Health and Welfare Plans (Including Obamacare and HIPAA)
June 24, 2019
From "Obamacare" to "Trumpcare"
Enacted Legislation
Date6/24/2019 | On June 24, 2019, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, Executive Order on Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First (the “Order”), directing the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to look into policy changes to give patients more information about their health-care choices. Those policy moves include regulatory efforts to require hospitals and insurers to disclose prices to patients. In addition, the Order also (i) requires certain agencies to develop a “Health Quality Roadmap” that will aim to align and improve reporting on data and quality measures among various government health programs; (ii) requires certain agencies to increase access to de-identified claims data from group health plans for researcher, innovators, providers and entrepreneurs; and (iii) requires the Secretary of the Treasury to (A) issue guidance to expand the ability of patients to select high-deductible health plans that can be used alongside a health savings account, and that cover low-cost preventive care, before the deductible, for medical care that helps maintain health status for individuals with chronic conditions; (B) propose regulations to treat expenses related to certain types of healthcare arrangements (potentially including primary care arrangements and healthcare sharing ministries) as eligible medical expenses for certain deductions; and (C) issue guidance to increase the amount of funds that can carry over without penalty at the end of the year for flexible spending arrangements. |
Date6/7/2018 | Letter from the Office of the U.S. Attorney General, Jefferson B. Sessions III, to Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, stating Mr. Sessions' agreement with the plaintiffs in Texas v. United States, No. 4:18-cv-00167 (N.D. Tex.), that certain key and central provisions of the Affordable Care Act are now (in light of 2017's Tax Reform) unconstitutional, and informing Mr. Ryan that the U.S. Department of Justice would not defend the constitutionality of such provisions. In addition, on March 25, 2019, the Department of Justice (the "DOJ"), in connection with the appeal of the Texas case, filed a letter with the Fifth Circuit stating that the DOJ has determined that the decision in the case should be affirmed (i.e., effectively agreeing that the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety). Read More |
Date | Executive Order on Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States dated October 12, 2017, sets forth the policy of the executive branch to (i) expand the availability of and access to alternatives to Obamacare insurance; (ii) re-inject competition into healthcare markets; and (iii) improve access to and the quality of information that Americans need to make informed healthcare decisions. The Executive Order requires (i) the Secretary of Labor to consider proposing regulations or revising guidance to expand access to health coverage; and (ii) the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor and HHS to consider proposing regulations or revising guidance that would (A) expand the availability of certain short-term insurance and (B) generally facilitate the use of health reimbursement arrangements. |
Date2/24/2017 | Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda dated February 24, 2017, requires each agency to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force that will, at a minimum, attempt to identify regulations that: (i) eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation; (ii) are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective; (iii) impose costs that exceed benefits; (iv) create a serious inconsistency with regulatory reform initiatives and policies; (v) are inconsistent with section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act or the guidance thereunder; or (vi) derive from or implement other Executive Orders or Presidential Directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified. Each Task Force is required to provide the agency head a report detailing the progress within 90 days of the order. The order extends to, among other agencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Read More |
Date1/20/2017 | On January 20, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order, which, pending the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, orders federal agencies to ease economic and regulatory burdens of the Act. Read More |
Date12/2/2017 | A bill (S. 1) was passed in the Senate on December 2, 2017 by a vote of 51-49 that would: (i) (A) extend the period during which a qualified plan loan offset amount may be contributed to an eligible retirement plan as a rollover contribution, (B) repeal the special rule that allows IRA contributions to one type of IRA (either traditional or Roth) to be recharacterized as a contribution to the other type of IRA, (C) apply a single aggregate limit for contributions to 403(b) plans and 457(b) plans, (D) repeal current rules allowing additional elective deferrals and catch-up contributions to 403(b) plans and Section 457(b) plans, (E) repeal the rule allowing employer contributions to 403(b) plans for up to five years after termination of employment, and (F) allow Section 529 plans to be used for expenses relating to students at public, private