With a growing percentage of the U.S. population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, many localities and employers have eased mask mandates and policies. However, due to the spread of an emerging variant of coronavirus known as Delta, these policies may still need updating; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now announced updates to [...]
On Dec. 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule that would make certain changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The proposed changes are intended to: Support individuals’ engagement in their care; Remove barriers to coordinated care; and Reduce regulatory burdens on the [...]
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), which was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, includes a $900 billion coronavirus relief package that provides funding to individuals and businesses. The CAA also includes many benefits and tax provisions affecting employers, group health plan sponsors, health benefits brokers and health insurance issuers. Some provisions are currently [...]
On April 28, 2020, the Departments of Labor (DOL) and the Treasury (Departments) issued deadline relief to help employee benefit plans, plan participants and plan service providers impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. This Compliance Overview summarizes the participant deadline extensions affecting COBRA continuation coverage, special enrollment periods, claims for benefits, appeals of denied claims and [...]
