Effective August 1, 2013, Minnesota will allow two individuals – of the same sex or the opposite sex – to marry, with certain existing exceptions for underage persons and certain familial relationships remaining in place. Jacqueline Mrachek and Megan Hladilek sat down with KSTP-TV to explain implications …
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation
May 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
Healthcare providers and payers may be salivating today with the news that the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) – created under the Affordable Care Act and funded at $10 billion – announced a new $1 billion funding opportunity for innovations with promise to improve healthcare outcomes and …
Same-Sex Marriage in Minnesota May Impact Health Coverage
May 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
As we mentioned in our earlier post, Minnesota is moving forward on same-sex marriage. The text of the law is available here. For further details on the impact on employee benefits, including health coverage, see our recent Benefits Update Minnesota Employers Affected by Same-Sex Marriage. We will keep you …
New Guidance on Employee Notice of Exchanges
May 9, 2013 Leave a Comment
On May 8, the DOL issued eagerly anticipated guidance regarding the notice of health insurance exchanges that employers must distribute to employees during 2013, including model notices that employers may use to satisfy the notice obligation. The first model notice applies to employers who offer a health plan …
Final Regulations on Transitional Reinsurance Program Fees
April 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Starting in 2014, the new transitional reinsurance program will require self-insured group health plans and health insurance issuers to pay per-enrollee fees each year for three years. In March, the Department of Health and Human Services released final regulations that confirm a number of important details …
OIG Special Fraud Alert Warns Physician Owned Distributors of Enforcement Actions
April 12, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released long-awaited guidance on Physician Owned Distributors. In a Special Fraud Alert released on March 26, 2013, OIG reiterated its long-standing position that physician-owned distributors (PODs) are inherently …