Benefit Comply, LLC

Our MZQuick Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Calculator is Live! https://lnkd.in/ghZzmPGk Our MZQuick Creditable Coverage Calculator utilizes the simplified method to easily determine the Medicare Creditable Coverage status of a plan sponsor's prescription drug plans and delivers the proper notification for distribution to plan participants.

Our MZQuick Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Calculator is Live! https://lnkd.in/ghZzmPGk Our MZQuick Creditable Coverage Calculator utilizes the simplified method to easily determine the Medicare Creditable Coverage status of a plan sponsor's prescription drug plans and delivers the proper notification for distribution to plan participants.

A Supreme Court decision released last week overturned a 40-year precedent known as the Chevron Doctrine. Under the doctrine, when a federal statute was silent or ambiguous, courts were expected to defer to federal agency interpretations (e.g., for health and welfare benefits, regulations and guidance interpreting federal statutes are generally issued by the DOL, IRS and HHS). Going forward, courts have the power to interpret federal statutes that are silent and ambiguous and are not required to defer to federal agency interpretations. The court case was not benefits-related and does not have any immediate impact on any benefit-related regulations or guidance issued by federal agencies. Employers should continue to follow the current interpretations of agencies such as the DOL, IRS and HHS. However, such interpretations are perhaps more likely to be successfully challenged in the courts over upcoming months and years, potentially creating some confusion and instability for employers who currently rely heavily on federal agency interpretations of various requirements under ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, tax law and more. For now, employers should stay the course. We’ll see how this plays out over time as agency interpretations specific to health and welfare benefit compliance are challenged in the courts. The Supreme Court’s opinion in Lopez Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo can be found here – https://lnkd.in/eQ4vjV_X 

The IRS released the updated Form 720 for the 2024 second quarter with updated dates and fees on Line 133 for reporting the PCORI fee. You can find the form, with a revision date of June 2024, here - https://lnkd.in/dr9hzFw

The PCORI fee for group health plans that ended sometime during 2023 must be reported and paid by July 31, 2024. Health insurance carriers pay the fee on behalf of fully-insured plans, but employers are responsible for reporting and paying the fee for any self-funded group health plans, including HRAs. Find the fees for 2024 at https://lnkd.in/dJQwXvZE.

Deemed necessary following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, HHS has issued a new final rule that amends the HIPAA Privacy Rule to afford greater protection to protected health information (PHI) that is related to reproductive health care. Before the new rule, covered entities and business associates were permitted to disclose PHI for certain public policy-related reasons, including law enforcement. Under the new rule, such entities will be prohibited from disclosing PHI related to lawful reproductive health care in certain situations. Covered entities (including health plans) and business associates have until December 22, 2024 to comply with the new rule, but will have until February 16, 2026 to update their HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices accordingly. The final rule fact sheet can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e-fvXqAB