HIPAA Certificates Required During 2014 For plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits group health plans and issuers from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions (PCEs) on any enrollees. [...]

Proposed Individual Mandate Rules On Jan. 30, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service issued two proposed rules relating to the individual coverage mandate. The basics of these rules are provided in the following paragraphs. The penalty for [...]

Final Rule Issued on HIPAA Privacy and Security Protections On Jan. 17, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule modifying the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement and Breach Notification Rules. The [...]

Relief for Non-calendar Year Plans On Jan. 2, the IRS published proposed regulations addressing numerous issues with the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) shared  responsibility requirements. These proposed regulations include a special transition rule that provides [...]

Health Care Reform: Proposed Rules on Workplace Wellness Programs The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes provisions to encourage appropriately designed, consumer-protective wellness programs in group health coverage. On Nov. 26, proposed regulations were released regarding [...]

Tips for a Smooth Open Enrollment Season Much too often, employees are unaware of the changes in benefits offerings from year to year and, by default, select the same plan they chose the year before, [...]

Eleventh Circuit Rules Wellness Program Complies with the ADA On Aug. 20, 2012, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an employer’s wellness program did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibition [...]

Temporary Guidance Issued on 90-day Waiting Period Limit New temporary guidance has been released regarding the 90-day maximum waiting period mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA stipulates that for plan years beginning [...]

Upcoming Health Care Reform Effective Dates and Deadlines In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision on health care reform, employers are turning their attention to preparing for  imminent health care changes. Read on [...]

The Supreme Court Ruling: Employer FAQs On June 28, 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court essentially upheld the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) as constitutional. Since the ruling, employers have had many questions about how this [...]