New Self-Compliance Tool for Part 7 of ERISA
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued a self-compliance tool that allows group health plans, plan administrators, and others to determine whether a group health plan is in compliance with Part 7 of ERISA, including certain provisions of HIPAA, the Mental Health Parity Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, Michelle’s Law and other health care-related laws set forth in Part 7 of ERISA. The tool is divided into six parts, one for each law. If a Plan answers “no” to any question in a given part, the plan is in violation of the applicable law covered in that part. For example, Part I of the tool contains thirty-five questions that allow a plan to determine whether it is in compliance with the HIPAA provisions covered in Part 7 of ERISA. If a plan answers “no” to any question in Part I, then the Plan is in violation of the HIPAA provisions covered in Part 7 of ERISA. Click the following link to find the self-compliance tool on the DOL’s website: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/cagappa.pdf.
For more information about compliance with Part 7 of ERISA, please contact your Trust Fund counsel.
Author: Ezekiel D. Carder
