title: Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under Section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act. Final rule.
abstract: This document provides the final text of regulations governing employee protection (retaliation or whistleblower) claims under section 
  1558 of the Affordable Care Act, which added section 18C to the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide protections to employees who may have 
  been subject to retaliation for seeking assistance under certain affordability assistance provisions (for example, health insurance 
  premium tax credits) or for reporting potential violations of the Affordable Care Act's consumer protections (for example, the 
  prohibition on rescissions). An interim final rule (IFR) governing these provisions and request for comments was published in the Federal 
  Register on February 27, 2013. Thirteen comments were received; eleven were responsive to the IFR. This rule responds to those comments and 
  establishes the final procedures and time frames for the handling of retaliation complaints under section 18C, including procedures and time 
  frames for employee complaints to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), investigations by OSHA, appeals of OSHA 
  determinations to an administrative law judge (ALJ) for a hearing de novo, hearings by ALJs, review of ALJ decisions by the Administrative 
  Review Board (ARB) (acting on behalf of the Secretary of Labor), and judicial review of the Secretary of Labor's (Secretary's) final 
  decision. It also sets forth the Secretary's interpretations of the Affordable Care Act whistleblower provision on certain matters.
mesh_terms: D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee; D062265:Health Insurance Exchanges / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007183:Income Tax; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States; D035642:Whistleblowing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*