Health Care Reform Dashboard

Health Care Reform Dashboard

Charting Developments with the
Affordable Care Act and Beyond

Stand-Alone HRAs

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05/15/2020

IRS Increases Carryover Limits for Health FSAs/Addresses Timing of Health Insurance

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued new guidance, Notice 2020-33, that increases the maximum carryover limit for health flexible spending arrangements (“health FSAs”), and clarifies the ability of health plans to reimburse premium expenses incurred prior to the beginning of the plan year. Increased Carryover Limit Health FSAs generally operate on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. [&hellip… Continue Reading »
10/16/2019

Proposed Regulations Provide Additional Guidance on Individual Coverage HRAs

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued proposed regulations addressing how individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs) can comply with the Employer Shared Responsibility Payments (ESRP) requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the nondiscrimination rules for self-funded medical plans under section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code. The proposed regulations follow a [&hellip… Continue Reading »
06/19/2019

Coming to Market: Final Rules for Individual Coverage HRAs

The U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services have issued final regulations allowing employers to establish health reimbursement arrangements and certain other types of reimbursement plans (collectively, “individual coverage HRAs”) that integrate with individual health insurance coverage. Individual coverage HRAs (ICHRAs) present an alternative to traditional group health coverage and allow employers to [&hellip… Continue Reading »
11/21/2018

IRS Issues Additional Guidance on Health Reimbursement Arrangements

The IRS has followed up on its recently proposed Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) regulations with guidance on some open issues. Notice 2018-88 specifically addresses the interplay between HRAs and two Internal Revenue Code requirements: the employer mandate under the Affordable Care Act (Code Section 4980H) and the nondiscrimination rules for self-funded health plans (Code Section 105(h)). Employer [&hellip… Continue Reading »
10/24/2018

New Guidance Creates a New Playing Field for HRAs

The U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services have jointly issued proposed regulations that envision a broad landscape for the use of health reimbursement arrangements (HSAs) and certain other account-based plans to fund health benefits. The rules provide the last and, perhaps, the most significant set of guidance generated by an Executive [&hellip… Continue Reading »
10/19/2017

Developments in the Affordable Care Act

After a brief lull in activity, recent developments are likely to involve all three branches of government in addressing issues under the Affordable Care Act. The Legislature: It is often said that Congress rarely takes action until a crisis needs to be addressed. With the demise of this summer’s repeal and replace effort, initiatives to [&hellip… Continue Reading »
01/20/2017

Health Care Reform in Transition While Congress Deliberates

Changes are imminent for the Affordable Care Act and a range of other laws and regulations affecting the health care industry. Ballard Spahr attorneys established a Health Care Reform Initiative in 2008 to monitor and analyze health care reform developments. This Health Care Reform Dashboard was a product of that initiative. We intend to continue following [&hellip… Continue Reading »
12/28/2015

Further Guidance on ACA Market Reforms for Group Health Plans

Following up on the issuance of final regulations on various market reform provisions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the IRS has issued a notice with Questions and Answers that take a more detailed look at specific ACA issues. In particular, this notice addresses: Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). The guidance confirms that retiree-only HRAs may [&hellip… Continue Reading »
08/26/2011

HHS Provides Temporary Relief for Stand-Alone HRAs

Continuing the furious pace with which it has been issuing health care reform guidance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has indicated that all health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) that were in effect before September 23, 2010, are exempt from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s prohibition against annual limits for plan [&hellip… Continue Reading »
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