The Washington Report
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March 11, 2020
Executive
President Trump Signs Coronavirus Bill Into Law
On March 6, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 (HR 6074), which provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The programs funded by the bill address issues such as:
- Developing, manufacturing, and procuring vaccines and other medical supplies;
- Grants for state, local, and tribal public health agencies and organizations;
- Loans for affected small businesses;
- Evacuations and emergency preparedness activities at U.S. embassies and other State Department facilities; and
- Humanitarian assistance and support for health systems in the affected countries.
The bill also allows the Department of Health and Human Services to temporarily waive certain Medicare restrictions and requirements regarding telehealth services during the coronavirus public health emergency.
The full text of H.R. 6074 is available here.
Health
HHS Releases Two Final Rules Providing Patients With Secure Access to Health Data
On March 9, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released two final rules providing patients with secure access to their health data. According to the HHS, “Interoperability has been pursued by multiple administrations and numerous laws, and today, these rules finally deliver on giving patients true access to their health care data to make informed health care decisions and better manage their care.” The two rules, issued by the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), implement interoperability and patient access provisions of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act and support the Trump Administration’s MyHealthEData initiative. MyHealthEData is designed to empower patients “around a common aim—giving individuals access to their medical information so they can make better health care decisions.”
The news release is available here.
Additional information on the CMS final rule is available here.
Additional information on the ONC final rule is available here.
The CMS final rule is available here.
The ONC final rule is available here.
Retirement
PBGC Releases Updated Forms and Instructions for Reportable Events, 4010 Filings and Premiums
On March 9, 2020, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) released forms and instructions reflecting rule changes issued in February 2020. The Reportable Events instructions include additional examples and also reflect additional information required to be included in a company’s 8-K for the public company waiver to apply to various reportable events. In addition, the 4010 e-filing portal has been updated to reflect changes in financial information to be reported. Finally, the 2020 premium filing instructions were updated to reflect changes in the proration of the flat-rate premium if the plan assets are distributed in conjunction with a plan termination in the same year the plan was involved in a non-de minimis spinoff.
Additional information on the modified filing requirements is available here.