The Department of Labor has issued new “self-compliance” tools, complete with checklists, to help employers operating group health plans comply with the new Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
The DOL’s approach to ACA implementation is to assist those involved in operating group health plans to understand and come into compliance with the law, rather than penalizing them.
The Affordable Care Act self-compliance tool provides a question-and-answer checklist for provisions already in place, including:
- Determination of grandfather plan status;
- Extension of dependent coverage to age 26;
- Elimination of lifetime dollar limits;
- Restrictions on annual dollar limits;
- Elimination of pre-existing condition limitations for individuals under age 19; and
- Uniform Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) requirements.
The self-compliance tool for HIPAA can help an employer determine whether a group health plan is operating in compliance with the HIPAA, the Mental Health Parity Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act, the Newborns’ Act and other health care laws.
Employers can use the self-compliance tools to review their health plans, workplace policies and employee communications and identify areas that may need a compliance update.
In addition, employers can post a notice of the key job-based health plan rights under the ACA using CPC’s Federal Affordable Care Act poster (#74218). Be prepared. Open enrollment for individuals and small businesses (50 or fewer employees) in the Health Insurance Exchanges begins October 1, 2013 for coverage effective January 1, 2014.