To help clients understand and prepare for changes arising from the federal health care reform effort, attorneys in our Health Care and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Groups have formed an initiative to monitor and analyze legislative developments.
Our attorneys understand how quickly new developments in the health care system can affect business, and they have the skill and experience to structure proactive solutions that leverage every available opportunity.
We are already advising clients on recent health-related legislative and regulatory changes, such as the expanded Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), amendments to HIPAA, expansion of health information technology, and COBRA premium subsidies in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
As employers, most of our clients will be affected if health care reform legislation is enacted. We have studied the 615-page Affordable Health Choices Act (AHCA), introduced by the U.S. Senate; the larger bill put forward by three House committees; and the numerous proposed revisions to both.
Should a final bill be signed into law, our attorneys will be prepared to assist clients in understanding and complying with their new obligations as well as capitalizing on new opportunities.
Our team is focusing on the reform bill as it impacts:
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Provider regulation and reimbursement
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Information technology and electronic medical records
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Employee group health plans
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Employer "pay or play" requirements
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Wellness programs
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Multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs)
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Government plans
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Church plan exemptions
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Individual health care coverage mandates
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Taxation of health care benefits
On August 13, 2009, our team presented a webinar on what employers need to know about the proposed health care reform bills to more than 200 participants, a number reflecting the level of interest in a topic at has triggered heated national debate.