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Welcome to the Snell & Wilmer Benefits Blog. We will be posting about current employee benefits and executive compensation topics and issues. We invite you to contact the authors with your thoughts or questions.Blog Contributors
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Authorized Representatives – Fresh Look at an Old Rule
Earlier this year, the Department of Labor issued an information letter explaining ERISA’s authorized representative requirement. Below are some of the takeaways employers may want to consider.
1. The Authorized Representative Requirement Under ERISA
ERISA’s claims procedure regulations expressly give participants and beneficiaries the right to appoint authorized representatives to act on their behalf in connection with a claim for benefits and an appeal of an adverse benefit determination. Furthermore, when a claimant clearly designates an authorized representative to assist with a claim and/or appeal, the plan should direct the claimant’s information and notifications to the authorized representative to act on behalf of the claimant. Read More ›
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform
| Tagged appeals, authorized representative, claims, DOL, ERISA, health plan
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Air Ambulance Services – What Does Your Plan Cover?
Due to the increased litigation of air ambulance claims, employers may want to review their plan language to see whether their group health plan covers air ambulance services, and if so, to better understand the terms of the coverage.
Below are three issues employers may want to consider:
- Expensive and Often Out-of-Network. Air ambulance claims can be very expensive. While a 2014 report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) indicates that the average air ambulance trip is 52 miles and costs between $12,000 to $25,000 per flight, recent litigation shows that these claims can go into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health & Welfare Plans
| Tagged air ambulance, claims, group health plan, healt and welfare, plan
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New Disability Claims Regulations Take Effect for All Plans April 1, 2018
As noted in our previous blog post, The New Disability Claims Regulations: They Don’t Only Apply to Disability Plans, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued regulations that revise the ERISA claims procedure regulations for all employee benefit plans that provide disability benefits (the “New Regulations”). These rules can impact not only short-term and long-term disability plans but also qualified retirement plans (e.g., a 401(k) plan), nonqualified retirement plans, and health and welfare plans. The New Regulations were published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2016, and are based on the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced claims and appeals regulations for group health plans. Read More ›
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform
| Tagged ACA, Affordable Care Act, claims, disability, DOL, EBSA, ERISA, regulations
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The New Disability Claims Regulations: They Don’t Only Apply to Disability Plans
Introduction
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued regulations that revise the ERISA claims procedure regulations for employee benefit plans that provide disability benefits (the “New Disability Claims Regulations” or “New Regulations”). They are based on the Affordable Care Act’s (the “ACA”) enhanced claims and appeals regulations for group health plans (the “ACA Enhanced Regulations”). The scope of the New Regulations are broader than you may realize and apply to any plan, regardless of how it is characterized, that provides benefits or rights that are contingent on whether the plan determines an individual to be disabled. This can include ERISA governed short-term disability plans, long-term disability plans, qualified retirement plans (e.g., a 401(k) plan), nonqualified retirement plans, and health and welfare plans. Read More ›
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health & Welfare Plans, Qualified Retirement Plans
| Tagged appeals, claims, claims and appeals, denial, disability, indepent review, regulations, review, Social Security, SSA, treatment
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