Sarah Raaii
Subscribe to Sarah Raaii's PostsSarah G. Raaii focuses her practice on employee benefits and matters related to health care reform, data privacy and HIPAA compliance, executive compensation, and health and welfare, cafeteria, 401(k), 403(b) and pension plans. Read Sarah Raaii's full bio.
5 Trends in Health Plan Regulations to Watch in New Trump Administration
By Sarah Raaii and Alden Bianchi on May 8, 2025
Posted In Health and Welfare Plans
With a new presidential administration, the changing regulatory landscape regarding health benefits – often, the second-largest expense for a business after salaries – has been top of mind for HR executives. Much of the early commentary focused on contested “red state/blue state” issues, such as gender-affirming care. The president’s ever-growing list of executive orders now...
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IRS Announces 2026 Limits for Health Savings Accounts, High-Deductible Health Plans, and Excepted Benefit HRAs
By Jacob Mattinson and Sarah Raaii on May 6, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for health savings accounts, high-deductible health plans, and excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements for 2026. All of the dollar limits currently in effect for 2025 will change for 2026, with the exception of one limit. Read more here.
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PBMs Score a Win in Federal Court Against State Regulation
By Alden Bianchi and Sarah Raaii on Apr 25, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
A recent federal court decision in McKee Foods Corp. v. BFP Inc. declared that Tennessee’s “any willing pharmacy” requirement was preempted by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This decision impacts self-funded group health plans, potentially allowing them to comply with a single set of rules nationwide rather than navigating conflicting state...
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How PPM Health Plans Can Solve the MEWA Problem
By Sarah Raaii, Alden Bianchi, Erin Turley, Teal Trujillo and Allison Wilkerson on Mar 6, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
A physician practice management (PPM) structure can help ensure compliance with corporate practice of medicine laws and simplify administrative tasks. However, it can also unintentionally lead to health plan issues that need to be carefully managed to prevent compliance problems or complications when selling PPM entities. Read more here.
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Examining Group Health Coverage Alternatives for Small Employers
By Alden Bianchi, Sarah Raaii, Teal Trujillo and Erin Turley on Feb 27, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Small employers have long struggled to offer comprehensive major medical coverage to their workers and families, mainly due to underwriting hurdles. Groups with fewer than 50 employees are often confined to state small group market plans, which can be costly. Even slightly larger groups, underwritten based on their own claims history, still face a significant...
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Supreme Court’s Transgender Case May Affect Travel Benefits
By Alden Bianchi and Sarah Raaii on Jan 28, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The US Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case (US v. Skrmetti) concerning Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth. If the Court upholds the ban, some employers might consider offering travel benefits to help employees access healthcare services that are prohibited by state law. This could also apply to other plan-covered services that are...
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California SB 923: New Trans-Inclusive Healthcare Requirements for Health Plans
By Gregory Fosheim, Dane Chapman, Sarah Raaii and Teal Trujillo on Jan 24, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Beginning in the first quarter of 2025, California healthcare service plans, health insurers, and certain other organizations must ensure that staff who have direct enrollee contact receive evidence-based cultural competency training focused on transgender-inclusive healthcare. This requirement arises from Senate Bill No. 923, a law passed by the California legislature in 2022. Provider directories must...
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New Rules Simplify ACA Employer Shared Responsibility Reporting Obligations
By Jacob Mattinson, Sarah Raaii and Alden Bianchi on Jan 21, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Two recently passed laws have modified the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that require employers and insurers to prepare tax forms showing offers of health coverage, streamlining the compliance and reporting process. Under the ACA’s employer shared responsibility provisions, applicable large employers must either offer qualifying health coverage to full-time employees (and their...
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Gender-Affirming Benefits: Best Practices for Group Health Plans
By Alden Bianchi, Sarah Raaii and Scott Kenkel on Jan 14, 2025
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Gender-affirming care has become a central topic in US political discussions, significantly affecting employer-sponsored group health plans. Depending on whether they purchase insurance or self-fund their health benefits, group health plan sponsors face different challenges in covering gender-affirming care. In this PlanSponsor article, Alden Bianchi, Sarah Raaii, and Scott Kenkel explore these challenges and share...
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Unpacking the Over-the-Counter Contraception Proposed Rule
By Sarah Raaii and Maddie News on Nov 14, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Sarah Raaii recently joined McDermott+’s Maddie News on the Health Policy Breakroom Podcast to discuss proposed rules issued by the Biden administration that require health plans to cover certain over-the-counter services, including contraception items. Access the podcast episode here.
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