[Official Guidance]

Text of IRS Publication 974: Premium Tax Credit, for Using in Preparing 2020 Returns (PDF)

80 pages. "Beginning in 2020, employers can offer [individual coverage HRAs] to help employees and their families with their medical expenses. If you are offered an individual cover-age HRA, [this publication includes] information on whether you can claim a PTC for you or a member of your family for Marketplace coverage.... The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 suspended the re-payment of excess advanced PTC (APTC) amounts for tax year 2020."  MORE >>

Internal Revenue Service [IRS]

[Guidance Overview]

The Clock is Ticking on MHPAEA Compliance

"Although the statutory compliance requirements are based on elements in the DOL's MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool, there is no uniform standard for how the comparative analysis should be formatted or conducted. On April 2, 2021, the Departments issued [FAQs Part 45] ... [which] outlined additional elements that the Departments expect 'at a minimum, sufficient analyses must include.' "  MORE >>

Sheppard Mullin

[Guidance Overview]

COBRA and the Outbreak Period: Be Careful When Changing Carriers or COBRA Vendors

"[The] 'individualized' Outbreak Periods create particularly significant COBRA complications. This is especially true when employers change carriers or COBRA administrators.... [T]he available Outbreak Period protections make guarding against these risks and concerns more complicated than ever."  MORE >>

HUB International

[Guidance Overview]

New MHPAEA Compliance Requirements FAQs Released

"Employers with self-insured health plans bear the risk of liability relating to non-compliance....They should consult with their claims administrators or other service providers to ensure that this analysis is being performed and will be available for disclosure in response to participant or regulator requests."  MORE >>

Kilpatrick Townsend

Healthcare Price Transparency: CMS Says No Hiding the Ball Containing Pricing Information

"The rule requires hospitals to publish applicable charges online in an 'easily accessible' and 'digitally searchable' format, which CMS believes is thwarted by the use of blocking code. Hospitals should expect CMS guidance in the near future."  MORE >>

Carlton Fields

Colorado Wants to Lower Health Care Costs -- Not Everyone Agrees the State Should Get Involved

"The push-pull between costs and access to quality care is something lawmakers are also dealing with as they try to balance cheaper insurance and better coverage for Coloradans against negotiations with hospitals, insurers and others in the health industry over the details of the legislation, which in this year's iteration is a two-pronged approach."  MORE >>

The Denver Post

[Opinion]

To Sustain the Value Movement, Make Next Generation ACOs a Permanent Option

"The goal of the value movement is to incentivize providers to move away from the traditional fee-for-service model and provide coordinated care for patients with an eye toward improving quality and reducing cost. One key mechanism to achieve this goal is accountable care organization (ACO) models[.]"  MORE >>

Health Affairs Blog

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Pentegra and EPIC Retirement Plan Services Launch New 3(16) Fiduciary Solution

Pentegra Retirement Services

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Which Is Better: Dependent Care FSA or the Tax Credit?

Mercer

Lawsuit Threatens No-Charge Preventive Care for Millions

Kaiser Health News

The Combination Health FSA

ABD Insurance & Financial Services