Yesterday, the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services announced a non-enforcement policy with respect to final regulations issued under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (“MHPAEA”) in September 2024. The Departments recently indicated that this policy was imminent when they requested that litigation challenging the final regulations be
Employer Benefit Plan Assistance FAQs: California Wildfires
In the wake of the horrific wildfires in Los Angeles (which are ongoing as of today), employees based in the Los Angeles area may have questions about available support from employer-sponsored 401(k) plan accounts and other impacts on benefits. Below are some considerations for employers about making 401(k) plan funds available to employees and related
Down to the Wire: Will We Have HSA with Pre-Deductible Telehealth in 2025?
Important Update—Pre-Deductible Telehealth HSA Relief Ends on December 31, 2024: As discussed in our post below, although extension of the telehealth safe harbor was included in various bill drafts, the year-end spending bill signed into law on December 21, 2024 (American Relief Act, 2025) does not include pre-deductible telehealth relief. This means that the
Deadlines Approaching for New ACA Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Requirements: Action Items for Covered Group Health Plans
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), which prohibits discrimination in health programs and activities. The 2024 final rule includes new administrative requirements for covered entities (which may include group health plans to the extent the plan receives