The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) have issued Part 51 of its FAQs dealing with three areas of concern for health plans and health insurance issuers.  The FAQs address: Coverage of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests. Coverage of colonoscopies as preventive care. Coverage of contraceptives. (1) Coverage… Continue Reading

The ACA requires non-grandfathered health plans to cover preventive care services without cost-sharing. The list of services is determined by the recommendations of various agencies as outlined in the statute. Women’s preventive care services are specified by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). In December 2021, HRSA approved a new guideline on obesity prevention… Continue Reading

Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (the Departments) have issued technical guidance on the Consolidated Appropriation Act’s (CAA) reporting requirements for prescription drug and healthcare spending. The good news for most employers: they don’t need to worry about the minutiae of this guidance.  This is because… Continue Reading

If HIPAA applies to your Plan, and you handle Protected Health Information (PHI), consider a “winterization” of your software systems. If you have a legacy system, considering strengthening or replacing it with more secure software. What is a “legacy system” you ask? It’s something the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) wants you to know. The… Continue Reading

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) have published an Interim Final Regulation (IFR) implementing the Prescription Drug and Health Care Spending provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (CAA). Those provisions generally call for group health plans and… Continue Reading