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By Senior Legal Editor Joan Farrell, JD The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a final rule on employer-sponsored wellness programs in relation to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The GINA wellness rule provides guidance for employers that offer incentives to an employee for information from the employee’s spouse about a manifested disease […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury have announced enhancements to the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) template and uniform glossary. The changes include an additional coverage example and language and terms meant to improve consumers’ understanding of their health coverage.
Health insurance premium renewal rates increased an average of 6.2% for all plans in 2015, up from the previous year’s 5.6% increase, according to new survey data released by United Benefit Advisors (UBA), an independent employee benefits advisory organization. Small businesses with fewer than 25 employees, which account for five million U.S. employers, were hit […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a final rule designed to advance health equity and reduce healthcare disparities.
By Sandra R. Mihok, member, Eckert Seamans Attorneys at Law Health insurance companies have increasingly become the target of cyberattacks, a trend which has spurred a wave of class action lawsuits brought by individuals whose personal information has been breached.
In Revenue Procedure 2016-28, the IRS recently announced the 2017 contribution limits for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs):
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently reached a $2.2 million settlement with New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) for the egregious disclosure of two patients’ protected health information (PHI) to film crews and staff during the filming of “NY Med,” an ABC television series, without first obtaining authorization from the […]
By BLR Legal Editor Jennifer Carsen, JD As a part of its continued efforts to assess compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has begun a round of audits of covered entities and their business […]
“Research shows that up to nine out of 10 adults in the western world suffer back pain at some point in their lives. Only colds and flu beat low back problems when it comes to the most common reasons for visiting a general doctor or taking time off work,” says Mark Alexander, inventor of BakBalls, a self-help device […]
By BLR Legal Editor Jennifer Carsen, JD For the past several months, court-watchers have been waiting for the Supremes to resolve a split among the circuits on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) contraceptive mandate. Today, the court released its long-awaited opinion—without ruling on the merits of the case.