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Effective November 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has increased the following key penalties affecting group health plans.
|
Penalty Types |
Penalty Description |
Penalty Amounts |
|
Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) |
Failure to provide group health plan participants and beneficiaries with an SBC |
Up to $1,190 per participant or beneficiary |
|
Medicare Secondary Payer |
Offering Medicare beneficiaries financial or other benefits as incentives not to enroll in or terminate enrollment in a group health plan that would otherwise be primary to Medicare |
Up to $9,753 |
|
HIPAA privacy and security rules |
Penalties for a covered entity or business associate violating HIPAA’s privacy and security rules will depend on the violation involved. Penalties are broken down into tiers that reflect increasing levels of knowledge about the violation. |
Tier 1: Min $120, Max $60,226, annual cap $1,806,757 Tier 2: Min $1,205, Max $60,226, annual cap $1,806,757 Tier 3: Min $12,045, Max $60,226, annual cap $1,806,757 Tier 4: Min $60,226, Max and annual cap $1,806,757 |
Employers should become familiar with the new penalty amounts and review their benefit plan administration protocols to ensure full compliance. The penalty amounts are adjusted annually for inflation to maintain their deterrent effect.
Download the bulletin for more details.
This blog is intended to be a compilation of information and resources pulled from federal, state, and local agencies. This is not intended to be legal advice. For up to the minute information and guidance on COVID-19, please follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and your local health organizations.