Group health plan sponsors are required to complete an online disclosure form with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on an annual basis and at other select times, indicating whether the plan’s prescription drug coverage is creditable or non-creditable. This must be completed online within 60 days after the beginning of the plan year. For calendar year plans, the disclosure is due by February 29, 2020.

President Trump recently signed a spending bill preventing a government shut-down and repealed the following three taxes and fees under the Affordable Care Act (ACA):
• Cadillac Tax on high-cost group health coverage, beginning 2020;
• Medical Devices Excise Tax, beginning in 2020; and
• Health Insurance Providers Fee, beginning in 2021
Importantly, the bill also extended the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee to years 2020 to 2029.

The IRS recently extended the due date for furnishing Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals from January 31, 2020 to March 2, 2020.

For plan years beginning in 2020, employer-sponsored medical coverage will be considered affordable if the employee’s contribution for self-only coverage on an employer’s lowest cost medical plan (if more than one medical plan is offered) does not exceed 9.78% of the employee’s household income for the year.

Employers should contact their insurers, third-party administrators (TPA) or pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) for information regarding creditable coverage status.

The IRS released Notice 2019-45 to add care for certain chronic conditions to the list of preventive services that can be offered under high deductible health plans (HDHPs) without a deductible.