On July 8, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld two regulations expanding exemptions from the contraceptive coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the regulations, plan sponsors that object to providing contraceptive coverage based on sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions will not be penalized for failing …
Due to the urgent need to help facilitate the nation’s response to the current public health emergency posed by COVID-19, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury have provided answers to a second set of frequently asked questions (FAQs Part 43). This FAQ document provides guidance …
Direct Primary Care (DPC) continues to be an innovative approach to help reinvigorate primary care for doctors and patients. A direct primary care plan is a contract between an individual and one or more primary care physicians to provide medical care for a fixed fee without billing a third party. …
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a fee on health insurance issuers and plan sponsors of self-insured health plans to help fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The PCORI fee was scheduled to expire for plan or policy years ending on or after October 1, 2019. However, a federal …
On May 20, 2020 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2020-32, which provides the inflation adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) for the 2021 plan year. As cost of living expenses continue to rise, the IRS annually adjust the following amounts …
To assist with the issues presented by the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2020-29, which provides flexibility for mid-year election changes under a Section 125 cafeteria plan during 2020. This flexibility has been designed to encourage employers, who sponsor health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and …
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, employees may be more likely to have unused funds in their health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) or dependent care assistance program (DCAP) accounts. Health FSAs and DCAPs are accounts individuals can make pre-tax contributions to, that are then used to pay for certain out-of-pocket …
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and day care facilities have been forced to close. With the lack of availability and, in some cases, need for childcare, employees are being encouraged to re-evaluate their Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) contributions and consider alternate uses for these funds. Under ‘normal’ circumstances, …
On April 9, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extended key tax deadlines for individuals and businesses in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The new tax relief gives the IRS authority to postpone deadlines for taxpayers affected by federally declared disasters. Form 5500 – Automatic Deadline Extension Notice 2020-23 …
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Act provides $2.2 trillion of economic relief for Americans, businesses and the healthcare industry. The relief package also provides federal funding to expand the availability of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, …
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) enacted two laws that provide workers with paid leave for reasons related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This enables employers to keep their workers on payroll, while simultaneously ensuring that they are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health …
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer affordable, minimum value health coverage to their full-time employees or possibly pay a penalty. The evolving coronavirus crisis has raised questions on how employers should determine what a full-time employee is during periods of layoff, furlough, and COVID-19 …
The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of patient’s health information but is balanced to ensure that appropriate use and disclosure of information remains necessary during a public health emergency. This information may be used to treat a patient, protect public health, and may be used for other critical purposes. …
In efforts to ease consumers’ concerns about healthcare costs in light of the COVID-19 crisis, at least nine states have reopened their health insurance exchanges for uninsured residents to enroll in coverage. The response stems from the necessity for uninsured patients to be able to receive the medical care they …
On March 2, 2020, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a third major challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after rulings in two other major cases confronted core previsions of the healthcare law. The court agreed to hear the case in its new term which begins in October 2020. …
