Employee Benefits Security Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Results 101 - 150 of 911
Annual Reporting and Disclosure
Document Number: 2021-19713
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2021-09-15
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains proposed amendments to Department of Labor (DOL) regulations relating to annual reporting requirements under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The proposed amendments contained in this document would conform these DOL reporting regulations to proposed revisions under Title I of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code (Code) to the Form 5500 Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan and Form 5500-SF Short Form Annual Return/Report of Small Employee Benefit Plan being published in this issue of the Federal Register in a separate Notice of Proposed Forms Revisions (NPFR) prepared jointly by DOL, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) (collectively ``Agencies''). Those proposed form changes and these proposed regulatory amendments primarily implement statutory changes enacted as part of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act). Conforming changes also are being proposed to the requirements for the summary annual report. The proposed regulatory amendments would affect employee pension and welfare benefit plans, plan sponsors, administrators, and service providers to plans subject to annual reporting requirements under ERISA and the Code.
208th Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2021-18745
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-08-31
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Nominations for Vacancies
Document Number: 2021-16814
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-08-06
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
207th Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2021-15462
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-07-21
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment; EBSA Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey
Document Number: 2021-15457
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-07-21
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) described below. A copy of the ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part I
Document Number: 2021-14379
Type: Rule
Date: 2021-07-13
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury, Office of Personnel Management
This document sets forth interim final rules implementing certain provisions of the No Surprises Act, which was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. These interim final rules amend and add provisions to existing rules under the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Public Health Service Act, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act. These interim final rules implement provisions of the No Surprises Act that protect participants, beneficiaries, and enrollees in group health plans and group and individual health insurance coverage from surprise medical bills when they receive emergency services, non-emergency services from nonparticipating providers at participating facilities, and air ambulance services from nonparticipating providers of air ambulance services, under certain circumstances. In this rulemaking, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) are issuing interim final rules with largely parallel provisions that apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage. HHS is also issuing in this rulemaking additional interim final rules that apply to emergency departments of hospitals and independent freestanding emergency departments, health care providers and facilities, and providers of air ambulance services related to the protections against surprise billing. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing in this rulemaking interim final rules that specify how certain provisions of the No Surprises Act apply to health benefits plans offered by carriers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act (FEHBA).
State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee; Notice of Virtual Meeting
Document Number: 2021-14287
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-07-06
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This notice announces a meeting of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (hereinafter the Committee). This notice provides information to members of the public who may be interested in attending the meetings or providing written comments related to the work of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
Exemption From Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving the Electrical Insurance Trustees Insurance Fund and the Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (the Plans or the Applicants) Located in Alsip, Illinois
Document Number: 2021-13680
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-06-28
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a notice of an exemption issued by the Department of Labor (the Department) from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act). The exemption permits: (a) The sale (the Sale) by the Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (the EJAT Trust) of 5.11 acres of unimproved real property (the Property) to the Electrical Insurance Trustees Insurance Fund (the EIT Fund), a party in interest with respect to the EJAT Trust; and (b) the EIT Fund's granting of a right of first offer (the Right of First Offer) to the EJAT Trust to purchase the Property back from the EIT Fund, provided all of the conditions described below are satisfied.
Proposed Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving the Mitsubishi UJF Trust and Banking Corporation Located in New York, NY
Document Number: 2021-13676
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-06-28
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document provides notice of the pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code).
Reopening of Comment Period for Proposed Amendments to Class Prohibited Transaction Exemptions To Remove Credit Ratings Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Document Number: 2021-13149
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-06-24
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor is reopening the comment period on proposed amendments to six class exemptions from prohibited transaction rules set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (the Code). The exemptions are Prohibited Transaction Exemptions (PTEs) 75-1, 80-83, 81-8, 95-60, 97- 41 and 2006-16. The proposed amendments relate to the use of credit ratings in the conditions of these class exemptions. Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires the Department to remove any references to or requirements of reliance on credit ratings from its class exemptions and to substitute standards of creditworthiness as the Department determines to be appropriate. This reopening of the comment period provides interested persons with the opportunity to submit additional comments on the proposed amendments due to the passage of time since the proposal was originally published in 2013. All comments received to date on the proposed amendments will be included in the public record and need not be resubmitted. The proposed amendments to the class exemptions would affect participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans and IRAs, fiduciaries of the plans and IRAs, and financial institutions that engage in transactions with, or provide services to, the plans and IRAs.
