Legislative Updates
Click on the links below to learn more about government regulations that impact the insurance industry, including HIPAA, ERISA, COBRA and Clarificatons.
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
HIPAA is designed to make health coverage
more portable for individuals who change jobs or health plans by
limiting the coverage exclusions that can be imposed when such a
change occurs. HIPAA also contains privacy provisions designed to
protect the confidentiality and security of Protected Health Information
(PHI).
More information on HIPAA
HIPAA Links
ERISA
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
ERISA is a federal law that sets minimum
standards for most voluntarily established pension and health plans
in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these
plans.
COBRA
Consolidated Ominbus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985
COBRA allows a qualified beneficiary who loses group health coverage due to a qualifying event to elect to continue group health coverage temporarily on a self-pay basis.
Clarifications
Clarifications Issued for Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Treasury Department recently released “final rules” (effective January 1) related to the Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act (NMHPA), which was signed into law in 1996. The purpose of this Act is to prevent group health plans and health insurance issuers from restricting hospital stay benefits to less than 48 hours following childbirth; 96 hours following a C-section.) The final regulations do not vary significantly from the previous interim regulations; however, they do introduce a few important clarifications.
