Understanding Employee Benefits and key developments in the employee benefits field and items of interest to our clients. MORE

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On November 1, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2024-80, which sets forth the 2025 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The IRS also announced the health savings account (HSA) and high deductible health plan (HDHP) annual deductible and out-of-pocket expense adjustments earlier this year…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced two settlements with major insurance companies this month that highlight the importance of employers avoiding the collection of group life insurance premiums from employees until the insurer has approved them for coverage, including receipt and approval of required evidence of insurability (EOI). These settlements follow two similar agreements…

The Department of Health and Human Services’ (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights recently published a final rule (the “Final Rule“) which provides additional privacy protections related to the use and disclosure of reproductive health care information.  Covered entities (e.g., health plans) and their business associates must comply with all of the provisions of…

On November 1, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2023-75, which sets forth the 2024 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The IRS also announced the health savings account (HSA) and high deductible health plan (HDHP) annual deductible and out-of-pocket expense adjustments earlier this year…

As explained in part I of our Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration series, the Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) and National Emergency (“NE”) are coming to a close.  While the Biden Administration had initially announced its intent to end the NE on May 11, 2023, on April 10, 2023, President Biden signed…

On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it intends for the National Emergency (“NE”) relating to the COVID-19 pandemic to end on May 11, 2023. Shortly after, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services announced the intent to end the Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) on the same day. The end…

On December 23, 2022, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued FAQs providing relief from prescription drug and health care spending reporting requirements. The FAQs are available here: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/aca-part-56.

As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, group health plans and issuers must annually report to the Departments…

Recently Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (“2023 CAA”). Among other things, the 2023 CAA extends, for a second time, the telehealth relief provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act permitted high deductible health plans (“HDHP”) to provide first-dollar telehealth services or other remote care services. This allowed individuals covered under a…

On October 21, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2022-55, which sets forth the 2023 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. Earlier this year, the health savings account (HSA) and high deductible health plan (HDHP) annual deductible and out-of-pocket expense adjustments were announced in Revenue…

On March 15, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (“2022 CAA”) was signed into law. Among other things, the 2022 CAA temporarily restores the telehealth relief provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act permitted high deductible health plans (“HDHP”) to provide telehealth services or other remote care services without applying a deductible. This…