Beth Alcalde

A noted employee benefits lawyer, author, and speaker, Beth Alcalde represents Fortune 500 companies and other public and private entities, including those in the hospitality, healthcare, and higher education sectors, throughout the United States. As a leader within the firm, Beth is a longtime member of Akerman’s Board of Directors, and is also a current member of Akerman’s Executive Committee. Previously she chaired the firm’s Professional Development Committee, and served as office managing partner of the firm’s Palm Beach County offices. Noted in Chambers USA as “terrific at coming up with imaginative solutions,” Beth provides counsel on employer-sponsored benefit plans, from compliance with ERISA, the Affordable Care Act, and other federal regulations, to internal audits and benefits-related implications of corporate transactions. She assists clients in defending and responding to audits conducted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Of particular emphasis, Beth has represented group health plan sponsors in responding to audits of the quantitative and non-quantitative treatment limitations within their plans, as required by the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

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Coverage of Domestic Partners within Employer-Sponsored Group Health Plans: Are Changes on the Horizon?

By Beth Alcalde on April 23, 2013 Posted in Affordable Care Act and Other Healthcare Reform Legislation, Government Affairs, Licensure & Regulatory

Many employers offer group health plan coverage to domestic partners of their eligible employees. This extension of coverage is purely voluntary and not legally required, either presently or even next year under the mandates facing large employers under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). However, for a variety of reasons related to employee morale, recruiting and … Continue Reading

Departments Release Proposed Regulations on ACA’s 90-Day Waiting Period Limit

By Beth Alcalde and Leanne Reagan on March 26, 2013 Posted in Affordable Care Act and Other Healthcare Reform Legislation, Health Insurers & Managed Care Organizations

The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) generally limits the maximum length of employer-sponsored group health plans’ waiting periods to no more than 90-days in 2014. In the March 21, 2013 Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services , and the Internal Revenue Service jointly released proposed regulations to provide guidance to employers … Continue Reading

HHS Changes Position on State Insurance Laws’ Minimum Participation Standards for Small Group Health Plans Sponsored by Employers

By Beth Alcalde on March 1, 2013 Posted in Affordable Care Act and Other Healthcare Reform Legislation, Health Insurers & Managed Care Organizations

The interplay between the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) legislation/interpreting regulations and existing state insurance laws continues to evolve. To further complicate matters, the regulators’ own positions on certain state insurance law issues have themselves changed over time. For example, some state insurance laws permit insurers to require small groups to maintain certain threshold participation or … Continue Reading

Health Care Reform – Should Employers Reduce Expected Health Costs in 2014 by Transitioning Some Full Time Employees to Part Time Status Now?

By Beth Alcalde on February 1, 2013 Posted in Affordable Care Act and Other Healthcare Reform Legislation

2013 is shaping up to be a very busy year for employers in all industries, with the continued implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). Recognizing that in 2014, applicable large employers will avoid ACA-related penalty taxes by offering required affordable group health plan coverage just to full-time employees (i.e., those working … Continue Reading