Effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits group health plans and issuers from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions (PCEs) on any enrollees. Prior to 2014 plan years, the ACA prohibited PCEs for enrollees under 19 years of age. The ACA’s restrictions on PCEs apply to both grandfathered and non-grandfathered plans.
On Feb. 24, 2014, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury (Departments) issued a final rule that addresses how the ACA’s prohibition on PCEs affects the requirement to provide HIPAA Certificates of Creditable Coverage (HIPAA Certificates).
The final rule eliminates the requirement to provide HIPAA Certificates, beginning Dec. 31, 2014.