Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

February 5, 2021

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Ascensus
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[Guidance Overview]

Upcoming Deadline iconNew Mental Health Parity Disclosure Requirements Require Swift Action (PDF)

"[P]lans and insurers must be prepared to disclose comparative analyses to document compliance with the existing rules under the MHPAEA governing non-qualitative treatment limitations (NQTLs)." Icon to read more

Sherman Howard

[Guidance Overview]

Group Health Plan Legislative Update (PDF)

39 pages (78 presentation slides). Topics: [1] Update on 2021 legislative and regulatory developments; [2] FSA relief under CAA; [3] New Mental Health Parity Act requirement; [4] New compensation disclosure requirement; [5] Surprise billing and new transparency provisions; [6] Update on outbreak period expiration. Icon to read more

Alston & Bird

[Guidance Overview]

Health Benefit Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

40 presentation slides. Topics: [2] Legislative background; [2] No Surprises Act: Surprise billing provisions, Additional provisions; [3] Transparency provisions: Prohibition on gag clauses, Disclosure of broker and consultant compensation, MHPAEA NQTL comparative analyses, Mandatory annual reporting on pharmacy benefits and drug costs. Icon to read more

Groom Law Group, for American Benefits Council

[Guidance Overview]

Responding to IRS Letter 226J

"IRS Letter 226J informs employers of a proposed ACA employer mandate penalty assessment.... Depending on the circumstances, employers may be able to reduce or eliminate the initial penalty assessment." Icon to read more

ABD Insurance & Financial Services

[Guidance Overview]

Santa Rosa, California Extends and Amends Its Emergency Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

"The amendments took effect immediately on February 2, 2021, extending the ordinance through March 31, 2021, or the date federal tax credits expire for providing paid leave under the federal [FFCRA], whichever is later." Icon to read more

Littler

CMS Tells States and Providers: Value-Based Care Is the Answer

"CMS provided state Medicaid directors with a roadmap to address [challenges leading to poor health outcomes] through existing services and supports ... CMS is also seeking to shift providers from traditional fee-for-service payment models toward value-based models." Icon to read more

Akerman

Permanent ACA Reporting Relief Sought by Employer Groups

"While complying with these requirements has always been challenging, the groups stress that the pandemic has made it especially difficult for many employers dealing with unprecedented workforce changes and continuing business uncertainty." Icon to read more

Mercer

COVID-19 Lessons: Benefits and the Workplace (PDF)

"It may be difficult to predict how the business of work will change following the COVID­19 pandemic, but employers can draw from lessons learned over the past year." Icon to read more

Benefits Quarterly, published by the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists [ISCEBS]

[Opinion]

President Biden Announces Priorities for Medicaid, the ACA, Women's Health Services, and COVID-19

"The Biden administration has set an aggressive agenda to expand Medicaid and ACA coverage, make up for marketplace coverage losses that have occurred since 2016, restore access to women's health services at home and abroad, and establish a plan for attacking the COVID-19 pandemic." Icon to read more

Timothy Jost, for The Commonwealth Fund

Benefits in General

IRS to Hold Public Hearing for Proposed Regs on Postponements Due to Federally Declared Disasters

"The public hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2021.... The new proposed regulations would create an automatic 60-day postponement in cases of federally declared disasters, ensuring that there would be at least 60 days to complete the tax-related acts covered by the guidance." Icon to read more

Ascensus

Press Releases

Most Popular Items in the Previous Issue

Understanding the No Surprises Act
The Brookings Institution

View COVID-19 News and Resources

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David Rhett Baker, J.D., Editor and Publisher
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BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter, ISSN no. 1536-9595. Copyright 2021 BenefitsLink.com, Inc. All materials contained in this newsletter are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of BenefitsLink.com, Inc., or in the case of third party materials, the owner of those materials. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notices from copies of the content.

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