California Considering Statewide Vaccine Mandate

Democratic leaders in California proposed a new mandate that all businesses require their employees and independent contractors to receive the Covid vaccine. Those employees or contractors who have religious or medical exemptions would undergo regular Covid testing. People who become employed would have to get one dose by the time they start a new job and would be required to have a second dose within 45 days of their start date.

The mandate would remain in place until the CDC says that vaccinations are no longer necessary. Businesses that do not comply will face penalties from Cal/OSHA, although those penalties have yet to be determined.

The statewide vaccine mandate is receiving criticism from Republican leaders who believe the mandate is government overreach. Supporters of the mandate cite the economic impact of closures and shutdowns as the reason for the mandate. The bill will go into committee hearings in the spring.

Source: ClaimsJournal.com

March 1 Deadline for Reporting Breaches Under 500

The deadline this year for reporting breaches under 500 report is March 1. This report requires businesses under HIPAA to report protected health information breaches of less than 500 people to the Office of Civil Rights.
The breach portal can be accessed here. It is highly recommended to access the portal for reporting before March 1 to avoid delays. The report will cover breaches that occurred in 2021.

Source: JDSupra.com

Get Ready for Reporting Prescription Drug Costs

The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) requires that health insurers and group health plans report information about the costs of prescription drugs and other healthcare-related services annually. Starting in 2022 and going forward, the deadline will be June 1. The information collected from the CAA will be submitted annually to the US Departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services.
What does this mean? In an effort to combat the rising costs of prescription drugs and health care services, the reporting is meant to increase price transparency. Health insurers and health plans will report:

•  the 50 brand name prescription drugs that were most frequently paid out and the number of claims;
• as well as the 50 prescription drugs that the plan spent the most on and the amount paid for each of those;
• the 50 prescription drugs that increased the most from the previous year and the amount those drugs increased;
•  the total amounts spent on health care including type of cost, prescription drug costs to enrollees, and the average monthly premiums paid by both the plan and the enrollee;
• finally, the reduction in premiums and out-of-pocket costs due to drug manufacturer rebates and similar payments.

Source: JDSupra.com

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