The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), which administers and enforces the HIPAA Security Rule (“Security Rule”), recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to strengthen cybersecurity protections for electronic protected health information (ePHI). The proposed rule introduces several new requirements and clarifications that will have […]
Brokers and TPAs may have the obligation to complete the Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation Submission (“Attestation”) on behalf of their self-funded group health plan clients, pursuant to an agreement with their clients. Although plans are responsible for filing the Attestation, TPAs and brokers may file on behalf of their clients. What is a Gag […]
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Do Not Consent to Being Balance-Billed Stay protected from surprise medical bills! The No Surprises Act shields patients from balance billing but watch out for exceptions. Don’t waive your protection from NSA or consent to balance billing for non-emergency or emergency care and review all documents carefully. Are you aware of the hidden […]
What you need to know about Broker and TPA Disclosure Obligation. Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 Compensation Disclosure Obligation Since the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “CAA”), effective December 27, 2021, Brokers and TPAs are required to report compensation received directly, or indirectly, in connection with services provided to health and […]
The Biden Administration’s Proposed IDR Rules On October 27, 2023, the Biden Administration released a proposed rule on the No Surprises Act’s (“NSA”) Federal independent dispute resolution (“IDR”) process. The IDR process has been mired in litigation since the enactment of the NSA, which is enforced by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), […]
The Biden Administration’s Proposed IDR Rules On October 27, 2023, the Biden Administration released a proposed rule on the No Surprises Act’s (“NSA”) Federal independent dispute resolution (“IDR”) process. The IDR process has been mired in litigation since the enactment of the NSA, which is enforced by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, […]
Rising healthcare costs are one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses today. Providing adequate employee healthcare coverage is a crucial component of any operation, but has become more burdensome for smaller businesses because they have limited resources. While per-employer costs are expected to rise by 6.5% in 2023—after reaching $13,020 per employee in 2022—there […]
If you’re an employer who’s trying to contend with excessive healthcare costs, you are not alone! While per-employee medical costs increased by 3.2% in 2022, according to Mercer’s annual survey, health plans are expected to see another sharp increase and rise another 5.6% in 2023. Needless to say, healthcare has become unconscionably expensive. The increasing […]