Interim rules for health insurance portability for group health plans--HCFA. Interim rules with request for comments

This document contains interim rules governing access, portability and renewability requirements for group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan. The rules contained in this document implement changes made to certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) enacted as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the interim rules for consideration by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (Departments) in developing final rules. The rules contained in this document are being adopted in an interim basis to accommodate statutorily established time frames intended to ensure that sponsors and administrators of group health plans, participants and beneficiaries, States, and issuers of group health insurance coverage have timely guidance concerning compliance with the recently enacted requirements of HIPAA.     

Medicaid and Title IV-E programs; revision to the definition of an unemployed parent--Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and HCFA. Final rule with comment period

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) transformed the nation's welfare system into one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance. The law eliminated the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program and replaced it with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The law provides States flexibility to design their TANF programs in ways that strengthen families and promote work, responsibility, and self-sufficiency while holding them accountable for results. Many States are using this flexibility to provide welfare to work assistance to two parent families, which was more difficult to do under the old welfare rules. However, pre-existing regulations regarding the definition of "unemployed parent" prevent some States from providing intact families with health insurance to help them stay employed. This rule will eliminate this vestige of the old welfare system in order to promote work, strengthen families, and simplify State program administration. In general under PRWORA, States must ensure that families who would have qualified for Medicaid health benefits under the prior welfare law are still eligible. While under the previous law receipt of AFDC qualified families for Medicaid, the new statute does not tie receipt of TANF to Medicaid. Instead, subject to some exceptions, Medicaid eligibility for families and children now depends upon whether a family would have qualified for AFDC under the rules in effect on July 16, 1996. Similarly, Federal foster care eligibility depends on whether the child would have qualified for AFDC under the rules in effect on July 16, 1996. In order for a family to qualify for assistance under the pre-PRWORA AFDC rules, its child had to be deprived of parental support or care due to the death, absence, incapacity, or unemployment of a parent. Two parent families generally qualified only under the "unemployment" criterion which was narrowly defined in the AFDC regulations. In this final rule with comment, we are amending these regulations to provide States with additional flexibility to provide Medicaid coverage to two parent families, facilitate coordination among the TANF, Medicaid and foster care programs, increase incentives for fulltime work, and allow States to eliminate inequitable rules that are a disincentive to family unity.     

Office of Management and Budget control numbers under the Paperwork Reduction Act--OSHA. Final rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is adding new sections to its Safety and Health REgulations for General Industry, Construction and Shipyard Employment. These new sections will be used to consolidate and display all of the control numbers assigned by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for "approved" information collection requirements. OSHA is also identifying information collection requirements found in certain of its other regulations and displaying the OMB control number at the end of each section containing a collection of information. None of the requirements are new; they have been promulgated by OSHA at various times over the past 25 years. The display of OMB control numbers is required under the implementing rules and regulations of OMB and under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.     

Interim rules for mental health parity--IRS, DoL, HCFA. Interim rules with request for comments

This document contains interim rules governing parity between medical/surgical benefits and mental health benefits in group health plans and health insurance coverage offered by issuers in connection with a group health plan. The rules contained in this document implement changes made to certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or Act), and the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) enacted as part of the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) and the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the interim rules for consideration by the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services (Departments) in developing final rules. The rules contained in this document are being adopted on an interim basis to ensure that sponsors and administrators of group health plans, participants and beneficiaries, States, and issuers of group health insurance coverage have timely guidance concerning compliance with the requirements of MHPA.     

Standards of compliance for abortion-related services in family planning services projects. Office of Population Affairs, OPHS, DHHS. Final rules

The rules issues below revise the regulations that apply to grantees under the federal family planning program by readopting the regulations, with one revision, that applied to the program prior to February 2, 1988. Several technical changes to the regulation are also made to remove and/or update obsolete regulatory references. The effect of the revisions made by the rules below is to revoke the compliance standards, promulgated in 1988 and popularly known as the "Gag Rule," that restricted family planning grantees from providing abortion-related information in their grant-funded projects.     

