Final rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on employment-based wellness programs raise the maximum reward that may be offered by certain wellness programs and expand nondiscrimination protections for sick employees.

The final rules under President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were issued May 29 and will be effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014.

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The Obama administration released a compromise plan February 1 on how contraception is covered under the healthcare reform law, but it’s not clear whether foes of the original requirement will approve.

Under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, contraception is included as a free preventive service. The original rule exempted religious groups that employ mostly people of their own faith, but groups such as religious universities and Catholic hospitals weren’t included in the exemption.

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On November 20, the Obama administration announced it is moving forward with certain provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including banning insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions. The administration issued the following:

• A proposed rule that, beginning in 2014, prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against individuals because of a preexisting or chronic condition. Under the rule, insurance companies would be allowed to vary premiums within limits based only on age, tobacco use, family size, and geography. Health insurance companies would be prohibited from denying coverage to a person because of a preexisting condition or from charging higher premiums to certain enrollees because of their  current  or past health problems, gender, occupation, and small employer size or industry.

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