Webinar: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Group Health Plan Considerations and COVID-19 Vaccine Wellness - Bim Group

Webinar: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Group Health Plan Considerations and COVID-19 Vaccine Wellness

Tuesday, March 9, 2021
2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT

Register Now

On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Appropriations Act) was enacted. The Appropriations Act contains various provisions affecting group health plans including health flexible spending arrangement (health FSA) and dependent care flexible spending arrangement (DCAP) relief, mental health and substance use disorder parity, and the No Surprises Act. This webinar will help employers understand these provisions and the steps an employer should take to be compliant.

Additionally, this webinar will address the compliance considerations for employers seeking to implement a vaccine wellness program to encourage employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

This webinar will:

  • Describe the optional carry over, grace period, post-termination reimbursement, DCAP carry forward, and midyear election change relief available for health FSAs and DCAPs and plan amendment considerations
  • Describe the comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) on mental health and substance use disorder benefits requirement and what plans should do to begin complying with this requirement
  • Provide an overview of the group health plan requirements under the No Surprises Act that seeks to prevent surprise medical bills for emergency services and air ambulance bills
  • Describe the compliance considerations under the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) for employers seeking to implement a COVID-19 vaccine incentive wellness program

This 60-minute intermediate level webinar will provide an overview of group health plan relief under the Appropriations Act, the new comparative analysis requirement, and the No Surprises Act.

Register today while seating is still available.

NOTE: If you would like to view the webinar but are not able to attend, we encourage you to still register as you normally would. All registrants will receive a replay and copy of the presentation afterwards. 

If you are a Bim Group client and missed the client-specific invitation, please email info@bimgroup.us with the CLIENT NAME in the subject line to have the preferred employer code emailed to you.

 


PRESENTER

Lorie Maring is a partner in the Atlanta office and a member of the Employee Benefits Practice Group. She has extensive experience in all areas of employee benefits, including health and welfare programs, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and executive compensation. She routinely advises employers, including non-profit and government employers, trade associations and employee benefit insurance and risk management consultants on the complex compliance and day-to-day issues arising under ERISA and other state and federal laws governing employee benefit plans and programs.

 

This series is brought to you by your Partner Firm of United Benefit Advisors — the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 Partner offices in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

 

Recent Insights

November 5, 2026
News

DOL Clarifies MHPAEA Enforcement Priorities

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has provided employers and group health plans with a clearer picture of how it intends to enforce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The DOL issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2026-03, outlining its current enforcement approach to the MHPAEA’s requirements for non-quantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs). At the same […]
Read more
October 15, 2026
News

Compliance Advisor | Agencies Issue Transparency in Coverage Final Rules

On October 5, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services (through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), in partnership with the Departments of Labor and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the “Agencies”) jointly finalized changes to the Transparency in Coverage (TiC) regulations issued in December 2025 (“Final Rules”). The Final Rules impact […]
Read more
October 5, 2026
News

Building a Benefits Strategy for Financial Resilience

Financial wellbeing benefits have traditionally centered on a long-term goal: retirement. But employees’ financial lives don’t begin at retirement. Many are balancing immediate priorities, including healthcare expenses, debt, emergency savings, and everyday living costs. PwC’s 2026 Employee Financial Wellness Survey found that 59% of employees were currently stressed about their finances. For many employees, the immediate concern […]
Read more
October 5, 2026
News

New Guidance Regarding Health-Contingent Wellness Programs

The Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued new FAQs addressing health-contingent wellness programs, including programs that impose tobacco-related premium surcharges. The guidance provides important enforcement relief concerning when a wellness reward must be provided after an individual completes a reasonable alternative standard. Health-contingent wellness programs […]
Read more