Request for Information Regarding Reporting on Pharmacy Benefits and Prescription Drug Costs
Document Number: 2021-13138
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2021-06-23
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury, Office of Personnel Management
This document is a request for information on issues related to certain reporting requirements under section 204 of Title II of Division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) that are applicable to group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage. The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (the Departments) are issuing this request for information to gather input from the public regarding implementation considerations for the data collection required under section 204 of Title II of Division BB of the CAA, and the associated impact on group health plans and health insurance issuers. As part of this request for information, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is also seeking input from the public regarding implementation considerations for the data collection required under section 204 of Title II of Division BB of the CAA as it pertains to Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) carriers (whether or not they are also health insurance issuers). The Departments and OPM also seek input on specific data elements, including the level of detail that is feasible to report for entities subject to the data collection requirements and the associated burdens and potential compliance costs. Public comments will inform the Departments' and OPM's implementation of section 204 through rulemaking and the establishment of processes to receive the required information.
State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee-Notice of Virtual Meetings
Document Number: 2021-11475
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-06-01
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This notice announces meetings of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (hereinafter the Committee). This notice provides information to members of the public who may be interested in attending the meetings or providing written comments related to the work of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
Exemption From Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Goldman Sachs or the Applicant) Located in New York, New York
Document Number: 2021-11366
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-05-28
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a notice of exemption issued by the Department of Labor (the Department) from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). The exemption affects the ability of certain entities with specified relationships to Goldman Sachs to continue to rely upon relief provided by Prohibited Transaction Exemption 84-14 (PTE-84-14).
State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee-Notice of Virtual Meeting
Document Number: 2021-10930
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-05-25
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This notice announces the second meeting of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (hereinafter the Committee). This notice provides information to members of the public who may be interested in attending the meeting or providing written comments related to the work of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
206th Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2021-10296
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-05-17
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans Nominations for Vacancy; Insurance Representative
Document Number: 2021-10090
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-05-13
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee-Notice of Virtual Meeting
Document Number: 2021-09078
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-04-30
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This notice announces the first meeting of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (hereinafter the Committee). This notice provides information to members of the public who may be interested in attending the meeting or providing written comments related to the work of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
Agency Information Collection Activities; Request for Public Comment
Document Number: 2021-08344
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-04-22
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. Currently, the EBSA is soliciting comments on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Implementation and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 Part 45. A copy of the information collection request (ICR) may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. (DIMA or the Applicant) and Certain Current and Future Asset Management Affiliates of Deutsche Bank AG (each a DB QPAM) Located in New York, New York
Document Number: 2021-07963
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-04-19
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document is a notice of exemption issued by the Department of Labor (the Department) from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). The exemption allows entities with specified relationships to Deutsche Bank AG to continue to rely on the exemptive relief provided by Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14, if certain conditions are met.
Publication of Model Notices for Health Care Continuation Coverage Provided Pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and Other Health Care Continuation Coverage, as Required by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Notice
Document Number: 2021-07467
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-04-12
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). Section 9501(a)(5)(D) and (6)(D) of ARP directs the Department of Labor (Department) to develop model notices for use by group health plans and other entities that, pursuant to the ARP, must provide notices of the availability of premium reductions and additional election periods for health care continuation coverage. This document announces the availability of the model notices.
Proposed Extension of Information Collection Requests Submitted for Public Comment
Document Number: 2021-06599
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-03-31
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed extension of the information collection requests (ICRs) contained in the documents described below. A copy of the ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. ICRs also are available at reginfo.gov (https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain).
Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of OMB Approvals
Document Number: 2021-06598
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-03-31
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved certain collections of information, listed in the Supplementary Information section below, following EBSA's submission of requests for such approvals under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). This notice describes the approved or re-approved information collections and provides their OMB control numbers and current expiration dates as required by the PRA.
Proposed Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving the Electrical Insurance Trustees Insurance Fund and the Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (the Plans or the Applicants) Located in Alsip, IL
Document Number: 2021-05843
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-03-22
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document provides notice of the pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code).
