Read up on our fourth quarterly blog of 2024.
IRS Releases Employee Benefit Plan Limits for 2025
Many employee benefits are subject to annual dollar limits that are updated for inflation before the beginning of each calendar year. Most of these annual dollar limits increase for 2025. Employers should confirm that payroll systems are updated for the 2025 limits and that the new limits are communicated to employees.
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Deadline for Submitting Gag Clause Attestation is December 31, 2024
Effective in 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) prohibits health plans and health insurance issuers from entering into contracts with healthcare providers, third-party administrators (TPAs), or other service providers that contain gag clauses (i.e., clauses restricting the plan or issuer from providing, accessing or sharing certain information about provider price and quality and de-identified claims). Plans and issuers must annually submit an attestation of compliance with the CAA’s gag clause prohibition by December 31, 2024.
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Health Plans Must Update HIPAA Policies for New Reproductive Healthcare Rights
Beginning December 23, 2024, covered entities and their business associates must comply with stricter HIPAA privacy protections for reproductive healthcare.
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Final Rule Makes Extensive Changes to Mental Health Parity Requirements
On September 9, 2024, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (Departments) released a final rule to strengthen the requirements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The final rule generally applies to health plans and issuers for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2025; however, certain key requirements, such as NQTL data evaluation requirements, apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
