Warner Norcross & Judd, LLP Publications on Health Care Reform
Required Notice of Exchanges Delayed
The Department of Labor has announced that the deadline for distributing the Notice of Exchange—originally set for March 1, 2013—is being delayed. Read more…
IRS Puts Limits on 90-Day Waiting Period for Health Plans
Beginning in 2014, employers may not impose a waiting period longer than 90 days for entry into a health plan. Recent guidance explains that this restriction applies not only to a waiting period that begins to run once an individual meets an eligibility rule, but also to an eligibility condition that is based solely on the passage of time. Read more…
Health Care Reform - Mandate Timeline
Are you overwhelmed by health care reform? Here’s a quick glance at the major changes affecting employers. Use this as a checklist for changes that should have been already implemented and for upcoming, pending changes. Consult your Warner Norcross & Judd Employee Benefits attorney to review the impact of these changes on your employee benefit plans. Read more…
Health Care Reform: The Next Immediate Steps Webinar
7/11/2012, Noon - 1 p.m.
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the constitutionality of the Obama health care plan, U.S. businesses need to get serious about continuing implementation and compliance with the law. Register here...
Welcome to MI HEALTH Marketplace
Governor Rick Snyder recently announced his Administration’s intent to create MI HEALTH Marketplace, a nonprofit corporation where Michigan individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance. Read more...
New Preventative Care Requirements for Women
Well woman visits, breastfeeding supplies and contraceptives are among the recommended preventive care treatments that nongrandfathered group health plans will have to start covering without any cost-sharing requirements, for plan years beginning on or after August 1, 2012. Calendar-year plans will not have to cover these expenses until January 1, 2013. However, plan sponsors should expect lots of questions from participants about these new rules during upcoming open enrollment periods. Read more...
Agencies Reveal New Summary of Benefits and Coverage Forms
New health plan disclosure documents are coming. Health Care Reform requires the government to develop uniform benefit summary forms that will make it easier for employees to compare health plans. The idea is to provide certain basic information, in a uniform manner, that will help employees understand and compare different coverage options. Read more...
New Grounds for Terminating Health Plan Options
Frequently Asked Questions issued by the government this month provide new guidance on a number of Health Care Reform issues relating to the grandfathered status of health plans.
The FAQs provide many new examples of when an employer can terminate a medical plan without jeopardizing the grandfathered status of its other medical plans. Read more...
Health Care Reform and W-2 Reporting
Beginning in 2013, large employers will have to report the cost of group health coverage provided to their employees on each employee's W-2. The IRS recently issued new guidance regarding this obligation. Small employers that issue fewer than 250 W-2s in the preceding year will be exempt from this requirement until at least 2014. Read more...
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Resources on Health Care Reform
Government delays employer requirement to notify employees of the Exchange
The federal government confirmed in an FAQ issued on January 24, 2013 that it is delaying the requirement for employers to notify their employees of the availability of the Exchange. Read more…
HHS issues proposed rule on Essential Health Benefits and Actuarial Value
On November 20, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule on essential health benefits (EHBs) and actuarial value (AV). Additionally, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) issued the draft actuarial value calculator. Comments are due December 26, 2012. The rules, if finalized, would become effective beginning on or after January 1, 2014. Read more…
Proposed rule released on group wellness incentives
On November 20, 2012, the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a joint proposed rule on group wellness incentives. Read more…
IRS Issues Final Rule on the Comparative Effectiveness Fee
The comparative effectiveness fee is intended to fund health outcome and clinical effectiveness research conducted by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, also known as PCORI. The institute is a nonprofit organization created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On December 5, 2012, the IRS issued a final rule on the comparative effectiveness fee. The final rule included one substantive change. Read more…
CMS Issues Proposed Rule: Guaranteed Issue and Renewal
On November 20, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule regarding guaranteed issue and renewal. Comments due December 26. Read more…
Proposed Regulations Help Consumers Understand Coverage Options
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury released proposed regulations on Aug. 17, 2011 to help consumers understand their health coverage options and aid employers in finding the best coverage for their employees. Health insurers and group health plans must provide consumers with clear, concise and consistent information about their health plan benefits and coverage. Read more...
Expanded Choices, Lower Costs of Health Coverage are Goals of Insurance Exchanges
Individual consumers and small businesses will have broadened options, including subsidies and tax credits, when shopping for health insurance when statewide insurance exchanges come online in 2014. Read more...
Individual Mandate Will Require People to Buy Health Insurance or Face Financial Penalty
Most U.S. residents will be required to obtain health insurance or face a financial penalty for being uninsured under the individual mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act that starts in 2014. Read more...
Standardized Appeals Process Amended Under Health Reform Law
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies provided additional guidance about the standardized claim appeals process. These changes clarify, alter and relax some of the earlier requirements in the previously issued proposed regulation. Read more...
HHS Issues Guidelines on Required Women's Preventive Services
Women's preventive services including checkups, contraceptives and certain screenings must be covered with no cost sharing when delivered by a network provider on plan years beginning on or after Aug. 1, 2012. Read more...
Blues Public Policy Brief
Congress worked diligently to finalize the Fiscal Year 2011 budget before it adjourned for a two-week recess. After days of partisan sparring, they reached an agreement to keep the government running through the end of the current fiscal year (Sept. 30, 2011). Temporary funding for federal programs and agencies was to expire Friday, April 8, if no agreement was reached. Read more...
Employers That Don’t Offer Minimum Essential Health Coverage May Face Penalties
Larger employers that don’t offer minimum essential health coverage to full-time workers may face penalties under health care reform if any full-time employees receive a government premium credit or subsidy to buy their own insurance through an exchange. Read more.
National Health Reform Changes That Affect Consumer-Driven Health Care Accounts
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) includes a number of modifications to employee benefit programs. Among these, there are four provisions that will affect Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Read more.
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