Law and regulation

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, have introduced and pledged to pass a bill to repeal the expanded 1099 reporting requirements in the health law.

A recent survey of nearly 3,000 physicians shows high levels of displeasure with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and a lot of them don't like electronic health records either.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced a new funding opportunity for state grants to help states implement health insurance exchanges (HIEs).

Most employers are aware that Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code requires all forms of nonqualified deferred compensation plans to be amended and restated prior to Dec. 31, 2008.

After a week’s delay following the shootings in Tucson, Republicans in the House of Representatives will kick off their health reform effort overhaul today. Yesterday the House began debating the Republicans’ measure, “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act” (H.R. 2).

A vote in the House of Representatives on the “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act” (HR 2) scheduled for Jan. 12 has been postponed in the wake of last weekend’s shootings in Arizona, and although a new date has yet to be scheduled, Capitol Hill watchers expect the legislation to resurface soon.

The Internal Revenue Service recently issued Notice 2011-1 regarding the application of the nondiscrimination rules under Internal Revenue Code (Code) section 105(h) to non-grandfathered insured group health plans pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

If you were one of the millions of professionals who were out of the office between Dec. 24 and Jan. 3, welcome back to the grind.

Flush with victory from last November's midterm election, Republican strategists are delving into possible measures to repeal or significantly hamper existing health care reform legislation.

The regulatory process to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has initiated a government request for public comments on value-based insurance design (VBID).

In 2011 (for calendar year plans), changes made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will call into question the approaches to post-termination medical benefits for executives.

The Internal Revenue Service has released final guidance for small employers eligible to claim the new small business health care tax credit for the 2010 tax year.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Reconciliation Act includes a provision that amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to require employers to provide nonexempt nursing mothers unpaid breaks to express breast milk in a private place other than a restroom for up to one year after the child's birth.

As employers are well aware, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires that all plans that renew or have plan years that begin on or after Sept. 23, 2010 cover certain preventive care services with no member cost-sharing, with an exception for grandfathered plans.

Agent and broker organizations work behind the scenes to find the best outcome after the NAIC recommends that commissions remain administrative costs.

First and foremost, the entire staff here at EBA wishes you a relaxing and joyful holiday season, and a very Merry Christmas. We thank you for sticking with us throughout 2010 (you are our customers, if you didn't realize it), and we wish you a happy and prosperous New Year in 2011.

The Department of Health and Human Services has released an interim final rule to implement medical loss ratio requirements for health insurers under the Accountable Care Act.

Public comments forced regulators to amend the grandfathered-status rule under the health law, so employers with group health plans can switch to health insurers that provide similar coverage at a lower cost without losing their grandfathered status.

In recent years, the Securities and Exchange Commission has been aggressively taking action against various mutual fund companies, alleging late trading and market-timing activities. These actions usually result in settlement agreements between the mutual funds and the SEC.