and religious elementary and secondary schools, and for students that are home schooled; (ii) (A) repeal key exceptions to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of compensation under Section 162(m), (B) impose an excise tax of 20% on compensation in excess of $1 million and on "parachute" payments paid by a tax-exempt organization to certain of its employees, (C) cause Section 83(b) elections to be no longer be available with respect to restricted stock units, (D) allow certain employees of certain non-publicly traded corporations that settle stock options to defer income recognition for five years and (E) generally require a three-year holding period in order for service providers to have long-term capital gains from carried interests granted with respect to real-estate and investment businesses; (iii) (A) repeal the exclusion from income for qualified moving expense reimbursement, (B) repeal the exclusion from income for qualified bicycle commuting reimbursements; and (iv) reduce the penalty for failure to purchase health insurance coverage enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act to zero. Read More |
Date11/16/2017 | H.R. 1 was passed by the House of Representatives on November 16, 2017 by a vote of 227-205 that would (i) (A) make certain modifications to the nondiscrimination rules governing tax-qualified retirement plans, (B) permit in-service distributions under tax-qualified "pension" plans and Section 457(b) governmental plans at age 59-½, (C) direct Treasury to modify regulations preventing a participant from continuing to make deferrals after the receipt of a hardship distribution, (D) allow earnings in certain plans to be distributed on account of hardship, (E) extend the period during which a qualified plan loan offset amount may be contributed to an eligible retirement plan as a rollover contribution, (F) repeal the special rule that allows IRA contributions to one type of IRA (either traditional or Roth) to be recharacterized as a contribution to the other type of IRA and (G) allow up to $10,000 per year under a Section 529 plan to be used for expenses relating to students at private elementary and secondary schools, and allow parents to establish Section 529 plans for unborn children; (ii) (A) repeal key exceptions to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of compensation under Section 162(m), (B) impose an excise tax of 20% on compensation in excess of $1 million and on "parachute" payments paid by a tax-exempt organization to certain of its employees, (C) cause Section 83(b) elections to no longer be available with respect to restricted stock units and (D) generally require a three-year holding period in order for service providers to have long-term capital gains from carried interests granted with respect to real-estate and investment businesses; and (iii) (A) limit the amount that may be excluded from gross income for employer-provided lodging and (B) repeal the exclusions for (I) dependent care assistance programs, (II) qualified moving expense reimbursements, (III) adoption assistance programs and (IV) employee achievement awards (and repeal the deduction limitation for such awards). Read More |
Date5/4/2017 | House Version of Trumpcare: On May 4, 2017, the House passed the revised American Health Care Act of 2017, H.R. 1628 as a step towards the effort to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. By way of background, the bill is a revised version of the reconciliation measure previously introduced on March 20, 2017 by Rep. Diane Black and an amendment in the form of H.R. 2192. On March 24, 2017 the House proceeded with debate; however, a vote on the bill was postponed. On April 6, 2017 the Rules Committee presented H. Res. 254 to the House to provide for further consideration of the American Health Care Act of 2017. Prior to the introduction of the bill by Rep. Black, on March 6, 2017 the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Ways and Means had submitted proposals for consideration by the Budget Committee. Read More |
Date1/13/2017 | H.R. 7 was introduced to the House by Christopher Smith on January 13, 2017 and has 101 Representatives who are cosponsoring the bill and has been sent to several House committees for review. On January 23, 2017, the rules Committee resolution H.Res.55 was passed by the House which provides for consideration of this bill and this bill was closed to amendments. On January 24, 2017, this bill was considered, debated and passed by a vote of 238 – 183 in House. This bill, in part, clarifies the application of the prohibition to premium credits and cost-sharing reductions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by disallowing refundable credits and cost-sharing reductions for coverage under a qualified health plan which provides coverage for abortion. Read More |
Date8/23/2018 | S. 3388, Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, was introduced to the Senate on August 23, 2018. The bill would amend the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) so that health insurance issuers that offer health insurance coverage in the individual or group market in a State would be required accept every employer and individual in the State that applies for coverage. The bill would also amend HIPAA to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers that offer group or individual health insurance coverage from establishing rules for eligibility to enroll based on certain health status-related factors, including health status, medical condition, claims experience, medical history, genetic information, or disability, and would prohibit the plans and issuers from charging a premium or contribution due to health status related factors that is greater than the premium or contribution charged to similarly situated individuals enrolled in the plan. Read More |
