Benefits Buzz: July 2020

As HHS Finalizes Its Updated §1557 Rules, the United States Supreme Court Rules Title VII Protects Individuals From Discrimination Due To Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity

 

REMINDER: PCORI Fees Due By July 31,2020

 

IRS Announces HSA and HDHP Limits for 2021

 

COVID-19 Guidance for Section 125 Midyear Election Changes

 

Summer Safety Tips: Outdoor Exercise – Video

 

As HHS Finalizes Its Updated §1557 Rules, the United States Supreme Court Rules Title VII Protects Individuals From Discrimination Due To Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
by Marathas Barrow Weatherhead Lent LLP, a national law firm with recognized experts on the Affordable Care Act. Contact Stacy Barrow or Nicole Quinn-Gato at or

On June 12, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released its Final Rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act which, among other things, modifies the regulation issued by HHS in May 2016 (“2016 Rules”). The 2016 Rules were subject to multiple lawsuits over the years and HHS claims the Final Rules, among other things, “better comply with the mandates of Congress…reduce confusion…and clarify the scope of Section 1557 in keeping with pre-existing civil rights statutes and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability.”

Just days after the Final Rule was released, the United States Supreme Court released its much anticipated opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia regarding whether an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity protects them from discrimination on the basis of sex under Title VII.
While these two issues are seemingly unrelated, as we discuss in this alert, we believe the Court’s decision makes the Final Rule ripe for legal challenge. The decision also impacts employer-sponsored group health plans regardless of whether they are “covered entities” for purposes of Section 1557.

Section 1557

Covered Entities
Under prior HHS Rules (issued in 2016) Section 1557 of the ACA applied to “covered entities,” which were defined as health programs or activities that receive “federal funding” from HHS (except Medicare Part B payments), including state and federal Marketplaces. Examples include hospitals, health clinics, community health centers, group health plans, health insurance issuers, physician’s practices, nursing facilities, as well as employers with respect to their own employee health benefit programs if the employer is principally engaged in providing or administering health programs or activities (i.e., hospitals, physician practices, etc.), or the employer receives federal funds to fund the employer’s health benefit program.

Further, group health plans themselves were subject to the rule if they received federal funds from HHS (e.g., Medicare Part D Subsidies, Medicare Advantage). In other words, employers who were not principally engaged in providing health care or health coverage generally were not subject to these rules directly unless they sponsor an employee health benefit program that receives federal funding through HHS, such as a retiree medical plan that participates in the Medicare Part D retiree drug subsidy program.

This created confusion for many employers. Therefore, in May 2019, HHS issued a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) that narrowed the scope of “covered entities” regulated by Section 1557 clarifying that entities not “principally engaged in health care” are not subject to Section 1557 unless they are funded by, and only to the extent funded by, HHS. Additionally, Entities whose primary business is providing healthcare will also be regulated if they receive federal financial assistance.

Consistent with the Proposed Rule, the Final Rule eliminates the definition of “covered entity”, and clarifies that HHS enforcement authority only extends to (1) a health program or activity, any part of which is receiving federal financial assistance, (2) any program or activity administered by HHS under Title I of the ACA (such as health insurance Marketplaces), but not those that are administered by another federal agency, and (3) any program or activity administered by an entity established under Title I of the ACA. “Health program or activity” encompasses all operations of entities principally engaged in the business of providing healthcare that receive federal financial assistance.

Moreover, an entity principally or otherwise engaged in the business of providing health insurance is not, by virtue of such provision, principally engaged in the provision of healthcare. Thus, the preamble to the Final Rule explains that to the extent an employer-sponsored group health plan does not receive federal financial assistance, such as credits, subsidies, or contracts of insurance, from HHS and is not principally engaged in the business of providing healthcare, the health plan and the employer are not covered entities. This applies even if the plans are not covered by ERISA (e.g., church plans or non-federal governmental plans).

Sex Discrimination

Section 1557 prohibits entities that receive federal financial assistance, any programs or activities administered by an Executive Agency under Title I of the ACA, or a health insurance marketplace (established under Title I) from discriminating against individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

The Final Rule eliminates the definition of “on the basis of sex,” which previously included termination of pregnancy, sex stereotyping, and gender identity. By eliminating this definition, the Final Rule excludes gender identity, stereotyping, and pregnancy termination as protected categories under Section 1557.

The Final Rule uses enforcement mechanisms under other applicable laws and regulations incorporated under Section 1557, which include the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, or national origin), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (sex), the Age Discrimination act of 1975 (age), or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (disability) for purposes of any violations of Section 1557.

To address the elimination of termination of pregnancy, the Final Rule includes the following provisions:

  • Individuals, hospitals or other institutions, programs or activities receiving federal funds cannot be forced or required to pay for a pregnancy termination.
  • No person, public or private entity can be required to pay for any benefit or services, including the use of facilities, related to a pregnancy termination.

Taglines
Under Section 1557, to assist individuals with limited English proficiency, covered entities were required to send certain notices in 15 different languages in every significant communication associated with the health plan that was larger than a brochure or postcard, such as SPDs. As set forth in the Proposed Rule, HHS viewed this requirement as being too costly without data to back up that the taglines are beneficial.