205th Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2021-05474
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-03-17
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee
Document Number: 2021-04241
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-03-02
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This notice announces the establishment of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (Committee) and also solicits nominations for members to be appointed by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary). The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Department of Labor (DOL) to establish (and periodically update) a standardized reporting format for voluntary reporting by group health plans to State All Payer Claims Databases and provide guidance to States on collecting data. The Act also directs the Secretary to convene an advisory committee.
Proposed Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. (DIMA or the Applicant) and Certain Current and Future Asset Management Affiliates of Deutsche Bank AG (Each a DB QPAM) Located in New York, New York
Document Number: 2021-02886
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-02-12
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document provides notice of the pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). If this proposed exemption is granted, certain entities with specified relationships to Deutsche Bank AG will not be precluded from relying on the exemptive relief provided by Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14.
Proposed Exemption for Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions Involving The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Goldman Sachs or the Applicant) Located in New York, New York
Document Number: 2020-29113
Type: Notice
Date: 2021-01-04
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document provides notice of the pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). If this proposed exemption is granted, certain entities with specified relationships to Goldman Sacs will not be precluded from relying on the exemptive relief provided by Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14.
Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2020-02, Improving Investment Advice for Workers & Retirees
Document Number: 2020-27825
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-12-18
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document contains a class exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (the Act). Title I of the Act codified a prohibited transaction provision in title 29 of the U.S. Code (referred to in this document as Title I). Title II of the Act codified a parallel provision now found in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). These prohibited transaction provisions of Title I and the Code generally prohibit fiduciaries with respect to ``plans,'' including workplace retirement plans (Plans) and individual retirement accounts and annuities (IRAs), from engaging in self-dealing and receiving compensation from third parties in connection with transactions involving the Plans and IRAs. The provisions also prohibit purchasing and selling investments with the Plans and IRAs when the fiduciaries are acting on behalf of their own accounts (principal transactions). This exemption allows investment advice fiduciaries to plans under both Title I and the Code to receive compensation, including as a result of advice to roll over assets from a Plan to an IRA, and to engage in principal transactions, that would otherwise violate the prohibited transaction provisions of Title I and the Code. The exemption applies to Securities and Exchange Commissionand state- registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, banks, insurance companies, and their employees, agents, and representatives that are investment advice fiduciaries. The exemption includes protective conditions designed to safeguard the interests of Plans, participants and beneficiaries, and IRA owners. The class exemption affects participants and beneficiaries of Plans, IRA owners, and fiduciaries with respect to such Plans and IRAs. This notice also sets forth the Department's final interpretation of when advice to roll over Plan assets to an IRA will be considered fiduciary investment advice under Title I and the Code.
Fiduciary Duties Regarding Proxy Voting and Shareholder Rights
Document Number: 2020-27465
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-12-16
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (Department) is amending the ``Investment Duties'' regulation to address the application of the prudence and exclusive purpose duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to the exercise of shareholder rights, including proxy voting, the use of written proxy voting policies and guidelines, and the selection and monitoring of proxy advisory firms. This document also removes Interpretive Bulletin 2016- 01 from the Code of Federal Regulations as it no longer represents the view of the Department regarding the proper interpretation of ERISA with respect to the exercise of shareholder rights by fiduciaries of ERISA-covered plans.
Grandfathered Group Health Plans and Grandfathered Group Health Insurance Coverage
Document Number: 2020-27498
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-12-15
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury
This document includes final rules regarding grandfathered group health plans and grandfathered group health insurance coverage that amend current rules to provide greater flexibility for certain grandfathered health plans to make changes to certain types of fixed- amount cost-sharing requirements without causing a loss of grandfather status under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans'
Document Number: 2020-26119
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-11-25
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Registration Requirements for Pooled Plan Providers
Document Number: 2020-25170
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-11-16
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This final regulation establishes the requirements for registering with the Department of Labor as a ``pooled plan provider'' for ``pooled employer plans'' under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) provides that newly permitted pooled plan providers can begin offering pooled employer plans on January 1, 2021, but requires such persons to register with the Secretary of Labor before beginning operations. This final regulation also establishes a new formEBSA Form PR (Pooled Plan Provider Registration)as the required filing format for pooled plan provider registrations. The Form PR must be filed electronically with the Department of Labor. Filing the Form PR with the Department of Labor also satisfies the SECURE Act requirement to register with the Department of the Treasury. This final regulation affects persons wishing to serve as pooled plan providers, defined contribution pension benefit plans that are operated as pooled employer plans, employers participating in such plans, and participants and beneficiaries covered by such plans.
