Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The employer shared responsibility rules under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will go into effect in 2014.  Government guidance was issued earlier this year on an important aspect of these rules – the determination of who is a full time employee.

Continue Reading Health Care Reform – Determining Who Is Full-Time Under The Employer Coverage Mandate

Yesterday, United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson (Eastern District of Virginia) found unconstitutional the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provision which requires most uninsured Americans to obtain coverage or pay a penalty.  Read Judge Hudson’s Memorandum Opinion.

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli sued Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in her official capacity, alleging that the PPACA conflicts with Virginia law and that the Act’s purchase mandate is unconstitutional.  This lawsuit is similar to the lawsuit led by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum in which twenty other states are participating in Florida.  A hearing on the States’ motion for summary judgment in that case is scheduled for December 16, 2010.

Continue Reading Federal Judge Strikes Core Portion of the New Healthcare Law

The United States Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury issued a series of regulations related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended (the “Health Care Reform Act”).  The regulations provide guidance for group health plans, including new rules for preexisting conditions, annual/lifetime limits, and coverage rescissions.

Continue Reading Health Care Reform – Regulations On Patient Protections Issued

The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently issued a fact sheet explaining employers’ obligations under the break time requirement for nursing mothers found in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which amends Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”).

Continue Reading Break Time For Nursing Mothers Clarified