Law and regulation

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.