Financial Factors in Selecting Plan Investments
Document Number: 2020-24515
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-11-13
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (Department) is adopting amendments to the ``investment duties'' regulation under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The amendments require plan fiduciaries to select investments and investment courses of action based solely on financial considerations relevant to the risk-adjusted economic value of a particular investment or investment course of action.
Transparency in Coverage
Document Number: 2020-24591
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-11-12
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury
The final rules set forth requirements for group health plans and health insurance issuers in the individual and group markets to disclose cost-sharing information upon request to a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (or his or her authorized representative), including an estimate of the individual's cost-sharing liability for covered items or services furnished by a particular provider. Under the final rules, plans and issuers are required to make this information available on an internet website and, if requested, in paper form, thereby allowing a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (or his or her authorized representative) to obtain an estimate and understanding of the individual's out-of-pocket expenses and effectively shop for items and services. The final rules also require plans and issuers to disclose in-network provider negotiated rates, historical out-of- network allowed amounts, and drug pricing information through three machine-readable files posted on an internet website, thereby allowing the public to have access to health coverage information that can be used to understand health care pricing and potentially dampen the rise in health care spending. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also finalizes amendments to its medical loss ratio (MLR) program rules to allow issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to receive credit in their MLR calculations for savings they share with enrollees that result from the enrollees shopping for, and receiving care from, lower-cost, higher-value providers.
Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Document Number: 2020-24332
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-11-06
Agency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Office of the Secretary, Department of the Treasury
This interim final rule with request for comments (IFC) discusses CMS's implementation of section 3713 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which established Medicare Part B coverage and payment for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine and its administration. This IFC implements requirements in the CARES Act that providers of COVID-19 diagnostic tests make public their cash prices for those tests and establishes an enforcement scheme to enforce those requirements. This rule also establishes an add-on payment for cases involving the use of new COVID- 19 treatments under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). This IFC provides for separate payment for new COVID-19 treatments under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for the remainder of the PHE for COVID-19 when these treatments are provided at the same time as a Comprehensive Ambulatory Payment Classification (C-APC) service. This rule also interprets and implements the requirement to maintain Medicaid beneficiary enrollment in order to receive the temporary increase in Federal funding in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This IFC modifies policies of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model and adds technical changes to accommodate these policy changes. Specifically, we are extending Performance Year (PY) 5 by adding 6 months, creating an episode-based extreme and uncontrollable circumstances COVID-19 policy, providing two reconciliation periods for PY 5, and adding DRGs 521 and 522 for hip and knee procedures. This rule also amends regulations regarding coverage of preventive health services to implement section 3203 of the CARES Act, which shortens the timeframe within which non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers offering non-grandfathered group or individual health insurance coverage must begin to cover without cost sharing qualifying coronavirus preventive services, including recommended COVID-19 immunizations. This IFC also revises regulations to set forth flexibilities in the public notice requirements and post award public participation requirements for State Innovation Waivers under section 1332 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) during the public health emergency for COVID-19.
204th Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2020-24291
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-11-03
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Proposed Extension of Information Collection Requests Submitted for Public Comment
Document Number: 2020-23191
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-10-20
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed extension of the information collection requests (ICRs) contained in the documents described below. A copy of the ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. ICRs also are available at reginfo.gov (https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain).
203rd Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2020-22766
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-10-15
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
202nd Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2020-21307
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-09-28
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Nominations for Vacancies
Document Number: 2020-20875
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-09-22
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Fiduciary Duties Regarding Proxy Voting and Shareholder Rights
Document Number: 2020-19472
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2020-09-04
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (Department) is proposing to amend the ``Investment duties'' regulation issued in 1979 to address the application of the prudence and exclusive purpose duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to the exercise of shareholder rights, including proxy voting, the use of written proxy voting policies and guidelines, and the selection and monitoring of proxy advisory firms. This document also states that Interpretive Bulletin 2016-01 no longer represents the view of the Department regarding the proper interpretation of ERISA with respect to the exercise of shareholder rights by fiduciaries of ERISA-covered plans, and notes that it will be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations when a final rule is adopted.
