The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) requires health insurance brokers and consultants to disclose any compensation they may receive for service referrals to ERISA-covered group health plan sponsors. All types of health insurance plans are affected by the CCA. These plans include individual and family plans, small and large group …
The COVID-19 vaccine toolkit, issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has been updated and now includes a list of vaccines and boosters that are required to be covered without cost-sharing. This chronological list contains COVID-19 vaccines and boosters approved and authorized by the Food and Drug Administration …
Massachusetts’ COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave program expired March 15, 2022. This law required employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave for certain COVID-19-related reasons. In late February, the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance alerted employers that reimbursements for the program were reaching their …
The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor released an initiative with a focus on federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance. The announcement of the initiative stated the division will ensure employers comply with federal labor laws using “vigorous enforcement.” More education and outreach will …
Effective January 26, 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it is withdrawing its COVID-19 vaccination and weekly testing emergency temporary standard (ETS). Once the notice is published in the Federal Register, the withdrawal will be official. When the ETS was published, OSHA confirmed it was using the ETS …
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a federal emergency temporary standard (ETS) on November 4, 2021. The ETS establishes certain requirements for large employers, those with 100 or more employees, in order to protect unvaccinated workers. Large employers are required to comply with most ETS provisions by December …
On August 16, 2021, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued a frequently asked question (FAQ) regarding enforcement of the contraceptive coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Contraceptive Mandate The ACA requires non-grandfathered health plans to cover certain …
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 is calculated based on the average number of lives covered under a policy or plan and is paid annually …
Effective June 26, 2021, employers subject to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) must provide leave to Pennsylvania employees to help them prepare for and recover from surgery related to an organ or tissue donation. Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Living Donor Protection Act was signed into law, …
Over the years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has created reporting requirements under Code Sections 6055 and 6056. These rules require certain employers to provide information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about the health plan coverage they either offer, do not offer, or provide to their employees. 2021 Draft …
On May 10, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2021-25, which provides the inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs) for the 2022 plan year. As cost of living expenses continue to rise, the IRS annually adjusts the following amounts and …
On April 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidelines detailing certain activities that fully vaccinated individuals can safely resume without the need to wear a mask. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or …
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a new fact sheet and a “snapshot” document detailing the tax credits — which are available through September 30, 2021 — for employers who opt to provide family leave and paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the …
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. It provides a 100% subsidy of applicable COBRA premiums for eligible beneficiaries and their dependents, for the time period beginning April 1, 2021 and ending no later than September 30, 2021. COBRA …
On March 23, 2021, President Joe Biden and his administration reported that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is extending the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) — which was originally available through May 15, 2021 —for an additional three months, allowing eligible individuals to enroll in …
