Employee Benefits Security Administration issues guidance on wellness program rules under HIPAA

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) 2008-02, which provides guidance to the agency’s national and regional offices on the department’s final wellness program rules.

In December 2006, the department issued final regulations relating to the wellness provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Since then, the department has received questions as to what types of health promotion or disease prevention programs offered by a group health plan must comply with the those regulations and how to determine whether such programs comply with the regulations.

FAB 2008-02 provides further guidance in the form of a checklist. The checklist includes examples and tips on the applicability of the wellness program rules and, if the rules apply, the five compliance criteria.

The FAB is part of the department’s ongoing compliance assistance program to help employers, plan officials and service providers, and others comply with ERISA. Field Assistance Bulletins are available on the Internet at www.dol.gov/ebsa.

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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.