Registration Requirements for Pooled Plan Providers
Document Number: 2020-18504
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2020-09-01
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This proposed rule would establish the requirements for registering with the Department of Labor as a ``pooled plan provider'' for ``pooled employer plans'' under sections 3(43) and 3(44) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) provides that newly permitted ``pooled plan providers'' can begin offering ``pooled employer plans'' on January 1, 2021, but requires such persons to register with the Secretary of Labor before beginning operations. The proposed rule would also establish a new formEBSA Form PR (Pooled Plan Provider Registration)as the required filing format for pooled plan provider registrations. Filing the proposed Form PR with the Department of Labor would also satisfy the SECURE Act requirement to register with the Treasury Department. The proposed rule would affect persons wishing to serve as pooled plan providers, employee defined contribution pension benefit plans that are operated as pooled employer plans, employers participating in such plans, and participants and beneficiaries covered by such plans.
201st Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2020-19034
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-08-28
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Hearing on Improving Investment Advice for Workers & Retirees
Document Number: 2020-18716
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2020-08-25
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Notice is hereby given that the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will hold a public hearing to consider issues attendant to adopting a proposed prohibited transaction exemption on Improving Investment Advice for Workers and Retirees. Testimony will be limited to individuals or parties who submitted, in accordance with the instructions included in the proposed prohibited transaction exemption, a comment or hearing request on the proposed exemption before the close of the comment period. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hearing will be held virtually and there will be no in-person testimony.
Grandfathered Group Health Plans and Grandfathered Group Health Insurance Coverage
Document Number: 2020-14895
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2020-07-15
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury
This document is a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding grandfathered group health plans and grandfathered group health insurance coverage that would, if finalized, amend current rules to provide greater flexibility for certain grandfathered health plans to make changes to certain types of cost-sharing requirements without causing a loss of grandfather status.
Improving Investment Advice for Workers & Retirees
Document Number: 2020-14261
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2020-07-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document gives notice of a proposed class exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and the Code generally prohibit fiduciaries with respect to employee benefit plans (Plans) and individual retirement accounts and annuities (IRAs) from engaging in self-dealing and receiving compensation from third parties in connection with transactions involving the Plans and IRAs. The provisions also prohibit purchasing and selling investments with the Plans and IRAs when the fiduciaries are acting on behalf of their own accounts (principal transactions). This proposed exemption would allow investment advice fiduciaries under both ERISA and the Code to receive compensation, including as a result of advice to roll over assets from a Plan to an IRA, and to engage in principal transactions, that would otherwise violate the prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and the Code. The exemption would apply to registered investment advisers, broker- dealers, banks, insurance companies, and their employees, agents, and representatives that are investment advice fiduciaries. The exemption would include protective conditions designed to safeguard the interests of Plans, participants and beneficiaries, and IRA owners. The new class exemption would affect participants and beneficiaries of Plans, IRA owners, and fiduciaries with respect to such Plans and IRAs.
Conflict of Interest Rule-Retirement Investment Advice: Notice of Court Vacatur
Document Number: 2020-14260
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-07-07
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document implements the vacatur of the Department's 2016 final rule defining who is a ``fiduciary'' under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This document also reflects the removal of two prohibited transaction exemptions (PTEs 2016-01 and 2016-02) published with the 2016 final rule and the return of the amended prohibited transaction exemptions (PTEs 75-1, 77-4, 80-83, 83- 1, 84-24, and 86-128) to their pre-amendment form. In addition, this document reinstates Interpretive Bulletin 96-1.
200th Meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; Notice of Teleconference Meeting
Document Number: 2020-14228
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-07-02
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
Default Electronic Disclosure by Employee Pension Benefit Plans Under ERISA; Correction
Document Number: 2020-13084
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-07-02
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
This document corrects an inadvertent error in paragraph numbering in the final rule entitled ``Default Electronic Disclosure by Employee Pension Benefit Plans under ERISA,'' published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2020 (85 FR 31884). That rule adopted a new safe harbor for plan administrators to use to furnish information to participants and beneficiaries of retirement plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
Financial Factors in Selecting Plan Investments
Document Number: 2020-13705
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2020-06-30
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (Department) in this document proposes amendments to the ``Investment duties'' regulation under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), to confirm that ERISA requires plan fiduciaries to select investments and investment courses of action based solely on financial considerations relevant to the risk-adjusted economic value of a particular investment or investment course of action.
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