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Telehealth Coverage for HDHPs Extended
A spending bill signed into law on March 15, 2022, extends the ability of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to provide benefits for...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Apr 19, 20222 min read
Agencies Indicate Focus on MHPAEA Enforcement
The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released a fact sheet on 2021 enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Apr 12, 20221 min read
President Biden Extends National Emergency Outbreak Period Rules
On February 18, 2022, President Biden formally extends the COVID-19 National Emergency, which was set to expire on March 1, 2022 for...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Apr 1, 20223 min read
Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines Updated
The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently updated its preventive...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Mar 22, 20221 min read
Increased Civil Penalty Amounts for Certain Violations
Effective November 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has increased the following key penalties affecting...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Feb 14, 20221 min read
Upcoming ACA Reporting Deadlines
Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting under Section 6055 and Section 6056 for the 2021 calendar year is due in early 2022. Specifically,...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Feb 10, 20225 min read
PCORI Fee Amount Adjusted for 2022
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued Notice 2022-04 to increase the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Jan 25, 20222 min read
Proposed Rule Would Expand IRS Electronic Filing Requirement
On July 23, 2021, the IRS published a proposed rule that would expand the requirement to file certain information returns electronically,...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Nov 22, 20212 min read
5 Strategies for Reducing Health Benefits Costs in 2022
For the past two decades, health costs have increased each year. This happens for a variety of reasons, such as inflation or, say, a...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Oct 12, 20214 min read
Health-related Productivity Costs
While offering health coverage and benefits for employees and dependents is a major business expense, lost productivity due to physical and...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Aug 24, 20211 min read
American Rescue Plan Act’s Employment-Related Provisions
President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law on March 11, 2021. The law generally provides financial...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Apr 14, 20212 min read
3 Voluntary Benefits Trends to Watch in 2021
Voluntary benefits have always been great tools for rounding off employee benefits offerings. And that value isn’t lost on employers—at...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Mar 11, 20211 min read
EEOC Issues FAQs on Mandatory Vaccinations for COVID-19
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently added nine new answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) to its existing...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Feb 16, 20211 min read
Non-grandfathered Plans Must Cover COVID-19 Vaccine Without Cost-sharing Beginning in 2021
On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Jan 19, 20211 min read
Final Rule Allows Greater Flexibility for Grandfathered Plans Under the ACA
On December 15, 2020, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (Departments) published a final rule that...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Jan 13, 20211 min read
Employee Benefits Plan Limits for 2021
Many employee benefits are subject to annual dollar limits that are periodically updated for inflation by the IRS. The IRS typically...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Dec 17, 20201 min read
Final Rule on Health Care Transparency Issued
The Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued a final rule that imposes new...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Dec 14, 20201 min read
Medicare Part D Notices Are Due today - October 15, 2020
Each year, Medicare Part D requires group health plan sponsors to disclose to individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part D and to the...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Oct 15, 20201 min read
ACA Pay or Play Penalties Will Increase for 2021
The IRS recently updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the pay or play penalties to include increased penalty amounts for the...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Oct 7, 20201 min read
QSEHRA and Transportation Plan Limit Projections for 2021
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (aka “Tax Reform”) enacted December 22, 2017, changed the measure of inflation to the average chained CPI-U...
Karl J. Ruth Jr.
Sep 29, 20201 min read
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