Public Health Service--health maintenance organizations: final regulations

These rules amend the Public Health Service (PHS) regulations by implementing certain changes made by the HMO Amendments of 1978 with respect to grants and loan guarantees for planning and initial development costs (Subpart D) and to loans and loan guarantees for initial costs of operation (Subpart E). These regulations change Subpart D by including projects for the "expansion of services" of an HMO among the projects eligible for initial development assistance. In addition, they change the limits on the amount of assistance permitted for initial development projects. These regulations also change Subpart E by substituting the words "costs of operation" for the words "operating costs," thereby expanding the scope of assistance for initial operations (1) to include costs of certain small capital expenditures for equipment and alterations and renovations of facilities and (2) to incorporate into the regulations a longstanding policy which specifies the amount of preaward balance sheet liabilities which may be paid for with funds under operating loans (whether made directly or guaranteed by the Secretary).     

企业劳动规章的法律性质辨析——兼评我国企业劳动规章法律制度

通过对有关企业劳动规章法律性质各学说的比较分析,认为企业的经营需要与劳动者的权益保护是决定企业劳动规章法律制度的两个基本因素,故提出“修正的根据二分说”的观点,主张企业劳动规章系由基于劳资双方合意的契约发挥效力部分和基于企业经营管理权产生、法律赋予其约束力的部分构成;进而对我国现行企业劳动规章法律制度,尤其是《劳动合同法》第4条中劳资双方权利失衡问题进行了探讨。     

不抵触宪法原则的适用范围:规范差异与制度逻辑

不抵触宪法原则是我国宪法上国家法制统一原则的一项重要内容。该原则对于贯彻宪法精神和原则,维护国家法制统一以及确定合宪性审查的对象范围,具有重要作用和指导意义。根据宪法第5条第3款、第67条第7项第8项、第100条第1款第2款的规定,不抵触宪法原则的适用范围包括法律、国务院制定的行政法规、决定和命令以及省、自治区、直辖市、设区的市人大及其常委会制定的地方性法规和决议。而根据《立法法》第72条第1款第2款、第87条、第97条第2项、第99条第1款第2款、第100条第1款第3款的规定,不抵触宪法原则的适用范围"被扩大"了,还包括自治条例、单行条例和规章。从合宪性审查的制度逻辑出发,宪法之所以将部分行政法规和地方性法规纳入不抵触宪法原则的适用范围,是因为它们存在着直接依据宪法制定的情形。而《立法法》将不抵触宪法原则的适用范围扩展到所有的法律规范,遵循的是一种宽泛意义上的制度逻辑,其所谓的"不抵触",不应当被解释为不抵触宪法原则适用范围的"扩大"。     

Interim final rules for nondiscrimination in health coverage in the group market. Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, Department of Labor; Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. Interim final rules with request for comments

This document contains interim final rules governing the provisions prohibiting discrimination based on a health factor for group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan. The rules contained in this document implement changes made to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) enacted as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).     

党内法规程序的法治向度

党内法规程序是全面从严治党的规范依据,是依规治党、制度治党的必然要求.党内法规程序作为党内法规体系的重要组成部分,自身孕育着法治体系、权利保障与制度规则的法治属性以及确认党内法规适用的具体规则、实现党内法规实施依规依法的"双重价值".党内法规制度效能的发挥以及制度结构的优化,需以法治理性的向度审视党内法规程序法治逻辑延...     

论金融产品销售商的投资者适当性义务

金融产品销售商承担适当性义务需以信赖关系的存在为前提。客户风险承受能力的认定要素应包括主观要素和客观要素。对于主观要素的忽视是导致高估客户风险承受能力的重要原因,可采用木桶短板管理理论进行合理评估。对于金融产品风险等级的确定,司法审判中穿透式认定的做法或有违“尊重专长”原则,通过委托独立的第三方进行重新评估不失为一种解...     

Exemption of work activity as a basis for a continuing disability review. Final rules

We are publishing these final rules to amend our regulations to carry out section 221(m) of the Social Security Act (the Act). Section 221(m) affects our rules for when we will conduct a continuing disability review if you work and receive benefits under title II of the Act based on disability. (We interpret this section to include you if you receive both title II disability benefits and title XVI (Supplemental Security Income (SSI)) payments based on disability.) It also affects our rules on how we evaluate work activity when we decide if you have engaged in substantial gainful activity for purposes of determining whether your disability has ended. In addition, section 221(m) of the Act affects certain other standards we use when we determine whether your disability continues or ends. We are also amending our regulations concerning how we determine whether your disability continues or ends. These revisions will codify our existing operating instructions for how we consider certain work at the last two steps of our continuing disability review process. We are also revising our disability regulations to incorporate some rules which are contained in another part of our regulations and which apply if you are using a ticket under the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program (the Ticket to Work program). In addition, we are amending our regulations to eliminate the secondary substantial gainful activity amount that we currently use to evaluate work you did as an employee before January 2001.     

