On September 7, 2021, the IRS issued Notice 2021-53. This notice provides guidance on how to report the amount of qualified sick and family leave wages paid to employees for leave taken in 2021 on Form W-2. This guidance includes considerations for such leave taken in accordance with the FFCRA, as amended by the CARES Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

On August 20, 2021, the DOL, HHS and the Treasury jointly released FAQs regarding implementation of requirements under the Transparency in Coverage (the TiC) final rule and provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the CAA), including the No Surprises Act. Importantly, the FAQs provide an update on the enforcement dates of provisions under these laws pending the issuance of regulatory guidance.

On June 25, 2021, the IRS responded to an inquiry from a congresswoman on behalf of her constituent who was concerned that the unused balance in her health FSA was forfeited when she was terminated from her employment because her health FSA was determined not to be eligible for COBRA. She asked for clarification of existing IRS guidance regarding health FSAs and the COBRA requirements (Letter 2021-0004).

On August 12, 2021, the DOL announced that United Behavioral Health and United Healthcare Insurance Co. (collectively “United”) settled a lawsuit initiated by the agency and the New York State Attorney General’s Office. The suit was initiated after the Employee Benefits Security Administration investigated United based on allegations that, since at least 2013, United “reduced reimbursement rates for out-of-network mental health services, thereby overcharging participants for those services, and flagged participants undergoing mental health treatments for a utilization review...

On July 26, 2021, the HHS and DOJ jointly released guidance on long COVID as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the ACA. These federal laws protect people with disabilities from discrimination.

On June 28, 2021, CMS issued a technical alert regarding the inclusion of Part D information in the Section 111 Query Only Response File for Responsible Reporting Entities (RREs) that provide primary prescription drug information for purposes of Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Section 111 reporting.

The ACA requires non-grandfathered group health plans to provide coverage for certain preventive care services or items with no cost-sharing provision for the participant. A service or item is covered by this mandate one year after one or more of the following events take place:

On July 26, 2021, the IRS issued Notice 2021-46, which lists 11 more FAQs concerning the COBRA premium assistance requirements under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). These FAQs provide additional clarification on the following topics: eligibility for premium assistance in cases of extended coverage periods, dental and vision coverage, the applicability of premium assistance to certain kinds of state continuation coverage, and additional discussion concerning which entity is entitled to claim the premium subsidy tax credit.

On July 26, 2021, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued Surprise Billing in Private Health Insurance: Overview of Federal Consumer Protections and Payment for Out-of-Network Services. The report aims to answer questions about the No Surprises Act (the Act), including its requirements and consumer protections.

On July 9, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order instructing various federal agencies to review their regulations and policies with an eye towards encouraging competition, including taking action to reduce healthcare costs.