WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–A federal appeals court in Washington ruled Tuesday that a key piece of last year’s federal health-care overhaul is constitutional, handing the Obama administration another legal victory ahead of the Supreme Court’s likely consideration of the law.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryHealth ReimbursementHRA
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided badly needed relief to Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) administrators in an Alert that was issued on Thursday.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryHealth ReimbursementHealth SavingsHRAHSASection 125 Plans
The release of President a Obama's deficit reduction plan comes just a week after the President submitted to Congress the actual text of his proposed jobs legislation.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryHealth Care ReformPPACA
This month, the Departments of Labor and HHS proposed rules for the “uniform summary of coverage” that is required under PPACA. Heath insurers and group health plans (including grandfathered plans) must provide consumers with clear, consistent and comparable information about their health plan benefits and coverage beginning in 2012.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nearly one of every 10 midsized or big employers expects to stop offering health coverage to workers once federal insurance exchanges start in 2014, according to a new survey from a large benefits consultant.
The federal COBRA subsidy, first available Feb. 17, 2009, covered 65 percent of the cost of COBRA health insurance premiums for up to 15 months. To qualify for the subsidy, recipients must have originally become eligible for COBRA as a result of an involuntary termination of employment occurring between September 2008 and May 2010.
Cafeteria PlansCompliance and RegulatoryHealth ReimbursementHealth SavingsHSAIRSSection 125 PlansTaxes
A limited liability company’s (LLC’s) health plans may create special issues with respect to LLC member participation. This is because LLCs may be treated as either a partnership or a corporation (depending on how the LLC has elected to be treated), and for tax purposes the IRC treats partnerships and corporations differently. No IRS guidance specifically addresses the status of LLC members for purposes of health plan participation, including participation in a medical or cafeteria plan.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryHealth Care ReformHealth ReimbursementHRAIRSPPACA
On Aug. 19, 2011, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) introduced supplemental regulatory guidance regarding the annual limit waiver application process. Specifically, the guidance clarifies that sponsors of stand-alone HRAs will not be required to seek waivers from PPACA rules that restrict annual dollar limits on the coverage of essential benefits.
Last week, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) introduced S. 1404, the Medical Flexible Spending Account Improvement Act of 2011, a bill that would allow employees to pay taxes on and withdraw any unused funds in their employer-sponsored FSAs at the end of the year.
As you know, every state is mandated to establish its own exchange by Jan. 1, 2014, or have the federal government run a health insurance exchange on its behalf under PPACA.
Yesterday, bipartisan legislation was introduced that would repeal a portion of the health care reform law that prohibits people from using their health FSAs and HSAs to purchase OTC medications.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryHealth Care ReformIRSPPACAState LegislationTaxes
By Jerry Markon, Washington Post June 30, 2011
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the most contentious provision of the health-care overhaul law, ruling that Congress can require Americans to carry insurance coverage.
CDHCCOBRACompliance and RegulatoryHealth Care ReformHealth ReimbursementHealth SavingsHRAHSAIRSPPACATaxes
A release from America’s Health Insurance Plans:
AHIP Urges Policymakers to Prevent Disruption for HSA Policyholders
Washington, DC – More than 11.4 million Americans are covered by Health Savings Account (HSA)-eligible insurance plans, a more than 14 percent increase since last year, according to a new census released today by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) finds.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryHealth Care ReformPPACATaxes
CHICAGO, June 7 (Reuters) – At least 30% of employers are likely to stop offering health insurance once provisions of the U.S. health care reform law kick in in 2014, according to a study by consultant McKinsey.
CDHCCompliance and RegulatoryFlexible SpendingFSAHealth Care ReformHealth ReimbursementHealth SavingsHRAHSAIRSTaxes
More Americans are using HSAs to save and pay for medical expenses, according to a new report from the J.P. Morgan Treasury Services. The report shows the average HSA balance is up 7 percent from 2009, at $1,494, and the average account contribution rose slightly in 2010 to $1,884, compared to $1,816 in 2009.
