ACA

ACA, DOL

Biden-Harris Administration Issues Third Rule To Implement No Surprises Act | California Benefits Agents


WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris administration – through the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management – today issued an interim final rule with comment period to continue implementation of the No Surprises Act, a consumer protection law that helps curb the practice known as “surprise billing” for medical care. The

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ACA, DOL

Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part I Interim Final Rule with Comment Period | California Employee Benefits Team


On July 1, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released an interim final rule with comment period (IFC), entitled “Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part I.” This rule related to Title

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ACA, AHP

Court Blocks New DOL Rules on Association Health Plans


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In March, a federal district court struck down a Department of Labor (DOL) Rule on Association Health Plans (AHPs). Issued in 2018, the DOL rule aimed to expand the availability of AHPs to a greater number of small businesses as an alternative to standard ACA-compliant small group insurance policies. For details, see our June 2018

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ACA, Benefit plans, Benefits, Blog, California Benefit Advisors, California Employee Benefits, Communication, DOL, Employees, Employers, ERISA, Health, Health care, Health insurance, HMO, Human Resources, Insurance, MLR

Ask the Experts: Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Rebates


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Question: Our company received a rebate check from our health insurance carrier. As the employer, we pay the bulk of premiums, although employees who enroll for coverage do pay a portion of the cost. Are there restrictions on how we can use the rebate money? Answer: Yes, there are restrictions on using the rebate. The

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ACA, HRA, HSA, IRS, PCORI, QSE HRA, self-insured

PCORI Fee Increase for Health Plans


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On November 5, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2018-85 to announce that the health plan Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019 will be $2.45 per plan participant. This is an increase from the prior year’s fee of $2.39 due to

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ACA, Affordable Care Act, Benefits, Blog, Coverage, Employees, Employers, Health, Health insurance, Health plans, Insurance, IRS

Is Your Health Plan Affordable for 2019?


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The Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility provision — often called the employer mandate or “play or pay” — requires large employers to offer health coverage to their full-time employees or face a potential penalty. (Employers with fewer than 50 full-time and full-time-equivalent employees are exempt.) Large employers can avoid the risk of any play

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ACA, Affordable Care Act, Benefits, Blog, California Benefit Advisors, California Employee Benefits, Custom content, Employees, Employers, Health, Health insurance, Human Resources

Affordable Care Act Update


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Recently, the President signed a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate (the tax penalty imposed on individuals who are not enrolled in health insurance). While some are praising this action, there are others who are concerned with its aftermath. So how does this affect you and why should you pay attention to this

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ACA, Affordable Care Act, California Benefit Advisors, California Employee Benefits, IRS, Utah Benefit Advisors, Utah Employee Benefits

ACA Play or Pay: Affordability Percentage for 2019


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On May 21, 2018, the IRS announced that the affordability percentage under the Affordable Care Act’s play or pay rules will increase to 9.86% for 2019 plan years. This is an increase from 9.56% for 2018 plan years. By way of background, the ACA’s employer shared responsibility provision – often called the employer mandate or

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