Publications for Mindi M. Johnson
The IRS recently issued proposed regulations that would expand the availability of hardship distributions under 401(k) and 403(b) plans (the “Proposed Regulations”). The Proposed Regulations reflect the changes that were implemented by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (the “Act”), and address many of the questions that were left unanswered by the Act.
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently announced that its final rule (the “Final Rule”) on disability claims procedures for employer-provided disability benefits will go into effect on April 1, 2018.
In a recent opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court emphatically reaffirmed the requirement that collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”) must be interpreted according to “ordinary principles of contract law” when deciding whether retired employees are entitled to health care benefits. CNH Industrial N.V. v. Reese, No. 17-515, 2018 WL 942419 (U.S. Feb. 20, 2018).
On December 22, 2017, the President signed into law the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" commonly referred to as "Tax Reform."
In 2008, the Michigan Supreme Court concluded that domestic partnership policies intended to provide health care benefits to same sex couples violated Michigan law. Recently, in Attorney General v Civil Service Commission, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a policy providing health care benefits to state employees and "other eligible adult individuals."
In a recent complaint filed in Minnesota against Accretive Health, a business associate was implicated for breach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
How should a medical provider handle a situation where a minor's parent is unavailable to consent to treatment? Several "best practices" in dealing with this situation are covered in this article.
On January 21, 2011, the City of Pontiac filed a class action lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and 21 hospitals and health systems.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") has recently proposed the much anticipated Long Term Care regulations related to Hospice Services.
All long term care facilities that work with hospices: consider yourselves warned. Surveyors will be coming, scrutinizing your agreements with hospices, and handing out citations for non-compliance.
Beginning January 1, 2011, face-to-face certification and recertification visits with home health and hospice patients will no longer be simply good practice.