Employee Benefit News for School, City and County Employers

Mandate Exemptions

Written by Valerie Ortiz | Jan 25, 2013 4:53:14 PM

Retiree-Only Plans are Exempt from the Following Mandates:

  • Sections 1001(5) and 10101 - No lifetime or annual dollar limits on essential benefits
  • Section 1001(5) - Prohibition on rescission
  • Section 1001(5) - Coverage of certain preventive health services provided in network
  • Section 1001(5) - Extension of dependent coverage
  • Section 1001(5) - Development and utilization of uniform explanation of coverage documents and standardized definitions (Summary of Benefits and Coverage)
  • Section 1001(5) - Provision of additional information
  • Section 1001(5) - Prohibition on discrimination in favor of highly compensated individuals for insured plans
  • Section 1001(5) - Ensuring the quality of care reporting
  • Section 1001(5) 8 - Medical loss ratio requirements
  • Section 1001(5) - Required appeals process and various requirements in the claims and appeals rules
  • Section 1001(5) - Patient protections (choice of provider, emergency services requirements)
  • Section 1003 - Rate review
  • Section 1201 - Prohibition of preexisting condition exclusions or other discrimination based on health status for children under age 19
  • Section 1201 - Restrictions on what criteria can be used in rating and rate band limits
  • Section 1201 - Guaranteed issue
  • Section 1201 - Guaranteed renewability
  • Section 1201 - Prohibiting discrimination against individual participants and beneficiaries based on health status
  • Section 1201 - Non-discrimination towards health care providers
  • Section 1201 - Cost-sharing requirements and essential benefit requirements
  • Sections 1201 and 10103 - Prohibition on waiting periods of more than 90 days
  • Section 10103 - Coverage for individuals participating in approved clinical trials

Premium-Only HRA Plans are Exempt from The Following Mandates in Addition to Those Above:

  • Section 1103 - Web portal reporting requirements
  • Section 1341 - Reinsurance
  • Section 1311(e) - Risk pooling (applies to small group retiree-only plans, with the exception of grandfathered plans)
  • Section 3141 - Reinsurance
  • Section 1342 - Risk corridors (applies to retiree-only qualified health plans)
  • Section 1343 - Risk adjustment (applies to small group retiree only plans)
  • Section 9022 - W-2 reporting (applies to employers that sponsor retiree only plans, but only if the retiree otherwise is receiving a Form W-2 from the employer.)
  • Section 6005 - Pharmacy benefit managers transparency
  • Section 9010 - Annual fee on health insurance providers

Retiree-Only, Premium-Only HRA Plans Must Still Comply with the Following Mandates:

  • Section 6301 - Research Trust Fund Health Plan Fee (PCORI)
  • Sections 9001 and 10901 - Excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage
  • Section 1502 - Reporting of health insurance coverage
  • Section 9003 - Exclusion of over-the-counter drugs for group health plans, FSAs, HRAs, HSAs