, 2021
Compliance Recap | December 2020
December was a busy month in the employee benefits world. President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which includes the No Surprises Act and other group health plan provisions. The Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued two ...
January 12, 2021
Proposed Rule Amending the HIPAA Privacy Rule
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (collectively, the Department) issued a proposed rule modifying the Privacy Rule under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to support HHS’ Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care ...
January 12, 2021
Proposed Rules on Wellness Programs subject to the ADA or GINA
2/23/2021 Update: The proposed rules on wellness programs described below have been withdrawn by the EEOC pursuant to the Biden Administration regulatory freeze. Until further action is taken, the current final rules on wellness programs remain in effect. See our Advisor on the current wellness ...
