If your health plan is maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, it’s important to understand how the health care reform law’s “grandfathering” rule applies to your plan. The rules play out differently depending on whether you maintain a single employer plan that is collectively bargained or a collectively bargained multiemployer plan. The general…
Read More…Yet another piece of new guidance on the provisions of the federal health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has been jointly issued by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL) and the Treasury (75 Fed Reg 43330, July 23 2010). This guidance…
Read More…Under federal health care reform laws passed earlier this year, non-grandfathered health plans must provide coverage for specified preventive care services with no cost sharing when delivered by a network provider. The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and the Treasury recently issued guidance on which preventive services…
Read More…By now you’ve probably heard a lot about federal health care reform’s “grandfathering” provision and what you can and cannot do and have your plan remain grandfathered. (See previous blog posts for more information on grandfathering.) But if you’re like many employers, you’re still wondering, “what does grandfathered status really mean for me and my plan?” and “should I…
Read More…The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently launched a new website, designed to connect consumers with new information and resources to enable them to access quality, affordable health care coverage. website features a central database of health coverage options, including information about public programs, from Medicare to…
Read More…The U.S. Department of Labor has released model notices to meet the following notice requirements imposed by recent federal health care reform guidance: · Notice of Lifetime Limits: This notice contains information on the removal of any lifetime limits on the dollar value of coverage, and of the right to re-enroll in the plan after previously exceeding the plan’s…
Read More…The Department of Health and Human Services has apply now!
Read More…More guidance on federal health reform mandates has been issued by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury. This latest round of PCEs: Annual Limits The term “essential health benefits” will be defined in future guidance, but in the meantime, for enforcement purposes, the regulators will take into account good faith efforts to comply with a reasonable interpretation of the term. Additionally, the guidance indicates that health reimbursement…
Read More…75 Fed Reg 34538, June 17, 2010). Under the grandfathering provision, health plans that were in existence on March 23, 2010 need not comply with many aspects of health care reform. This new guidance clarifies that grandfathered collectively bargained plans must implement the same provisions that non-union grandfathered plans must…
Read More…Thinking of applying for reimbursements under the new Early Retiree Reinsurance Program? Check out new instructions for the program study by the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) predicts that the $5 billion appropriation for the program will run out in two years.
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