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Latest News and Updates From UBA

• Compliance Recap |  June 2024
  June saw the ACA Preventive Care Mandate upheld, with an exception that could open it up for future challenges. There was more movement on reproduction rights and privacy, where healthcare providers are barred from disclosing sensitive information to law enforcement without patient consent. Enforcement began on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which mandates that […]
• Compliance Recap |  May 2024
  In May, employers sponsoring self-funded medical plans or an applicable HRA began preparing to submit the PCORI fee, due July 31. The IRS released inflation-adjusted amounts for 2025 HSAs, EBHRAs, and HDHPs. The ACA Section 1557 nondiscrimination regulations were finalized, broadening the definition of impacted entities. The Medical Debt Cancellation Act was introduced, aiming to […]
• Compliance Recap |  April 2024
  In April, a ban went into effect for most non-compete clauses, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) portal opened for RxDC reporting submissions due June 1, 2024. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released final regulations mandating how employers with 15 or more employees must handle accommodation requests for pregnancy, childbirth, or […]
• Compliance Recap |  March 2024
  ACA reporting is in its first year of the required electronic reporting for employers filing ten or more returns annually. Employers and employees must make changes to HSAs by the April 15 deadline. Employers of all sizes continued to prepare for the June 1 RxDC Reporting using the newly released instructions. New York City enacted […]
• Compliance Recap |  February 2024
  February saw a potential industry-changing lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and its plan fiduciaries asserting a breach of fiduciary duties and mismanagement of Johnson & Johnson’s prescription drug benefits program, costing its ERISA plans and employees millions of dollars in the form of higher payments for prescription drugs, as well as higher premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, […]
• Compliance Recap |  January 2024
  January was a relatively quiet month on the employee benefits compliance front. The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) introduced a new rule laying out the guidelines employers can follow to determine how to classify workers. The DOL also released Part 64 of its FAQs about Affordable Care Act (ACA) Implementation, […]
• Compliance Recap |  December 2023
  December provided employers an opportunity to review year-end compliance to prepare for the new year. Employers confirmed that their worksite posters are appropriate for the type of business, number of employees, and state, and are the most recent version. Employers who are applicable large employers (ALEs) must be aware of potential penalties including those for […]
• Compliance Recap |  November 2023
  November brought an FAQ from the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury ensuring that SBCs and claims and appeals notices are available when more than 10 percent of the population is literate only in a specific non-English language. UnitedHealth’s pharmacy benefit manager announced $35 insulin price caps, while BlueCross BlueShield continues […]
• Compliance Recap |  October 2023
  October saw the release of adjusted civil penalties for HIPAA violations, ACA requirements, and Medicare Secondary Payer rules. Health plan limits and maximums for 2024 including high deductible health plans (HDHPs), health savings accounts (HSAs) flexible spending accounts (FSAs), and dependent care FSAs have been announced. Minnesota enacted a Paid Sick and Safe Leave Law […]
• Compliance Recap |  September 2023
  In September, plan sponsors began sending out Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage notices, and both Oregon and Maine announced Paid Family and Medical Leave laws. Sponsors of group health plans began completing the required Gag Clause Attestation due by the end of 2023. The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury released guidance […]