Date3/1/2017 | H.R. 1275, World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017, was introduced to the House on March 1, 2017 by Pete Sessions and the bill was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce and the House Ways and Means. The bill is aimed, in part, at eliminating the individual and employer health coverage mandates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to expanding the choices for obtaining and financing affordable health insurance coverage. Read More |
Date2/16/2017 | H.R. 1121, Pre-existing Conditions Protection Act of 2017, was introduced to the House on February 16, 2017 by Greg Walden and has 42 Representatives co-sponsoring the bill. The bill was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce and the House Ways and Means. The bill is aimed, in part, at amending the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the application of pre-existing condition exclusions and to guarantee the availability of health insurance coverage in the individual and group market. The bill is contingent on the enactment of legislation repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read More |
Date2/15/2017 | H.R. 1072, Obamacare Replacement Act, was introduced to the House on February 15, 2017 by Mark Sanford and has 5 Representatives co-sponsoring the bill. The bill was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce, the House Ways and Means and the House Judiciary. The bill is aimed, in part, at repealing provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to provide private health insurance reform. Read More |
Date1/27/2017 | H.R. 710, Health Coverage Flexibility Act of 2017, was introduced to the House by Bill Flores on January 27, 2017 and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. The bill is aimed, in part, at amending the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to better align the grace period required for non-payment of premiums before discontinuing coverage under qualified health plans with such grace periods provided for under State law. Read More |
Date1/27/2017 | H.R. 706, Plan Verification Fairness Act of 2017, was introduced to the House by Marsha Blackburn on January 27, 2017 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill is aimed, in part, at amending title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require verification for eligibility for enrollment during special enrollment periods. Read More |
Date1/24/2017 | H.R. 640, Transparency and Accountability of Failed Exchanges Act, was introduced to the House by Rick Allen on January 24, 2017, referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has four Representatives who are cosponsoring the bill. This bill is aimed, in part, at amending title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require a State awarded a Federal grant to establish an Exchange that terminates the State of operation of such an Exchange, provide for an audit of the use of grant funds and return funds to the Federal Government. Read More |
Date1/24/2017 | H.R. 633, Patient Fairness and Relief Act of 2017, was introduced to the House by Gregg Harper on January 24, 2017 and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This bill is aimed, in part, at authorizing health insurance issuers to continue to offer for sale health insurance coverage offered in the individual market before the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and in satisfaction of the minimum essential health insurance coverage requirement. Read More |
Date1/24/2017 | H.R. 628, Guaranteed Health Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2017, was introduced to the House by Rodney Davis and Mike Coffman on January 24, 2017 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill is aimed, in part, at amending the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the application of preexisting condition exclusions and to guarantee availability of health insurance coverage in the individual and group market, contingent on the enactment of legislation repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read More |
Date1/24/2017 | S. 222, Obamacare Replacement Act, was introduced to the Senate by Rand Paul on January 24, 2017 and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. This bill is aimed, in part, at repealing provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and providing private health insurance reform. Read More |
Date1/23/2017 | S.191, Patient Freedom Act of 2017, was introduced to the Senate by Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins and Shelley Moore on January 23, 2017, read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. This bill is aimed at improving patient choice by allowing States to adopt market-based alternatives to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that increases access to affordable health insurance and reduce costs while ensuring important consumer protections and improving patient care. Read More |
