For decades, promoters have marketed programs to employers seeking to leverage the favorable tax treatment accorded employer-provided medical benefits. These programs are variously described as “wellness” or “preventive services” arrangements, and they are usually wrapped in or offered with hospital indemnity policies. While varying in their design features and terminology, these programs all hold out […] The post Buyer Beware: The Newest Wave of Hospital/Fixed Indemnity Programs Promising Payroll Tax Savings appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

On May 3, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the proposed rule Medicaid Program; Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services. The aim of the proposed rule is to enhance transparency in payment rates, establish uniformity in data and monitoring and provide states with fresh avenues to encourage the active involvement of beneficiaries […] The post CMS Releases Proposed Rule: Medicaid Program; Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

As lawmakers race to put together a debt ceiling deal, Republicans and Democrats are working on healthcare legislation that they believe could have bipartisan support. According to this InsideHealthPolicy article, the potential legislation could include limited site-neutral pay expansions and duals reform. Read more here. The post Bipartisan Health Bills Pick Up Steam, but Contentious Debt Ceiling Negotiations Continue appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently unveiled plans to toughen its hospital price transparency enforcement. According to this InsideHealthPolicy article, these proposals include earlier and automatic civil penalties, eliminating warning notices for hospitals that have not attempted to comply with price transparency requirements and giving hospitals no more than 45 days to implement […] The post CMS Ups Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement, Seeks More Authority from Congress appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

Numerous states—including Illinois, Hawaii, Tennessee, Montana, New Hampshire and Indiana—have been busy finalizing rulemaking and legislation impacting interstate compacts, professional practice standards and COVID-19 licensure flexibilities. What have these states been up to over the last month? Learn more here. The post May Trending in Telehealth appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

On April 12, 2023, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Justice published the draft bill for a law on the financing of future-proof investments (Zukunftsfinanzierungsgesetz – ZuFinG-E). This proposed legislation seeks to enhance the performance of the German capital market and bolster the appeal of Germany as a financial hub within […] The post Update Future Financing Act – Focus on Employee Participation in Germany appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

The new compliance focus on executive compensation, as announced by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on March 3, 2023, has significant implications for how healthcare organizations address both corporate compliance and compensation programs for their executives. It also raises new issues for the board of directors’ oversight of compliance and compensation functions. In a […] The post Addressing DOJ’s New Compliance Focus on Executive Compensation appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

The Biden administration previously announced its intent to end the COVID-19 National Emergency (NE) and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023 (read our series introduction for more information). On April 10, 2023, President Biden signed a resolution moving up the end of the NE to April 10, 2023 (the PHE ended […] The post Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Emergency: Deadline Tolling appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced (See Revenue Procedure 2023-23) cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) for 2024. All of the dollar limits currently in effect for 2023 will change for 2024, with the exception of one limit. […] The post IRS Announces 2024 Limits for Health Savings Accounts, High-Deductible Health Plans and Excepted Benefit HRAs appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more

The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency also means the end of coverage of self-administered, over-the-counter COVID tests. In this MedTech Dive opinion article, McDermott+Consulting’s Amy Kelbick and Eric Zimmerman argue that insurers, including Medicare, should continue to cover COVID tests at no cost and without requiring a prescription even after the public health […] The post Ending Free COVID Tests Risks Worsening the Pandemic appeared first on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG ..read more