On March 29, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), released Notice 2011-28 “Interim Guidance on Informational Reporting to Employees of the Cost of Their Group Health Insurance Coverage”. The informational reporting is required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) for employers to document on each employee’s Form W-2 the cost of their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. Read more

On August 17, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a “Notice of Pro-posed Rule Making for Uniform Benefit Summaries”. Uniform Benefit Summaries are intended to provide individuals with standard information so they can make decisions about which medical plan to choose. Read more

Value Based Insurance Design (VBID) is an approach to benefit design aimed at reducing or eliminating current financial barriers to care or treatment as an incentive for increasing compliance and positive behaviors, and thereby avoiding future medical costs. Read more

Legislative Alert: On July 19, 2010, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL) and Treasury jointly published “interim” Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers relating to coverage of preventive services under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  Read more

Health Insurance Reform became a reality on March 23, 2010 in the form of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), perhaps changing forever the way employers provide health coverage to employees. This law puts mandates in place that will roll out over the next four years and beyond, with the most significant requirements and changes becoming effective on January 1, 2014.  Read more

Health Care Reform has a series of new notification and communication requirements that begin immediately and extend over the next several years pending further guidance. This summarizes the key notification requirements and what to look for as regulations are issued. Read more

The The Departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services have released detailed guidance implementing the rules for group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets under provisions of the PPACA regarding internal claims and appeals and external review. Read more

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires that a group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage provide benefits for and prohibit the imposition of cost-sharing requirements on preventive services. Read more