The Department of Treasury, Department of Labor (“DOL”), and Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) have recently issued interim final regulations providing guidance on certain mandated health plan provisions. The regulations generally apply to group health plans and insurers for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010 (that is, January 1, 2011 for calendar-year plans). Employers need to evaluate the new guidance to determine how it might affect their plan designs. The DOL has also recently issued model notices regarding the extension of dependent care coverage to age 26, the prohibition in lifetime limits, and certain patient protections. These notices as well as the regulations can be found on the DOL website at the following link: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/index.html.
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