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To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: Group health continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”) permits certain group health coverage to be continued by participants and beneficiaries (“qualified beneficiaries”) when coverage is lost due to certain “qualified events,” such as termination of employment or a reduction of hours.  Under Section 9501 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), an “assistance...

The U.S. Department of Labor has released eagerly-anticipated model notices and FAQ guidance in connection with the COBRA subsidy available under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).

To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”). We previously summarized the provisions of ARPA that significantly and immediately impact group health plans in our SW Benefits Update, “Help Is on the Way – Important Changes to COBRA Under the American Rescue Plan Act.” Among the most important changes, ARPA provides (i) a subsidy for certain insurance premiums under the Consolidated...

Model ARPA COBRA Notices Have Arrived! Thursday, April 8, 2021 On April 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued eagerly anticipated guidance on administering COBRA subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The guidance includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and various Model Notices and election forms implementing the COBRA Premium Assistance provisions under ARPA, while also announcing the launch of a page dedicated to COBRA Premium Subsidy guidance...

To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: On April 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued eagerly anticipated guidance on administering COBRA subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The guidance includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and various Model Notices and election forms implementing the COBRA Premium Assistance provisions under ARPA, while also announcing the launch of a page dedicated to COBRA Premium Subsidy guidance on its websi...

To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: Today the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the section of the Department of Labor that handles all things employee benefit plans, posted a dedicated webpage with much anticipated (and much needed) employer tools on the “COBRA subsidy” provision of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), which was enacted on March 11, 2021.  The webpage can be found here COBRA Premium Subsidy | U.S. Department of Labor...

security management process – risk management For business associates, the Report examined three components: Breach Notification Rule – Security Rule – security management – risk management. The Report applied a rating scale of 1-5 to covered entities, one being essentially full compliance and five being no evidence of a serious attempt to comply with the rules. Based on this scale and the results from the audits, the Report concludes covered entities generally demonstrated compliance i...

Thursday, January 7, 2021 In the final days of 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Health and Human Service (HHS) released a HIPAA Audits Industry Report (“the Report”), that could be quite helpful to covered entities and business associates for tackling HIPAA compliance as we enter the new year.  The Report examines OCR’s findings from HIPAA audits the agency conducted during 2016-2017 of 166 healthcare providers and 41 business associates. The audits were in...