Catastrophe reveals character and exposes fraud. From one shut-in to another, I’ve quickly learned from the flood of calls and “chats” that some clients rush to the aid of customers and others rush to the bunkers. A reckoning will come later when I evaluate my own contributions and assess the decent use of my time…
The Washington Insurance Commissioner (OIC) has proposed new rules to codify current procedures for filing large group health plans for bona fide associations. Under current requirements, the agency provides instructions for filing association health plans qualifying as a single large group plan under ERISA rather than rules governing these filings. The OIC requires that insurance…
On June 5th, the Department of Labor (DOL) and defendants in the Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest (AIIN) ERISA litigation reached a settlement and consent order which was submitted to Eastern Washington Chief United States District Court Judge Thomas Rice. The proposed settlement ends two years of litigation over DOL alleged violations of ERISA’s…
Go ahead, keep it up and see if I bite. On Monday, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued an enforcement statement addressing the U.S. District Court decision invalidating DOL rules liberalizing bona fide AHP standards. Essentially, DOL will not bring an action against these newer AHPs until the end of the current plan…
On Thursday, a federal court judge for the District of Columbia struck down the new Department of Labor’s (DOL) association health plan (AHP) rules declaring, “these provisions are unlawful and must be set aside…[and the] bona fide association and working owner provisions are therefore vacated.” As an attorney, I cringe thinking about fellow attorneys standing…
The Washington Insurance Commissioner (OIC) adopted emergency rules governing association health plans (AHPs) created under the recently liberalized Department of Labor (DOL) standards for bona fide AHPs. The liberalized standards allow loosely affiliated small businesses to become eligible for treatment as a large group plan under ERISA. Under the DOL regulations which took effect for…
