The three federal agencies tasked with enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) — the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services (through CMS), and Treasury (the Departments) — issued their...more
9/20/2024
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
Substance Abuse
Where did the time go? Just a brief 1,199 days after it began, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is coming to an end. The PHE formally ends on May 11, 2023, short of any unexpected developments. And that means the...more
4/19/2023
/ COBRA ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Telehealth
There has never been an ERISA requirement to include elective abortion medical coverage in ERISA group health plans. Even so, many nationwide employers choose to offer it alongside non-elective abortion medical coverage. ...more
6/24/2022
/ Abortion ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employment Policies ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Patient Access ,
Roe v Wade ,
Travel Expenses ,
Travel Reimbursements
The Biden Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 serves as a warning to all plan issuers and administrators that enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is a top priority for...more
6/15/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Budget ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs
This blog was based on guidance which is now outdated. An employer may offer an incentive to employees to voluntarily provide documentation or other confirmation that they received a vaccination on their own from a pharmacy,...more
4/21/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
GINA ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Vaccinations ,
Wellness Programs ,
Workplace Safety
In response to a recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report recommending federal guidance to mitigate cybersecurity risks in retirement plans and to respond to ever-increasing cyber threats to plan participant data and...more
4/16/2021
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary ,
GAO ,
Investment Management ,
Popular ,
Retirement Plan ,
Risk Mitigation
Last minute guidance affects employers sponsoring group health plans, and answers a much-discussed question as we approach the one-year anniversary of past COVID guidance....more
Employer-sponsored retirement plans have long been targets for cybercriminals. The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the types and likelihood of potential cyber attacks against retirement plan accounts. After all, with many more...more
In the face of a potential public health crisis such as the Coronavirus, prudent employers commit extraordinary resources to ensuring critical business continuity and IT infrastructure planning. The human resources...more
Hospitals that are “church-affiliated” may be breathing easier this week, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Monday that defined benefit qualified retirement plans (a/k/a pension plans) are not subject to the...more
In a concerning development for universities and other institutions of higher learning nationwide, a growing number of schools, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Yale University, Johns...more
Business leaders and human resources and employee benefits professionals are well aware of potential minefields for employer group health plan sponsors under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Large employer plan sponsors are...more
8/7/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Best Practices ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Full-Time Employees ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Part-Time Employees ,
Wage and Hour