Megan Mardy
Subscribe to Megan Mardy's PostsMegan Mardy advises companies on a wide variety of health and welfare and retirement benefits issues. She has extensive experience with the Affordable Care Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), the Internal Revenue Code and other federal laws affecting group health and retirement plans. Read Megan Mardy's full bio.
Employer Mandate Penalty Notices Are Imminent
By Anthony A. Bongiorno and Megan Mardy on Nov 16, 2017
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The IRS has taken actions indicating that employer mandate penalties under the ACA are about to be enforced. The recently updated Questions and Answers on Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions Under the Affordable Care Act includes the section, “Making an Employer Shared Responsibility Payment,” which expands specifically upon the soon-to-be-issued Letter 226J and what that will...
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Court to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: “Try Again” on Wellness Rules
By Anthony A. Bongiorno and Megan Mardy on Aug 29, 2017
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
In October 2016, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) sued the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the US District Court for the District of Columbia seeking an injunction against the latest iteration of wellness program regulations. The final EEOC regulations issued last year offer employers a roadmap for offering employee wellness programs...
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Senate Rejects Proposals to Repeal and Replace Affordable Care Act
By McDermott Will & Emery, Jacob Mattinson and Megan Mardy on Aug 8, 2017
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Senate Republicans failed to pass legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care at the end of July. After voting to proceed with debate on the American Health Care Act, which was passed by the House in May, the Senate introduced and voted against several replacement amendments and bills, including a new version of the...
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PCORI Fee Due by July 31, 2017
By Megan Mardy on Jun 29, 2017
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee was established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to advance comparative clinical effectiveness research. The PCORI fee is assessed on issuers of health insurance policies and sponsors of self-insured health plans. The fees are calculated using the average number of lives covered under the policy or plan, and...
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DOL Finalizes New Disability Claim Rules for Welfare and Retirement Benefit Plans
By Megan Mardy on Jan 26, 2017
Posted In Benefit Controversies, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans
The US Department of Labor’s Employee Benefit Security Administration recently released final rules on the adjudication of disability claims under welfare and retirement plans (the Final Rule). The purpose of the Final Rule is to add procedural protections and safeguards that are aimed at providing a full and fair claims review process for disability benefit...
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Proposed Changes to Form 5500 Would Significantly Increase Reporting Obligations for Health and Welfare Plan Sponsors
By Joseph K. Urwitz and Megan Mardy on Aug 16, 2016
Posted In Health and Welfare Plans
On July 11, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a proposal to implement significant changes to the forms and regulations that govern annual employee benefit plan reporting on Form 5500. The proposed changes, which were published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2016, would considerably increase the annual...
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Proposed Changes to Form 5500 Reporting Requirements May Have Significant Impact on Retirement Plan Sponsors
By Joseph K. Urwitz, Megan Mardy and Sarah L. Engle on Aug 11, 2016
Posted In Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans
On July 11, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced a proposal to implement sweeping changes to the forms and regulations that govern annual employee benefit plan reporting on Form 5500. The proposed changes, which were published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2016,...
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Summary of Benefits and Coverage Templates Finalized
By Megan Mardy on Apr 19, 2016
Posted In Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
On April 6, 2016, the US Department of Labor posted final versions of the updated summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) template and instructions, updated uniform glossary and other associated materials. In previous guidance, the US Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services provided that health plans and issuers who maintain an open enrollment period...
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Implementation Date for New Summary of Benefits and Coverage Template
By Megan Mardy on Mar 23, 2016
Posted In Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
The U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) recently issued new guidance regarding the intended timeframe for the use of the new summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) template and instructions, an updated uniform glossary and other associated materials. Background The Affordable Care Act (ACA) generally requires group health plans...
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Final Regulations on Affordable Care Act Market Reforms
By Megan Mardy on Dec 29, 2015
Posted In Benefit Controversies, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury have issued final regulations on market reform requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including grandfathered health plans, preexisting condition exclusions, lifetime and annual dollar limits on benefits, rescissions, coverage of dependent children to age 26, internal claims and appeals and external review...
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