McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

What are some of the major health policy topics on Congress’s plate this year? The post Health Policy Outlook for 2024 appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. The post Health Policy Outlook for 2024 appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Access the report.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

APRIL 16, 2024

New state privacy laws regulating health data impose significant obligations and heightened litigation and regulatory risks. The post Key Takeaways | How to Prepare for New State Health Privacy Laws appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Access key takeaways and webinar replay.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

DECEMBER 5, 2023

This post continues our focus on comment letters submitted in response to proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The proposed regulations were issued earlier this year by the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (the Departments).

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 23, 2024

The New York State fiscal year 2024 – 2025 budget institutes a new tax on health plans, including insurers and managed care organizations. This tax has been garnering attention for its promise to yield $4 billion for New York State.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MARCH 5, 2024

Group health plan sponsors, third-party administrators and other health plan service providers must navigate a shifting legal landscape as they determine how to offer gender-affirming benefits, including whether − and to what extent − group health plans must cover gender-affirming medical or surgical treatments, especially regarding minors.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MARCH 9, 2022

The continuation of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and consumer demand for digitally delivered healthcare not only necessitated the shift from in-person to virtual care, but also continued to drive interest, adoption, investment and transactions in digital health in 2021.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

Multiple states – including Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia – have been busy finalizing legislation and rulemaking to adopt interstate compacts and expand behavioral health access. The post States Adopt Interstate Compacts, Expand Behavioral Health Access appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Read more here.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

APRIL 29, 2022

Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced (See Revenue Procedure 2022-24) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) for 2023.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JUNE 20, 2023

At a recent open Commission meeting, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted unanimously to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR). The FTC’s proposed amendment aims to codify the HBNR’s application to digital health and mobile technologies.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

AUGUST 3, 2023

Following in the footsteps of Washington State’s My Health My Data Act, the governors of Nevada and Connecticut recently approved Nevada SB 370 and Connecticut SB 3. These bills impose a number of new requirements on the processing of consumer health data.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

DECEMBER 13, 2023

The enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 led to a sharp increase in employers self-funding their group health insurance plans, with the market tripling in size in the decade that followed.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 17, 2023

Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced (See Revenue Procedure 2023-23) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) for 2024.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

AUGUST 30, 2023

In May 2023, the Florida Legislature amended the Florida Electronic Health Records Exchange Act to add a provision regarding the security and storage of patient information. The post Guarding the Gateway: Florida Tightens Grip on Electronic Health Records Storage appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Read more here.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 2, 2023

The My Health My Data Act in Washington State (the Act) is expected to be signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee this year, after being passed by both the Washington Senate and House in different versions.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

AUGUST 24, 2023

What is the current state of digital health? In this TripleTree article, Alya Sulaiman offers her perspective on some of the essential AI questions facing the digital health space. Access […] The post Digital Health and the Direction of AI in Healthcare appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JUNE 21, 2023

US lawmakers recently advanced a broad healthcare bill during a US House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee markup. In this Health Policy Breakroom podcast episode, McDermott+Consulting’s Debra Curtis and Rodney Whitlock break down the markup and address extenders, PBMs, site-neutral policies and the timing of this bill.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Generally, these bills seek to codify (or modify) the requirements around hospital and health plan price transparency as […] The post A Look into House Efforts on Hospital and Health Plan Price Transparency appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

DECEMBER 15, 2022

A North Carolina health plan’s refusal to cover gender dysphoria treatment violated the Affordable Care Act. Biggs is a win for participants and parents of transgender children enrolled in the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees. McDermott’s […].

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

AUGUST 8, 2023

The proposed regulations […] The post Treasury, DOL and HHS Issue Landmark Mental Health Parity Proposed Rule appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JANUARY 23, 2024

On January 2, 2024, McDermott filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) and the United States Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) in United Behavioral Health v. 23-586, in the US Supreme Court.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

APRIL 25, 2023

Major Points: […] The post Health Data in the EU and UK: Regulatory Trends and Developments appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Major Points: […] The post Health Data in the EU and UK: Regulatory Trends and Developments appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

A coalition launched by several major health systems and a hospital-at-home company aims to continue delivering hospital-level-at-home care in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The post Major Health Systems, Hospital-at-Home Company Launch Advocacy Effort appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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Proskauer's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensa

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Department of Labor (DOL) issued 3 documents outlining guidance on cybersecurity practices for benefits plans, which we discussed in a blog post at the time. The revised versions of these documents clarify that they apply not just to pension plans, but to health and welfare plans as well.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

OCTOBER 21, 2022

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration announced the cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits on various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans and the Social Security wage base for 2023.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JANUARY 26, 2023

According to this Bloomberg article, disputes between providers and pharmaceutical companies were in limbo as the industry waited for the Biden administration to replace an administrative dispute resolution […] The post Drug Discount Review Boards Proposed by Biden Health Agency appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JUNE 1, 2023

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued a Chief Counsel Advice memorandum to remind sponsors of health and dependent care flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) about their responsibility to adequately substantiate claims in order to receive favorable tax treatment under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code).

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JANUARY 11, 2023

We recently reported on an FAQ issued December 23, 2022 (FAQ About Affordable Care Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Implementation Part 56) by the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments).

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JULY 20, 2023

A recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) memorandum addresses the tax status of certain fixed-indemnity health plans that promise employers major payroll tax savings. The post IRS Clarifies Status of Fixed-Indemnity Health Plans Claiming Big Tax Savings appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Read the article.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

APRIL 17, 2024

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently reached a $4.75 million settlement with a New York City hospital for alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Million Over HIPAA Violations appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 21, 2024

In a recent On the Subject (available here), we reported on the impact of the final rule (final rule) interpreting Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on self-funded group health plans that contract with licensed health insurance issuers to provide administrative services.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 20, 2024

According to this Politico Pro article, private equity groups are disproportionately benefiting from the No Surprises Act, and the law may inadvertently lead to higher health insurance premiums. The post Surprise Medical Billing Law ‘Not Working the Way We Want It to Work’ appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Access the article.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MARCH 28, 2024

On January 11, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its new final rule governing federal healthcare conscience protection statutes.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 14, 2024

On March 18, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued an update to its December 1, 2022, bulletin titled “Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates.”

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

MAY 8, 2024

However, according to this KFF Health News article, Congress will likely “kick the can” past the November election. The post Congress Likely to Kick the Can on COVID-Era Telehealth Policies appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. Access the article.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

APRIL 18, 2024

offers some useful insights on the enforcement by private litigants of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). UnitedHealth Group for the 2023 MHPAEA Proposed Rule appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG. UnitedHealth Group, Inc.,

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

JUNE 13, 2024

May 11, 2024, marked one year since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and not much has changed in Medicare telehealth policy. This looms large during […] The post Exploring the Virtual Care Policy Landscape One Year Post-PHE appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG.

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McDermott Will & Emery Employee Benefits

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

This post continues our investigation of proposed regulations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) issued by the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (the Departments). Our previous MHPAEA content is available here.

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