Archived Insight | April 20, 2021

HHS Extends the National Public Health Emergency into July

Effective April 21, 2021, the federal government extended the COVID-19 public health emergency. That means the public health emergency will last for at least an additional 90 days, until July 20, 2021.

This is the fifth extension of the emergency, which the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services initially declared on January 31, 2020 (retroactive to January 27, 2020). The secretary could terminate the public health emergency earlier than July 20, 2021 or extend it again.

This public emergency declaration is important to health plan sponsors because it determines the period of time during which group health plans and insurers must pay for COVID-19 tests and related services without charging cost sharing. In addition, non-grandfathered plans must cover vaccines in network as a preventive benefit, but during the public emergency must also cover them on an out-of-network basis.

Have questions about how the emergency declarations affect your health plan?

We have answers

Get in Touch

See more insights

"Techsploring" the Possibilities: Adapting to an Evolving Benefit Fund Office Landscape

Join us at an important summit, full of timely and useful information to support your fund’s future administration needs and goals.

Multiemployer Plans, Technology, Benefits Technology, ATC

Senior Grandparents And Granddaughter Gardening In The Backyard Garden

Treasury Guidance on Retirement Plan RMDs

The final rule reflects changes made by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) and closely follows the 2022 proposed rule.

Retirement, Compliance, Multiemployer Plans, Public Sector, Healthcare Industry, Higher Education, Corporate, Architecture Engineering & Construction

Read Full Insight

Male Physician Talks To His Patient About Her Medical Test Results

Medical Stop-Loss Premiums Increase by More Than 9%

Get key observations about stop-loss coverage from Segal’s 2024 national medical stop-loss dataset, which includes more than 230 plans.

Health, Insurance, Multiemployer Plans, Public Sector, Healthcare Industry, Higher Education, Pharmaceutical, Corporate

Get the Infographic

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. You are encouraged to discuss the issues raised here with your legal, tax and other advisors before determining how the issues apply to your specific situations.