Consistent with the Proposed Rule, the Final Rule eliminates the requirement for taglines to be included in significant communications associated with the health plan.

U.S. Supreme Court Decision Regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful for, among other things, an employer to fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an employee with respect to the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of the employee’s sex. Due to a split among lower courts about whether an employee’s “sex” includes an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the issue in the Bostock case last year. On Monday, June 15, 2020, the Court issued its much anticipated decision.

President Trump’s appointee, Justice Gorsuch, wrote the Majority Opinion and was joined by Justices Roberts, Breyer, Ginsberg, Kagan, and Sotomayor in holding that an employer violates Tile VII if the employer terminates an employee based on the employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity. While all parties conceded that the term “sex” in 1964 referred specifically to the biological distinctions between males and females, the Court concluded that when the an employer uses an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis for hiring or firing, the employee’s sex is (or sex-based rules are) so inextricably intertwined with the decision that a violation of Title VII occurs. Specifically, the opinion provides, “It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.”

Therefore, whether “sex” discrimination includes gender identity or sexual orientation is a settled issue under federal law, and employers should ensure they update any handbooks or other employer policies and take any other necessary actions to ensure compliance with the law.

Section 1557 in Light of the Supreme Court’s Decision

While many speculated that HHS delayed releasing the Final Rule on Section 1557 due to the outstanding U.S. Supreme Court decision, the timing could not have been any more interesting. While the Bostock opinion speaks exclusively to Title VII and Section 1557 speaks to Title IX for purposes of sex discrimination, given the similar protections of Title IX and Title VII, which apply “because of” or “on the basis of” sex, we expect the removal of “gender identity” from the protections of Section 1557 will bring about new challenges to the Final Rule in light of the Bostock opinion.

Moreover, as Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against employees in the terms and conditions of employment on the basis of their sex, including gender identity or sexual orientation, employers should consider this when determining coverage options for employees. Blanket exclusions in group health plans for services related to gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder may be subject to challenge under Title VII.

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REMINDER: PCORI Fees Due By July 31,2020

Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2020 deadline for paying fees that fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

As background, the PCORI was established as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of medical treatments, procedures and strategies that treat, manage, diagnose or prevent illness or injury.

Under the ACA, most employer sponsors and insurers were required to pay PCORI fees until 2019, as it only applied to plan years ending on or before September 30, 2019. However, the PCORI fee was extended to plan years ending on or before September 30, 2029 as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020.

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IRS Announces HSA and HDHP Limits for 2021

The IRS recently released Revenue Procedure 2020-32 to provide the inflation-adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs) for 2021. These limits vary based on whether an individual has self-only or family coverage under an HDHP.

What are the limits for 2021?

Eligible individuals with self-only HDHP coverage will be able to contribute $3,600 to their HSAs for 2021, up from $3,550 for 2020. Eligible individuals with family HDHP coverage will be able to contribute $7,200 to their HSAs for 2021, up from $7,100 in 2020.

Individuals who are age 55 or older are permitted to make an additional $1,000 “catch-up” contribution to their HSAs.

The minimum deductible amount for HDHPs remains the same for 2021 plan years ($1,400 for self-only coverage and $2,800 for family coverage). However, the HDHP maximum out-of-pocket expense limit increases to $7,000 for self-only coverage and $14,000 for family coverage.

What’s next?

Employers that sponsor HDHPs should review their plan’s limits when preparing for the 2021 plan year.

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COVID-19 Guidance for Section 125 Midyear Election Changes

The IRS released Notice 2020-29, which provides temporary flexibility for midyear election changes under a Section 125 cafeteria plan during calendar year 2020. The changes are designed to allow employers to respond to changes in employee needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guidance relates to midyear elections for:

  • Self-insured and fully insured employer-sponsored health coverage
  • Health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs)
  • Dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs)
  • Employees may be permitted to prospectively make election changes described in the notice, regardless of whether they satisfy existing midyear election change rules.

    The relief applies to all types of health FSAs, including limited-purpose health FSAs. In addition, employers are permitted to limit midyear elections for health FSAs and DCAPs to amounts no less than amounts already reimbursed.


    Employer Action Steps

    Employers using this relief may determine the extent to which such changes are permitted and applied. If these changes are permitted, the employer must adopt a plan amendment by Dec. 31, 2021, and inform employees of the change. The amendment may be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020.

    Changes to the plan may implicate other applicable laws, such as participant notification requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

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    Summer Safety Tips: Outdoor Exercise – Video

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    The information provided in this alert is not, is not intended to be, and shall not be construed to be, either the provision of legal advice or an offer to provide legal services, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the HealthSure, our lawyers or our clients. This is not legal advice. No client-lawyer relationship between you and our lawyers is or may be created by your use of this information. Rather, the content is intended as a general overview of the subject matter covered. HealthSure and Marathas Barrow Weatherhead Lent LLP are not obligated to provide updates on the information presented herein. Those reading this alert are encouraged to seek direct counsel on legal questions.
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