Did you know that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains a civil rights provision? The ACA prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in certain health programs and activities. Despite becoming law in 2010, final implementation rules were...
Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) are generally employers that average at least 50 full-time and full-time equivalent employees. Under the Affordable Care Act, ALEs can either provide health insurance coverage to employees or pay a penalty. To avoid a penalty, ALEs must offer health coverage to...
Telemedicine generally refers to the practice of using telecommunications technologies (phone, Internet, etc.) to diagnose and treat patients, and in case you haven't noticed, it's come a long way. Consider this: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services describes telemedicine as a cost-effective alternative to...
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees to file information returns with the Internal Revenue Service and provide statements to their full-time employees about employer-offered health insurance coverage. This information will be used...
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established employee pension and welfare plans in the private sector. To protect individuals in these plans, ERISA requires plan administrators, which are oftentimes the employers, to provide...
The complexity of group health insurance makes it difficult for employers to shop for health plans and for employees to choose among several employer-provided options. Unfortunately, helpful consumer information is not typically found in the patchwork of various non-uniform and intricate consumer disclosures, such as...
Despite becoming law over four years ago, the Affordable Care Act continues to make headlines. Since it's not easy to keep track of all the changes, let's take a look at some of the more significant recent developments. Elimination of Small Group Deductible Limits A significant ACA...
Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance issuers in the individual and group markets are generally required to guarantee insurance coverage to every employer and individual that applies. Beginning in 2015, this guarantee will extend to same-sex spouses. On March 14, 2014, the Department of Health...
On February 10, 2014, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations implementing the employer responsibility provisions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Despite being previously delayed, the final regulations provide transition relief to employers with 50 or...
The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury issued final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Act). Though interim final rules implementing the Act were published and became effective in 2010,...