"The new omnibus extension of this relief only applies to months from April 1, 2022, through January 31, 2022. Note that this is not based on plan years. Therefore, any HDHP that wants to can provide coverage for telehealth prior to the deductible, but only through the end of this year, regardless of its plan year. For plans that are not calendar year HDHPs, this relief may overlap with the existing CARES Act relief."   MORE >>

"Federal officials continued to issue guidance on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in early 2022. This article summarizes the status of the so-called SUNSET rule, new materials for the 2023 plan year, Section 1332 waiver applications for Minnesota and Virginia, new risk adjustment data validation (RADV) results, and guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the ACA and the eventual unwinding the public health emergency."   MORE >>

"Following the reasoning of the Supreme Court in Rutledge , the Eighth Circuit [found] that none of the challenged provisions in the North Dakota law ... had an impermissible connection with the ERISA plans. The court ... [stated] that the provisions at issue did not: [1] Regulate a central issue of plan administration, [2] Interfere with uniform plan administration, or [3] Force a plan to adopt a specific structure in terms of coverage or choice of insurers." [ Pharmaceutical Care Management Assoc. (PCMA) v. Wehbi , No. 18-2926 (8th Cir. Nov. 17, 2021)]   MORE >>

"[The law provides that employees] cannot begin using benefits until 2024, but the payroll deductions necessary to fund the program are slated to begin on January 1, 2023.... [E]mployers with fewer than 10 employees are not required to pay the premiums, and certain employers ... are not required to participate in the program at all. Based primarily on these differences in payroll deduction obligations, the Colorado Supreme Court recently granted a petition  ... to decide whether the Act violates the Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights."   MORE >>

"Chiropractic care is an ideal service for onsite clinics as it can help employers prevent injury and reduce neuro-musculoskeletal pain and lack of mobility among employees, which otherwise could increase healthcare costs and decrease productivity.... Chiropractic care delivered through telehealth, especially when the employee has received such care before, can help keep work from home (WFH) employees healthy and productive, too."   MORE >>

"This interactive map summarizes the roles of the federal and state governments on various aspects of the No Surprises Act, including enforcement, specified state laws for payment determination, the use of external review for surprise-billing cases, and the patient-provider dispute resolution process."   MORE >>

45 pages. "What's New for 2022 ... [ 1] Form W-4P , Withholding Certificate for Periodic Pension or Annuity Payments ... has been redesigned for 2022.... Although the final redesigned Form W-4P and new Form W-4R are available for use in 2022, the IRS is postponing the requirement to begin using the forms until January 1, 2023.... [2] Retirement savings contribution credit income limits increased. In order to claim this credit for 2022, your MAGI must not be more than $34,000 ($68,000 if married filing jointly; $51,000 if head of household).... [3] The maximum adoption credit or exclusion for employer-provided adoption benefits has increased to $14,890. In order to claim either the credit or exclusion, your MAGI must be less than $263,410."   MORE >>