Introduction to Health Insurance-Related Laws
Employers are not generally required by law to provide their employees with health insurance (with the exception of many Hawaii employers). Nonetheless, health insurance is one of the most common employer-provided benefits that attract and retain workers. When employers do sponsor a company health plan, the health coverage becomes subject to a vast and complex matrix of federal and state regulation. Finally, starting in 2014, certain employers with 50 or more employees that do not sponsor a health plan may face tax penalties for employees receiving subsidies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
This Section will cover the major federal laws governing employer-provided health coverage. They include (in alphabetical order):
- CHIPRA
- COBRA
- ERISA
- FMLA
- GINA
- HIPAA
- Mental Health Parity Act
- Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
- Michelle’s Law
- Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act
- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- USERRA
- Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998