Mar 30, 2021 | COBRA, Compliance, COVID-19, Regulatory
On April 29, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Labor and the Treasury (the Departments) issued the “Final Rule,” which extended deadlines to elect COBRA, pay COBRA premiums, elect HIPAA special enrollments, and file benefit claims, appeals,...
Mar 29, 2021 | COBRA, Compliance, Flexible spending accounts (FSAs), Regulatory
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the ARPA) includes COBRA subsidy provisions aimed at making health plan coverage accessible and affordable. The ARPA creates a 6-month subsidy period (April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021) during which certain “assistance eligible...
Feb 24, 2021 | Compliance, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor, Mental Health, Regulatory, Treasury Department
While plan sponsors are already familiar with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) in late 2020 has led to additional plan obligations. The new rules...
Feb 23, 2021 | Announcements, Compliance, Cost Savings, Direct-to-Employer Contracting, MedBen Analytics, MedBen Rx, MedBen University, Reference-Based Pricing, Regulatory, Rx Costs, Savings, Webinars
We are excited to announce the 20th Season of MedBen University (MBU). Our 2021 season starts with virtual roundtables and focus on topics including: New and emerging strategies for Rx benefits, with case studies Growing popularity of direct-to-employer contracting,...
Jan 11, 2021 | Compliance, Preventive Care, Regulatory, USPSTF
During 2020, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released the following A & B recommendations: Behavioral counseling to promote healthy diet/physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults with cardiovascular risk factors; Behavioral...
Dec 28, 2020 | Consumer-driven Health Plans, COVID-19, Dependent care assistance plan (DCAP), Flexible spending accounts (FSAs), IRS, Regulatory
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (also called the COVID-19 relief bill) includes temporary provisions that allow employers to provide for a carryover of unused health flexible spending arrangements (FSA) and dependent care assistance flexible spending...
