DOL Issues FAQs on Health Care Reform Laws

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) posted answers to 15 questions about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 on its website. The frequently asked questions were prepared jointly by EBSA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department.

The FAQs address preventative care benefits, automatic enrollment in health plans, disclosure under PHS Act section 2715(d)(4), dependent coverage of children to age 26, preexisting condition exclusions for children in the individual market, grandfathered health plans, and nondiscrimination based on a health factor and wellness programs. The website also provides links to previously issued FAQs.