compliance
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2/23/2021 Update: The proposed rules on wellness programs described below have been withdrawn by the EEOC pursuant to the Biden Administration regulatory freeze.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 ...
December 31, 2020
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 3: Temporary Health FSA and DCAP Relief
Update 2/22/21: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2021-15 clarifying the relief provided under the Appropriations Act for health FSAs and DCAPs and provides additional cafeteria plan relief. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act), enacted on December 27, ...
December 31, 2020
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 2: Broker and Consultant Compensation Transparency, Prohibition on Gag Clauses
Broker and Consultant Compensation ERISA imposes penalties on prohibited transactions between covered benefit plans and individuals who have a relationship with the plan to ensure that these “parties in interest” do not use their influence with the plan for their own benefit or in a manner that ...
December 31, 2020
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 | Part 1: Congress Passes the No Surprises Act
The U.S. Congress has passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act), which includes the No Surprises Act (Act), after contentious negotiation. As of the publication of this Advisor, President Trump has signaled that he will not sign the Appropriations Act into law until ...
December 16, 2020
Final Rules on Grandfathered Group Health Plan Coverage
In response the President’s Executive Order 13765 “Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal” issued on January 20, 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury ...
December 16, 2020
Compliance Recap | November 2020
November was a relatively busy month in the employee benefits world. The U.S. Supreme Court (Supreme Court) heard oral arguments in the case of California v. Texas, which is the case challenging the constitutionality of the ACA. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the updated ...
December 16, 2020
Blue Cross Blue Shield Tentative $2.67 Billion Antitrust Settlement
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has recently reached a tentative $2.67 billion settlement arising out of a class action lawsuit filed more than eight years ago by subscribers seeking injunctive and compensatory relief arising out of BCBSA’s alleged violation of federal antitrust ...
