Carolyn E. Smith

New Agency Guidance on Required Contraceptive Coverage Under Group Health Plans
Ashley Gillihan,John R. Hickman,Carolyn E. Smith, May 3, 2012
On August 1, 2011, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued Guidelines on Women’s Preventive Health (the “HRSA Guidelines”). Under Section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), as added by...

Health Care Reform Update: Final Regulations Impose Reinsurance “Contribution” on Fully Insured and Self-Insured Plans Starting in 2014
John R. Hickman,Carolyn E. Smith, March 29, 2012
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides for a State-based transitional reinsurance program to help stabilize premiums for coverage in the individual health insurance market during the first three years of operation of the Exchanges (2014-2016). The program is designed primarily to transfer risk from...

New Guidance on Distribution of Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Rebates Creates Issues for Group Health Plan Sponsors
John R. Hickman,Carolyn E. Smith, February 15, 2012
Until recently, compliance issues associated with the medical loss ratio (MLR) provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were of little interest to sponsors of group health plans. This is because the MLR provisions, contained in new Section 2718 of the Public Health Service Act, (PHSA) are...