Date1/13/2017 | H.R. 561, Small Business Job Protection Act of 2017, was introduced to the House by Luke Messer on January 13, 2017 and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This is a bill aimed at amending the Internal Revenue Code to modify the definition of “applicable large employer” for purposes of the employer mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read More |
Date1/13/2017 | H.R. 537, Budget Process Accountability Act, introduced to the House by Andy Biggs on January 13, 2017, is a bill, in part, aimed at amending the Internal Revenue Code to provide an exemption to the individual mandate to maintain health coverage for individuals residing in counties with fewer than two health insurance issuers offering plans on an exchange and to requiring congressional staff to abide by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with respect to health insurance coverage. Read More |
Date1/12/2017 | S.106, ObamaCare Repeal Act, introduced to the Senate by Ted Cruz on January 12, 2017, is a bill to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 in their entirety. Read More |
Date1/12/2017 | H.R. 499, No Exemption for Washington from Obamacare Act, was introduced to the House by Ron DeSantis on January 12, 2017 and has been referred to several Committees within the House. This is a bill aimed at requiring members of Congress and congressional staff to abide by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with respect to health insurance coverage and for other purposes. Read More |
Date1/9/2017 | H.R. 370, introduced to the House by Bill Flores on January 9, 2017, is a bill aimed at repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and healthcare-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and for other purposes. This bill was referred to a number of committees on the day it was introduced, including to the House Budget committee. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Health on January 25, 2017 and the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs on February 10, 2017. Read More |
Date1/5/2017 | H.R. 314, Health Care Choice Act of 2017, introduced to the House by Marsha Blackburn on January 5, 2017, is a bill aimed at repealing title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for cooperative governing of individual health insurance coverage offered in interstate commerce. Read More |
Date1/4/2017 | H.R. 285, Healthcare Tax Relief and Mandate Repeal Act, was introduced to the House on January 4, 2017 by Michael R. Turner, has eight Representatives who are cosponsoring the bill and has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This bill is aimed at amending the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the individual and employer health-insurance mandates. Read More |
Date1/4/2017 | H.R. 246 was introduced to the House on January 4, 2017 by Kristi L. Noem, has 106 Representatives who are cosponsoring the bill and has been referred to several House committees. The bill is aimed at repealing the annual fee on health insurance providers enacted by the Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act. Read More |
Date1/4/2017 | H.R. 277, American Health Care Reform Act of 2017, was introduced to the House on January 4, 2017 by David Roe and has 25 Representatives who are cosponsoring the bill and has been sent to several House committees for review. On January 19, 2017 and January 25, 2017, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Health by the House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Energy and Commerce, respectively. On February 10, 2017, the House Committee on Natural Resources referred the bill to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs. The bill is aimed, in part, at repealing the Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act and related reconciliation provisions. Read More |
Date1/3/2017 | H.R. 177 was introduced to the House by Steve King on January 3, 2017 and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. On January 13, 2017, this bill was referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice by the House Judiciary. This bill would bar Supreme Court decisions in certain Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act cases from citation. Read More |
Date1/3/2017 | H.R. 35, Health Savings Act of 2017, was introduced to the House on January 3, 2017 by Michael C. Burgess and has three Representatives cosponsoring the bill. On January 12, 2017 the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law. This bill is aimed at amending the Internal Revenue Code with respect to Health Savings Accounts (“HSAs”), in part, to increase the maximum HSA contribution limit to match the amount of the deductible and out-of-pocket expenses under a high deductible health plan and to expand the definition of an HSA compatible plan to include bronze, silver and catastrophic plans on an exchange. Read More |
Date1/3/2017 | H.R. 208, Ensuring Health Care Opportunities Act, was introduced to the House by Don Young on January 3, 2017 and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill is aimed at waiving the essential health benefits requirements for certain states. Read More |
