Congress Taking (Small) Steps for Employee Wellness Programs
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) specifically encourages and promotes the expansion of wellness programs in both the individual and group markets. In the individual market, the secretaries […]
Cost Sharing Limits Changing for 2016
In the Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016 Final Rule issued in February 2015, federal agencies included a clarification that annual cost-sharing limitations for self-only coverage apply to all individuals, regardless of […]
Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in Subsidy Eligibility Battle
On March 4, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in King v. Burwell, a case that centers on the meaning of statutory language in the Patient Protection and Affordable […]
Compliance Recap – March 2015
Coming off a busy February, regulatory agencies were noticeably quiet during the month of March. This allowed the Supreme Court to take the spotlight with oral arguments in the Patient […]
PPACA’s Impact on How CDHPs and HSAs Work Together
Employer health savings account (HSA) funding strategies have changed in recent years in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and its impact on employer-sponsored health insurance […]
Definition of “Spouse” Updated for FMLA
The Department of Labor has issued an updated definition for “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to make compliance with FMLA easier for both employers and employees. […]
Final Rule Issues Standards for Insurers and Marketplaces in 2016
Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Final Rule with standards for insurers and Marketplaces in 2016, covering topics […]
Growing Pains: Why Adolescence Is About To Get That Much Harder
Employers that are growing up, and are in the awkward teenage years, are about to get a big surprise, and not the good kind. When a company first opens, they […]
IRS Provides Details on Reimbursing Premiums for Individual Health Coverage or Medicare Part B, Part D, or Medigap for Active Employees
On February 18, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2015-17. This Notice addresses employer payment or reimbursement of individual premiums in light of the requirements of the Patient Protection […]
Agencies Provide Guidance on Single Benefit Products and Excepted Benefits
On February 13, 2015, the regulatory agencies issued an FAQ on whether supplemental health insurance coverage that provides additional categories of benefits may qualify as supplemental excepted benefits. Many provisions of PPACA […]
