ACA’s Automatic Enrollment Requirement Repealed On Nov. 2, 2015, President Obama signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law, which included a provision repealing the ACA requirement that large companies automatically enroll their employees in group health plans. Under … Continue reading →

Guidelines Finalized for Electronic Reporting Under Sections 6055 and 6056 On Aug. 18, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a finalized test package and guidelines for employers reporting under Internal Revenue Code Sections 6055 and 6056. The new guidelines … Continue reading →

Final Rule on Religious Exemptions to Contraceptive Coverage On July 10, 2015, final regulations on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) women’s preventive care coverage requirement were released. The ACA requires non-grandfathered health plans to provide coverage for preventive health services … Continue reading →

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds ACA Subsidies in Federal Exchanges On June 25, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in King v. Burwell. The case challenged the availability of health insurance Exchange subsidies in every state, including states with … Continue reading →

Agencies Plan to Issue Final Rules for SBC Requirements On March 31, 2015, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) announcing their intention to issue final regulations for … Continue reading →

HHS Issues Final Rule Affecting ACA for 2016 On Feb. 27, 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016. This final rule describes benefit and payment parameters applicable … Continue reading →

New Guidance for Employer Payments of Individual Premiums In late February, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2015-17, which offers guidance on the prohibition of employer payment plans. These plans are arrangements that pay for or reimburse premiums for … Continue reading →

Individual Mandate Penalty Cap The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most individuals to either obtain acceptable health insurance coverage for themselves and their family members or pay a penalty. This rule is often referred to as the individual mandate. The … Continue reading →

New Regulations Proposed for Summary of Benefits and Coverage On Dec. 22, 2014, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury (Departments) released proposed regulations regarding the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC). The proposed regulations … Continue reading →

HHS Issues Proposed Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016 On Nov. 21, 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the 2016 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters Proposed Rule, which contains several proposed changes for 2016. Among … Continue reading →