Date1/3/2017 | H.R. 175, ObamaCare Repeal Act, was introduced to the House on January 3, 2017 by Steve King and has 35 Representatives who are cosponsoring the bill and has been sent to several House committees for review. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Health on January 25, 2017 and the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs on February 10, 2017. This bill is aimed, in part, at repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Read More |
Date12/8/2016 | H.R. 6514 was introduced to the House by Leonard Lance on December 8, 2016. This bill is aimed, in part, at amending the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to redirect user fees assessed on health insurance issuers on the Federal Exchanges. Read More |
Date11/14/2016 | H.R. 6300, Unaffordable Care Act, was introduced to the House by Luke Messer on November 14, 2016, has nine co-sponsors and was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This bill is aimed, in part, at amending the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the requirement to maintain minimum essential health coverage an individual who resides in a location with fewer than two qualified health plans offered through an exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and was covered under minimum essential coverage for the last month of the preceding year and the premium is at least 125% of the premium for that month. Read More |
Date4/6/2017 | H.Res.254 was introduced to the House on April 6, 2017 by Pete Sessions providing for further consideration of H.R.1628 to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Read More |
Date2/27/2017 | H.Res.154 was introduced to the House on February 27, 2017 by Joseph P. Kennedy III together with 15 co-sponsors and the resolution was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The resolution requests that President Trump and the Secretary of Health and Human Services transmit certain information to the House relating to plans to repeal or replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and certain other health-related provisions. Read More |
Date2/15/2017 | H.Res.130 was introduced to the House on February 15, 2017 by Peter DeFazio and the resolution was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The resolution is aimed at supporting efforts to increase competition and accountability in the health insurance marketplace and to extend accessible, qualify, affordable health care coverage to every American through the choice of a public insurance plan. Read More |
Date1/3/2017 | S.Con.Res.3 Concurrent Resolution sponsored by Sen. Michael B. Enzi introduced on January 3, 2017, which on January 13, 2017 was passed/agreed to in House by a vote of 227-198 and on January 12, 2017 was passed/agreed to in the Senate by a vote of 51-48. This resolution establishes the congressional budget for the federal government FY2017 and sets forth budgetary levels for FY2018-FY2026, and also establishes a deficit-neutral reserve fund for health care legislation and a reserve fund for health care legislation. This resolution paves the way for the reconciliation process, which would effectively allow a bill to be passed by the Senate with 51, rather than 60, votes. The House and the Senate are to submit reconciliation bills with recommendations to the respective House and Senate budget committees not later than January 27, 2017. We are not presently aware of a reconciliation bill introduced after the 2016 election in either the House or the Senate that specifically provides for the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read More |
Date8/1/2018 | On August 1, 2018, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury issued a final rule to expand access to short term, limited-duration insurance coverage. The final rule reversed an Obama-era rule on short-term plans put in place in 2016 by extending the maximum duration of short-term plans from three months to up to 12 months. Each short-term policy must have an expiration date that is less than 12 months, a maximum of 364 days, after the original effective date of the contract. The final rule further allows a short-term policy to be renewed or extended for up to three years. The rule also adopts revised notice requirements. The final rule becomes effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Read More |
Date6/21/2018 | U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule that modifies the definition of "employer" under ERISA regarding entities—such as associations—that could sponsor group health coverage. An association can be formed for the sole purpose of offering an association health plan (AHP) to its members. This rule will make it easier for small businesses to band together to buy health insurance without some of the regulatory requirements that individual states and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) impose on smaller employers. Several States have filed an action in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia opposing the DOL’s action. On November 29, 2018, a group of Congressional Democratic lawmakers filed an amicus brief in support of the States opposing the rule. (A rule by the DOL involving “Association Retirement Plans,” which involves allowing small businesses to band together to adopt certain retirement plans, was proposed on October 23, 2018. An entry regarding that proposed rule is provided on the Employee Benefits page. On March 28, 2019, a federal district court vacated provisions of the AHP final regulations. On April 26, 2019, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the DOL filed an appeal of the decision. In addition, on April 29, 2019, the DOL announced that it will not pursue enforcement actions against employers and other entities that took steps in good faith reliance on the AHP final regulations, including to secure AHP coverage, before the district court's decision. Read MoreComplaint in State of N.Y. v. U.S. Dept. of Labor, D.D.C., No. 1:18-cv-01747-JDB Brief of Members of Congress as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs |
