"Use Form 8889 to: [1] Report health savings account (HSA) contributions (including those made on your behalf and employer contributions), [2] Figure your HSA deduction, [3] Report distributions from HSAs, and [4] Figure amounts you must include in income and additional tax you may owe if you fail to be an eligible individual." [Also see: 2024 IRS Form 8889, draft dated May 31, 2024]  MORE >>

"The PCORI filing and payment to the IRS is due by July 31, 2024, and is required for policy and plan years that ended during the 2023 calendar year. For plan years ending before Oct. 1, 2023, the fee is $3.00 per covered life. For plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2023, and before Oct. 1, 2024, the fee is $3.22 per covered life."  MORE >>

"[W]ith the filing of the Form 720, fees must also be paid for all participants. To complete the form for self-funded group health plans, that means counting 'belly buttons,' including all employees and covered dependents and others. Generally, health care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are not required to file a Form 720 unless the employer (and not just the employee) makes contributions to it that exceed the lesser of $500 annually or a dollar-for-dollar match of the employee's contribution."  MORE >>

"Health insurance issuers are brought back into coverage under Section 1557.... Covered entities must inform individuals that language assistance and services are available.... Covered entities must take steps to identify and mitigate discrimination when using patient care decision support tools.... Covered entities must implement Section 1557 policies and staff training.... Nondiscrimination requirements apply to telehealth programs and activities.... Federal guarantees regarding religious freedom and conscience are to be respected.... Medicare Part B payments constitute FFA."  MORE >>

"[T]he Final Rules further clarify employer's obligations under this new Ordinance, with many of the changes in the Final Rules favoring employees.... [1] Remote workers and telecommuters receive benefits.... [2] Carryover of paid sick leave despite frontloading.... [3] Eligibility to use paid leave earlier under combined policies.... [4] Written denial of requests for paid leave.... [5] Use restricted to employee's regular work week."  MORE >>

"Since spouses and dependents can add up to 60% of a health plan's expense, the SIHRA seeks to shift the risk by coupling a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) with a spousal incentive.... The incentive motivates employees with working spouses to have those working spouses elect coverage under their employer's plan rather than participating in the employee's plan. The incentive can be up to 100% of the spouses' and dependents' in-network, out-of-pocket costs"  MORE >>

"Two pending bills would require greater disclosures to health payers.... The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act [HR 5378] ... aims to improve hospital pricing information.... The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act [S 1339] ... would require pharmacy benefit managers to report to health plans a variety of pricing information."  MORE >>

"A law firm has filed a dozen suits by substance use disorder treatment providers against MultiPlan in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The providers cite allegations in a New York Times article that ran in April about the strategy MuliPlan's Data iSight program uses to hold down the suggested prices for out-of-network procedures. The program 'is manipulated to generate artificially low payment rates,' according to the version of the complaint[.]"  MORE >>