This week (June 22, 2010), the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury (the “Agencies”) jointly released an advanced copy of interim final rules (the “Rules”) implementing several key new health coverage mandates enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Affordable Care Act”).

The Rule scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on June 28, 2010 will implement and interpret the Affordable Care Act’s restrictions on the use by that group health plans and individual and group health insurance coverage (“health plans”) which generally:

• Prohibit preexisting condition exclusions and limitations for children under age 19
• Prohibit arbitrary insurance coverage rescissions;
• Prohibit lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits;
• Restrict annual dollar limits on essential benefits;
• Protect certain choice of physician rights of plan members; and
• Prohibit certain restrictions on emergency services.

Certain plans qualifying as “grandfathered” for purposes of the Affordable Care Act may qualify as exempt from these requirements.

The Rule is the latest in a series of recently-issued guidance implementing various health coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act.  It follows closely the June 14, 2010 publication by the Agencies of regulations on when group health plans and insurance qualify as “grandfathered plans” for purposes of determining deadlines for complying with certain health care reform requirements imposed under the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act).

To assist concerned business leaders, plan fiduciaries and plan administrators to understand and cope with these new rules, Solutions Law Press author Cynthia Marcotte Stamer will host a teleconference briefing on these new regulations and other Affordable Care Act health plan guidance on July 9, 2010 from Noon. to 1:30 p.m. Central Time.  To register or for other details, see here.

To review an advanced copy of the Rule see here.  Read the accompanying Fact Sheet here.

About Ms. Stamer

Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, management attorney and consultant Ms. Stamer is nationally and internationally recognized for more than 23 years of work helping employer and other plan sponsors, insurers, administrators, fiduciaries, governments and others design, administer and defend innovative health and other employee benefit programs and other human resources, compensation and management policies and practices.

As a core focus of her practice, Ms. Stamer works extensively with employer and other health plan sponsors, fiduciaries, administrative and other service providers, insurers, and other clients on health benefit program and product design, documentation, administration, compliance, risk management, and public policy matters.  The publisher of Solutions Law Press, Ms. Stamer also publishes, conducts training and speaks extensively on these and related concerns for the ABA, the Bureau of National Affairs and many other organizations.  Please join us for what promises to be a most interesting discussion.

The Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) RPTE Employee Benefits & Other Compensation Committee, a Council Representative on the ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, Government Affairs Committee Legislative Chair for the Dallas Human Resources Management Association, past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Interest Group, and the editor and publisher of Solutions Law Press HR & Benefits Update and other Solutions Law Press Publications, Ms. Stamer also is recognized for her publications, industry leadership, workshops and presentations on these and other health industry and human resources concerns. She regularly speaks and conducts training for the ABA, Institute of Internal Auditors, Society for Professional Benefits Administrators, Southwest Benefits Association and many other organizations.  Publishers of her many highly regarded writings on health industry and human resources matters include the Bureau of National Affairs, Aspen Publishers, ABA, AHLA, Aspen Publishers, Schneider Publications, Spencer Publications, World At Work, SHRM, HCCA, State Bar of Texas, Business Insurance, James Publishing and many others.  You can review other highlights of Ms. Stamer’s experience here.  Her insights on these and other matters appear in Managed Care Executive, Modern Health Care, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Business Journal, the Houston Business Journal, MDNews, Kentucky Physician, and many other national and local publications. 

If you need help with human resources or other management, concerns, wish to ask about compliance, risk management or training, or need legal representation on other matters please contact Cynthia Marcotte Stamer here or (469)767-8872. 

Other Resources

If you found this information of interest, you also may be interested in reviewing other updates and publications by Ms. Stamer including:

• Registration Open For July 9 In “Affordable Care Act & Other Federal Health Plan Guidance Update”
• HHS, DOL & IRS Rules Define “Grandfathered” Group Health Plans & Health Insurance Coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• Stamer Speaks On “Designing Legally Defensible Wellness Programs That Work Amid Changing Federal Regulations” On June 10 in Dallas
• New Rule Requires Federal Government Contractors To Post New “Employee Rights Under The National Labor” Poster
• Stamer Speaks June 9 On “Health Care Reform’s Implications For Employers, Health Plans & Employee Benefits Practitioners” In Houston
• Defined Contribution Plans Investing In Publically Traded Employer Securities Face New Requirements
• CBO Raises Estimated Cost of Health Care Reforms As Employers, Health Plans Brace Costs Of Newly Effective & Impending Mandates
• Join Project COPE: Help Develop Real Tools To Meaningfully Empower Patients & Improve Health Care Access, Affordability & Quality
• Unemployment, COBRA Premium Subsidy Temporarily Extended As Congress Mulls Passing Longer Relief
• Agencies Invite Public To Share Input About Insurer Obligation To Report About Health Premium Use Under Health Care Reform Law

If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail – by creating or updating your profile here or e-mailing this information here or registering to receive our Solutions Law Press distributions here. For important information about this communication click here.    If you do not wish to receive these updates in the future, send an e-mail with the word “Remove” in the Subject to here.

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