By: Kevin Brady, Esq.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) jointly issued a Final Rule extending a number of deadlines and timeframes relevant to group health plans. The Final Rule recognizes that as a result of the National Emergency, plan participants “may encounter problems in exercising their health coverage portability and continuation coverage rights, or in filing or perfecting their benefit claims. As such, the stated purpose of the Final Rule is “to minimize the possibility of individuals losing benefits because of a failure to comply with certain pre-established timeframes.”
The Final Rule essentially requires plans to disregard a designated period of time when determining whether certain deadlines or timeframes are satisfied. Consistent with the Final Rule’s stated purpose, the extension of these timeframes will provide additional opportunities for employees and their dependents to maintain existing, or enroll in, coverage as well as provide additional opportunities for participant’s to submit and appeal claims. This designated period of time is succinctly described as the “Outbreak Period” which entails “the period from March 1, 2020 until sixty (60) days after the announced end of the national emergency period or such other date announced by the Agencies in a future notification.”
HIPAA
Special Enrollment
Under HIPAA, employees who experience certain special enrollment events generally have a limited period of time (following the event) to request coverage under their employer’s plan. Under the Final Rule, the Outbreak Period must be disregarded when considering whether a HIPAA special enrollment request is timely.
COBRA
Electing Continuation Coverage
Plan participants who experience “qualifying events” are generally eligible for continued coverage under COBRA subject to certain conditions. After receipt of the COBRA election notice, “qualified beneficiaries” have 60 days to elect continuation coverage. Under the Final Rule, plans must disregard the Outbreak Period when determining whether a qualified beneficiary’s election is timely.
Timely Payment of Premiums
After electing COBRA continuation coverage, qualified beneficiaries must pay their first premium payment with 45 days of their election. Furthermore, qualified beneficiaries must pay premiums in a timely fashion (a premium is considered paid timely “if it is made not later than 30 days after the first day of the period for which payment is being made.” Under the Final Rule, the Outbreak Period cannot be considered when determining whether payment of the premium is timely.
Notice of Qualifying Event
Under certain circumstances (generally divorce or a child losing dependent status), plan participants will bear the responsibility for notifying the group health plan of the qualifying event under COBRA. While COBRA typically requires this notice to be provided within 60 days, the Final Rule requires plans to disregard the Outbreak Period when determining whether notice is timely.
Claims and Appeals
Filing of Claims
Group health plans will generally limit the period of time in which a claim may submitted and considered eligible for coverage. Under the Final Rule, plans must disregard the Outbreak Period when considering whether a claim has been timely filed. This will undoubtedly lead to additional, and potentially significant exposure, for plans as claims that could have been properly denied previously, may now be payable under the plan.
Appealing an Adverse Benefit Decision
Group health plans must provide participants at least 180 days to appeal an adverse benefit decision. Whether a plan provides the required 180 days, or more, plans must disregard the Outbreak Period when determining this deadline. Similar to the extension of the deadline for filing claims, this extension may also lead to additional, and potentially significant, exposure for plans.
External Reviews
For claimants enrolled in non-grandfathered group health plans, those claims which are otherwise eligible for external review (only certain types of appeals are eligible), are entitled to additional time to request an external review under ERISA’s appeals procedure rules. Under the Final Rule, the Outbreak Period is disregarded when considering the deadline to file an external review.
Further, if a claimant’s external review request is not “complete” (meaning that the request for review is not sufficient to be considered by the Independent Review Organization) the claimant is typically limited to the duration of the filing period to perfect the request. However, the Final Rule also requires the plan to disregard the Outbreak Period when determining whether additional information, provided to perfect a request for external review, is timely.