July 19, 2010

The ADA is backing a federal bill to stop dental benefit plans from dictating rates that dentists must charge for services not covered under a patient’s plan. 

H.R. 5000 would stop this practice at the national level and would apply to all ERISA or employer self-insured plans. Other provisions in the bill address coordination of benefits, assignment of benefits, downcoding by insurers, equal payment for participating and non participating providers, and other related insurer practices. 

July 19, 2010

Two new tax benefits are available to employers hiring employees who were previously unemployed or only working part-time.  In order to encourage employers to hire unemployed workers, President Obama signed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act on March 18.  The HIRE Act allows an exemption on the employer paid portion of social security payroll taxes (6.2%) for wages paid to new hires after March 18, 2010 and before January 1, 2011.