The Washington Report

June 26, 2024

Note to Subscribers

While we do our best to provide timely updates, it is possible that the information shared in the newsletter may change after our publication deadline.

Aon Publications

 

July 31 Is PCORI Fee Deadline for Self-Insured Health Plans
Plan sponsors of self-insured health plans are reminded that the deadline to submit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is approaching quickly. These employers need to calculate their PCORI fee, complete the second quarter Form 720, and submit payment to the IRS by July 31, 2024.

The Aon bulletin is available here.

Final HIPAA Rule Details Health Information Protections, Requires Updating Privacy Notice
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published final rules amending the HIPAA Privacy Rule to add protections for health information related to reproductive health care and to require updates to privacy notices to communicate these new protections and to describe protections for certain substance use disorder patient records.

Employer health plan sponsors should revise their HIPAA procedures to incorporate the added protections for reproductive health care information by December 23, 2024, and update their privacy notices by February 16, 2026.

The Aon bulletin is available here.

Fifth Circuit Upholds Limitations on ACA Preventive Care Requirement; No Impact on Most Employers for Now
On June 21, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court decision that struck down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that health plans cover certain preventive care services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to apply the district court’s decision beyond the specific plaintiffs in the current case. For employers, this means most group health plans still need to comply with all ACA preventive care requirements at least for the foreseeable future.

This Aon bulletin discusses the following:

• Background and Decisions
• Impact on Employers
• Next Steps

The Aon bulletin is available here.