Medical loss ratio rebate requirements for non-federal governmental plans. Interim final rule with request for comments

This interim final rule with comment period revises the regulations implementing medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements for health insurance issuers under the Public Health Service Act in order to establish rules governing the distribution of rebates by issuers in group markets for non-Federal governmental plans.     

Group health plans and health insurance issuers: rules relating to internal claims and appeals and external review processes. Amendment to interim final rules with request for comments

This document contains amendments to interim final regulations implementing the requirements regarding internal claims and appeals and external review processes for group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets under provisions of the Affordable Care Act. These rules are intended to respond to feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the interim final regulations and to assist plans and issuers in coming into full compliance with the law through an orderly and expeditious implementation process.     

Medical loss ratio requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Final rule

This final rule amends the regulations implementing medical loss ratio (MLR) standards for health insurance issuers under the Public Health Service Act in order to establish notice requirements for issuers in the group and individual markets that meet or exceed the applicable MLR standard in the 2011 MLR reporting year.     

Final regulations for health coverage portability for group health plans and group health insurance issuers under HIPAA Titles I & IV. Final regulation

This document contains final regulations governing portability requirements for group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan. The rules contained in this document implement changes made to the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and the Public Health Service Act enacted as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.     

证券式众筹：监管趋势与法律进路

证券式众筹虽为一种新型的互联网融资方式,但仍具有集资性和公众性的双重特点,这表明证券式众筹可能面临擅自发行和欺诈发行证券的风险,故有必要对其进行监管。较之于传统公开发行,域外立法已创新证券式众筹监管理念,并作出相应的制度设计,其监管重点已单纯从发行人信息披露、投资者适当向兼顾投融资限额、投资权利维护转变以及强化中介机构在证券式众筹监管中的作用,此举或许可为我国证券式众筹合法化及其监管制度的确立提供有效借鉴。须创新证券式众筹的监管理念,并分别从发行人、中介机构资格与义务设定以及投资者权利的直接维护来确立证券式众筹监管的法律进路。     

Deep discount industrial development bonds; proposed rulemaking--Internal Revenue Service, Treasury. Notice of proposed rulemaking

This document contains proposed regulations relating to the determination of the amount of proceeds of issues of industrial development bonds sold by the issuer at a substantial discount. This amount is used in determining whether "substantially all" of the bond proceeds are used for an "exempt purpose", i.e. those described in section 103(b) (4), (5), (6), or (7) of the Internal Revenue Code, and for purposes of the "major portion" test in section 103(b)(2). The regulations would affect issuers, holders, and recipients of the proceeds of industrial development bonds of the type described above.     

Interim rules for health insurance portability for group health plans; correction--HCFA. Correction to interim rules

This document contains corrections to interim rules which were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, April 8, 1997 (62 FR 16894). The interim rules govern the access, portability and renewability requirements for group health plans and issuers of health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).     

Deregistration issues in the US for foreign private issuers

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. Key points

• While the passage of Sarbanes–Oxley in the USwas just one of the many causes for the lack of competitivenessof the US capital markets recently, it served to focus the attentionof foreign private issuers in the US on the difficulty and sometimesimpossibility of exiting the US capital markets.
• Unlike manyother jurisdictions, the process of deregistering in the USis distinct from process of delisting. The current rules forderegistration of foreign private issuers focus on the numberof US shareholders, regardless of how or where those shareholderspurchased their shares. In addition, foreign private issuers,were subject to complicated rules for counting US shareholders,and deregistration often would only suspend (not terminate)their reporting obligations.
• As a result of pressure from foreignprivate issuers, the SEC proposed new rules at the end of 2005to liberalize the existing deregistration regime for foreignprivate issuers. . . . [Full Text of this Article]