[Guidance Overview]

New Guidance on Health Plans' COVID-19 Coverage Obligations

"Plans cannot require the presence of symptoms or a recent known or suspected exposure to COVID-19, or otherwise impose medical screening criteria on coverage for tests."  MORE >>

Sheppard Mullin

[Guidance Overview]

If I Could Turn Back Time ... and Then Add a Year

"The immediate impact of this relief will be on any individual whose applicable ERISA deadline has already been extended for one year.... [O]ne should calculate the due date for the applicable election or COBRA premium (under standard ERISA election rules) for an individual and add one year."  MORE >>

Holland & Hart LLP

[Guidance Overview]

Government Clarifies End of Benefit Plan 'Outbreak Period'

"[T]he Notice emphasizes that plan fiduciaries ... should take steps to minimize the possibility of individuals losing benefits because of a failure to comply with pre-established time frames."  MORE >>

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

[Guidance Overview]

It's Past Time to Get to Work on Mental Health Parity NQTL Compliance Analyses

"[DOL] officials explained their expectation is that each employer plan sponsor will be able to produce an organized and thorough report with evidence and a soundly reasoned conclusion.... [If] they find one group health plan that is out of compliance, the DOL will approach the group's service providers ... to find all of the other non-compliant plans within the vendor's clientele."  MORE >>

MZQ Consulting, LLC

[Guidance Overview]

IRS Provides Further Flexibility for Flexible Spending Accounts

"If I allow a rollover or grace period, then how do I also help employees preserve their HSA eligibility? ... What kind of prospective changes am I allowed to offer my employees? ... What else should employers do?"  MORE >>

Foley & Lardner LLP

Guidance Clarifies Coverage of COVID-19 Services by Group Health Plans

"The FAQs address the requirement to cover items and services related to diagnostic testing, qualifying preventive services, and recommended immunizations of COVID-19 without the imposition of cost sharing, prior authorization, or other medical management requirements."  MORE >>

Ascensus

Is Health Care Shoppable?

"The fact that patients struggle to shop in this favorable setting makes it unlikely that greater cost sharing and price transparency will lead them to shop for more complex services. A more promising avenue may be to harness the power exerted by referring physicians and help them to help their patients select better value providers."  MORE >>

National Institute for Health Care Management [NIHCM]

U.S. House Version of FFCRA Provides Some Clarity for Employers

"In the end, the House modified and extended the payroll tax credits for employer-provided paid sick and paid FMLA leave.... Congress is poised to simply extend FFCRA leave provisions on a voluntary basis, just as we have now."  MORE >>

FMLA Insights

CMS Authorized Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Advanced Premium Tax Credits on Behalf of Enrollees Who Did Not Make Their Required Premium Payments

"This audit reviewed CMS's permanent process for authorizing APTCs to QHP issuers on a policy-level basis for the 2018 calendar year.... [HHS OIG] estimated that $950 million out of $42.5 billion in authorized APTCs during 2018 for 659,143 policies of 5.3 million policies were unallowable because they were made on behalf of enrollees who did not make their required premium payments."  MORE >>

Office of Inspector General [OIG], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]

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Flimp Launches WorkforceTXT® Employee-Texting Solution for HR and Benefits Communications

Flimp Communications

Lockton and Morningstar Investment Management to Design Flexible Advisor Managed Account Services

Lockton

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Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law: Sesson 4

March 10, 2021 WEBCAST

Littler

Nuts and Bolts: An Introduction to ERISA Welfare Plans

March 23, 2021 WEBCAST

American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits [JCEB]

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'Outbreak Period' Guidance Creates Migraines for Plan Sponsors

Lockton

Every COBRA, Special Enrollment, or Claims Event Gets Its Own COVID-Extended Deadline

HUB International

COBRA Subsidy Passes House

Segal