Date
| On November 29, 2018, a group of Congressional Democratic lawmakers filed an amicus brief in support of several States that filed a complaint opposing the DOL’s final rule involving association health plans (see entry regarding the final rule below, on this page). Read MoreBrief of Members of Congress as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs |
Date7/19/2019 | The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 19, 2019 granted summary judgment to the plaintiffs in Ass’n for Community Affiliated Plans v. U.S. Dep’t of Treasury, 1:18-cv-02133. The court upheld the final rule that redefines short-term limited duration insurance ("STLDI") by capping the maximum initial term of an STLDI plan at 12 months and capping the maximum total duration of an STLDI plan at 36 months. STLDI is a category of individual health insurance that Congress expressly exempted from individual market regulations in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and that was not expressly dealt with by the Obamacare legislation. The final rule partially reverses the definition of STLDI that had been contained in regulations issued during the Obama administration. (See above in “Administrative Action” for entries regarding the final rule.) Read MoreAss’n for Community Affiliated Plans v. U.S. Dep’t of Treasury, 1:18-cv-02133 |
Date3/28/2019 | Decision in New York v. U.S. Dep’t of Labor, no. 18-civ-01747, dated March 28, 2019, in which the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated DOL rules governing the so-called association health plans, which permitted businesses and individuals to band together to create group health plans. The final rules were issued to comply with an executive order issued by President Trump in October 2017. (See October 12, 2017 entry under “Executive Orders and Memoranda” listed above.) Read MoreNew York v. U.S. Dep’t of Labor, no. 18-cv-01747 (Dkt. No. 79, March 28, 2019) |
Date12/14/2018 | The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on December 14, 2018 granted summary judgement for the plaintiffs in Texas v. U.S., no. 4:18-cv-00167 (N.D. Tex. Dec. 14, 2018), determining that, following the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”), which eliminated the tax under the Individual Mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”), the Individual Mandate is no longer “fairly readable” as an exercise of Congress’s Tax Power and is thus unconstitutional. The Court further found that the Individual Mandate (which generally requires all Americans to purchase insurance) is “essential” to the ACA and is “inseverable” from the ACA’s remaining provisions. The Court therefore held that the ACA in its entirety is unconstitutional. On June 7, 2018, then-U.S. Attorney General, Jefferson B. Sessions III sent a letter to Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, stating Mr. Sessions' agreement with the plaintiffs in the above-referenced action and informed Mr. Ryan that the U.S. Department of Justice would not defend the constitutionality of such provisions. On March 25, 2019, the Department of Justice (the "DOJ"), in connection with the appeal of the Texas case, filed a letter with the Fifth Circuit stating that the DOJ has determined that the decision in the case should be affirmed (i.e., effectively agreeing that the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety). (See above in "Executive Orders and Memoranda" for links to each of the foregoing two letters.) Read More |
HIPAA and Other Privacy-Related Matters, and Matters Relating to Wellness
Date8/23/2018 | S. 3388, Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, was introduced to the Senate on August 23, 2018. The bill would amend the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) so that health insurance issuers that offer health insurance coverage in the individual or group market in a State would be required accept every employer and individual in the State that applies for coverage. The bill would also amend HIPAA to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers that offer group or individual health insurance coverage from establishing rules for eligibility to enroll based on certain health status-related factors, including health status, medical condition, claims experience, medical history, genetic information, or disability, and would prohibit the plans and issuers from charging a premium or contribution due to health status related factors that is greater than the premium or contribution charged to similarly situated individuals enrolled in the plan. Read More |
DateSpring 2018 | In a Spring 2018 regulatory agenda, the EEOC indicated that it intends to issue new proposed Read More |
DateSpring 2018 | In a Spring 2018 regulatory agenda, the EEOC indicated that it intends to issue new proposed regulations to cure the defects of certain EEOC regulations promulgated under the ADA and GINA Read More |
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