The Impact of the Supreme Court’s Decision on Health Care Uncertainty Reigns and Business Should Prepare

Despite the recent U.S. Supreme Court opinion, upholding the Health Care Law Congress passed in 2010, Republicans in Congress are already pledging prompt corrective action and Mitt Romney, a candidate for President, said, if elected, it will be his first act as President to repeal health care.

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Deadline This Month for Calendar Year Plans to Submit Medicare Part D Notice to CMS

As you know, group health plans offering prescription drug coverage are required to disclose to all Part D-eligible individuals who are enrolled in or were seeking to enroll in the group health plan coverage whether such coverage was “actuarially equivalent,” ie, creditable.

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HIPAA Audits of Covered Entities: Including Medical/Dental/Vision/Health FSA/HRA/Wellness/EAP Plans

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has begun a pilot audit program aimed at covered entities (and soon, business associates) regarding compliance with the HIPAA privacy / security / breach notification requirements.

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HSA Limits for 2012 Released

The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2011-32, which provides the adjusted limits for contributions to a Health Savings Account (“HSA”) as determined under Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as the high deductible health plan (“HDHP”) minimums and maximums for calendar year 2012.

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Group Health Plan Form W-2 Reporting: Effective January 1, 2012

One of the many new challenges imposed on employers due to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010 (“Health Care Reform”) is the requirement to report the “aggregate cost of employer-sponsored coverage” on their employees’ Forms W-2. The types of coverage required to be reported and the method to calculate the “aggregate cost” of such coverage were, until recently, unclear.

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Medicare Part D New Annual Election Period & Revised Model Disclosure Notices

Client Alert: As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., Health Care Reform), the annual election period that ran from November 15 to December 31st of each year is now changed and runs from October 15 to December 7th of each year.

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