A team of Insurance Department staff assigned to review and analyze the proposed merger of health insurance companies Anthem and Cigna is awaiting information it has requested from Anthem before it can proceed with requesting a formal public hearing, according…

On July 1, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued an interim final rule that increases the civil penalty amounts that may be imposed under various federal laws, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). These increased penalty amounts…

The IRS has announced that electronic Affordable Care Act (ACA) information returns may continue to be filed after the filing deadline, which was June 30, 2016. These returns are required under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Sections 6055 and 6056, which…

Employers that collect health information as part of their wellness programs will need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act's (ADA) new notice requirement as early as Jan. 1, 2017 (for calendar year health plans). On May 16, 2016,…

Effective July 1, 2016 Harvard Pilgrim will add telemedicine as a standard benefit for all employer (non-Medicare) plan members. The service will be provided through Doctor on Demand (DoD), a national provider group of board certified physicians. They will offer…

Anthem announced that Frisbie Memorial Hospital has joined the Pathway Network effective June 15, 2016. The Pathway Network is utilized by individual Anthem members and Small Employer members on the Health Insurance Marketplace. The Pathway Network now includes 31 hospitals…

On May 18, 2016 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule regarding overtime wage payment qualifications for the “white collar exemptions” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule increases the salary an employee must…

On May 16, 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued final rules that describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to employer-sponsored wellness programs. The final ADA rule provides that…

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration (SSA), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to share information about whether Medicare beneficiaries or their spouses are working. The process for…

Tufts Health Plan is making changes to the provider network for members enrolled in the Out-of-Area PPO plan who reside outside of Tufts Health Plan’s service area of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Tufts intends to contract with Cigna…

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurance issuers and sponsors of self-insured health plans (including qualified Health Reimbursement Arrangements/HRA) to pay Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fees (PCORI fees). The PCORI fees generally apply to insurance policies providing accident and…

Every employer covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) must display or post an informative general notice about the FMLA. The poster must be displayed in a prominent place where it can be readily seen by employees, and it…