DOL, HHS and Treasury Issue Technical Release on Automatic Enrollment, Waiting Periods and Employer Shared Responsibility Under ACA; Comments Accepted Until April 9

The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has issued Technical Release 2012-01, which provides information on questions from employers and other stakeholders regarding the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) governing automatic enrollment, employer shared responsibility, and the 90-day limitation on waiting periods. These provisions are scheduled to become effective in 2014. Also outlined in the release are various approaches that the three regulatory agencies (Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services) are considering proposing in future regulations or other guidance. The technical release is being issued in substantially identical form by all three Departments.
 
Questions concerning information in the release may be directed to the Department of Labor’s Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance at 202-693-8335; the Internal Revenue Service at 202-927-9639; or the Department of Health and Human Services at 410-786-1565 or phig@cms.hhs.gov.
 
Comments are requested by April 9, 2012, may be submitted anonymously, and will be shared by the Departments. Send comments electronically to: e-ohpsca-er.ebsa@dol.gov. Alternatively, comments may be sent via mail or hand delivery to: Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Room N-5653, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.