News & Events
COVID-19: Insurance Policy Considerations
March 31st, 2020
As of March 31, the Coronavirus Resource Center of Johns Hopkins University reports that, in the United States, there have been approximately 177,452 people diagnosed with COVID-19 with 3,606 deaths being recorded. It is an understatement that this n…
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Categories: Other News
ERISA Plan Disclosures Not "Actual Knowledge" Unless Read
March 31st, 2020
ERISA requires plaintiffs with “actual knowledge” of an alleged fiduciary breach to file suit within three years of gaining that knowledge under 29 U. S. C. §1113(2). For plaintiffs without “actual knowledge, a 6-year period applies. The Unite…
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Categories: Other News
Balance Billing Defense, an "Op Ed" by James F. Koehler
February 29th, 2020
The authors of this newsletter have followed, and occasionally written about, various state and federal legislative efforts to reign in and address the problem of balance bills, or as the legislators incorrectly name them, “surprise medical bills.…
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Categories: Other News
2019 Federal Health Care Legislation - Action or No Action
February 29th, 2020
Funding for the ACA continues to be reduced. “As part of a 1.4 trillion dollar spending package the Senate passed [December 19, 2019] and which President Donald Trump has said he’ll sign, three taxes that were created to fund the Affordable C…
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Categories: Other News
Constitutionality of the ACA - A Brief Timeline and Update
January 31st, 2020
State of Texas, et al. v. United States (N.D. Tex. Case No. 4:18-cv-167-O; 5th Cir. Case No. 19-10011) will follow the traditional litigation path and not be fast-tracked. Here is a look back over the case’s history: December 2017: Congress set the…
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Categories: Other News
Non-Profit Hospitals Profit From Tax-Exempt Status
January 31st, 2020
Approximately 60% of community hospitals are nonprofit hospitals.[1] A nonprofit hospital is a hospital that is granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS. Nonprofit hospitals benefit from this status by being: Exempt from federal, state and local taxes; Pe…
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Categories: Other News
The Fate of the ACA Remains Uncertain
December 27th, 2019
On December 18, 2019, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals entered its decision in State of Texas, et al. v. United States of America, Case No. 19-10011, which was on appeal from the District Court for the Northern District of Texas. As framed by the 5th…
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Categories: Other News
Will Federal Surprise Billing Legislation Ever Move Forward?
December 27th, 2019
As 2019 draws to a close, and despite a flurry of activity throughout the year, the House and Senate have been unable to reach agreement with respect to balance billing. Members of the House and Senate introduced a myriad of bills all targeting “su…
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Categories: Other News
Health Care Costs Continue to Grow
December 27th, 2019
One thing is certain as we head into 2020, health care costs continue to rise. Here are some of the key statistics reported in 2019: $3.8 trillion is the predicted health care spend in 2019[1] 4.8% is the predicted increase in health care spend in 20…
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Categories: Other News
An Accident of History
November 30th, 2019
A fascinating article entitled, “The employer-health insurance connection an ‘accident of history’” by David Balat appeared in the November 9, 2019 edition of The Hill. The article briefly traces the history of healthcare in the United States…
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Categories: Articles
