Agencies consider new rule on excepted benefits

The Labor Department, Health and Human Services and the Treasury Department are considering a rule that would let employers to offer their employees getting healthcare coverage through private markets access to wraparound coverage.

 “The proposed rules would give employees who otherwise may not be able to get generous employer-based benefits access to high level benefits,” the Department of Labor said in a news release.

The rule would start out as a pilot program available to employees with multi-state plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace and those who enroll in individual market plans.

In order to qualify as a limited excepted benefit under the individual coverage option, limited wraparound coverage can only be offered to part-time and seasonable employees and must wrap around eligible individual health plans.

 The public has 30 days to comment once the proposed rule after its published in the Federal Register on Dec. 23.