Compliance April 7, 2003

EBSA Offering Free HIPAA Compliance Seminars

April 7, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Plan sponsors trying to get up to speed on compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), take heart. The U. S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is on the way.
Reported by

>EBSA, in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, will offer a Compliance Assistance Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 10, 2003, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Conference Center, 2800 Opryland Drive, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

>It’s the first of several such seminars planned by EBSA to help workers and employers, especially small businesses, understand their rights and obligations under various health benefit laws.  

>The session on “HIPAA Portability and Availability” will present key compliance considerations for group health-plan administrators.   According to an EBSA press release, the seminar will offer examples of group health-plan provisions or practices that would not comply with the law followed by tips on how to bring group health plans into compliance.   Additionally, the “COBRA” session will feature a detailed discussion about new IRS COBRA guidance as well as a discussion of compliance-related issues under Tennessee’s COBRA provisions.

>There also will be a session on the Department of Labor’s claims regulation and a discussion on issues involving Tennessee insurance requirements.  Panel participants will include representatives from EBSA, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, and the Internal Revenue Service.

>Registration for the Nashville seminar is on a first come, first served basis, with only limited spaces available, according to EBSA.   Interested parties should register early by email to: Deborah A. Milne at damilne@msn.com.   For registration information, contact EBSA at www.dol.gov/dol/ebsa or 315/762-4665.

>Future seminars are also planned for:

  • Billings, Montana (May 8, 2003)
  • Indianapolis, Indiana (June 12, 2003)
  • Salt Lake City, Utah (July 17, 2003)
  • Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (September 8, 2003)
  • Austin, Texas (September 18, 2003)
  • North Carolina (October 2003)

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