On August 25, 2023, the IRS provided long-awaited guidance related to the SECURE 2.0 requirement that catch-up contributions for high-income participants in 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457(b) plans be made as Roth...more
On February 23, 2023, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury(collectively the “Departments”) released guidance to initiate the enforcement provisions related to the “gag clause” prohibitions...more
In Revenue Procedure 2022-40, the IRS recently expanded the determination letter program to allow applications by individually-designed 403(b) plans. This expansion will allow 403(b) plan sponsors to request a determination...more
Employers may consider offering medical travel and lodging reimbursement to enable employees who live in a state where abortion is no longer legal to travel out of state for such services. There are a number of ways to...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued guidance on best practices for maintaining cybersecurity directed to plan sponsors, fiduciaries, record-keepers and participants of employee benefit plans governed by the...more
On April 2, 2021, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) related to the implementation of the mental health and substance use disorder...more
4/12/2021
/ Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Health Insurance ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
NQTLs ,
Substance Abuse ,
U.S. Treasury
Anti-assignment clauses in ERISA health plans are useful to plan sponsors in fending off lawsuits by out-of-network providers. Federal courts have consistently upheld anti-assignment provisions contained in the plan document...more
Anti-assignment clauses in ERISA health plans are useful to plan sponsors in fending off lawsuits by out-of-network providers. Federal courts have consistently upheld anti-assignment provisions contained in the plan document...more
Recently the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a new voluntary safe harbor rule that will allow retirement plan sponsors to post plan disclosures online or deliver them to participants by email in satisfaction of...more
As employers and employees adjust to the changes caused by this unprecedented global pandemic, preserving access to and protecting elections under group health and welfare plans are hot topics on many minds. To further assist...more
In a matter of a few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused drastic changes to our businesses and personal lives. The effects are already substantial, from those personally affected by illness and shelter-in-place orders to...more
We are now a few months into 2020 and we should all be feeling more SECURE in our retirement, as a result of the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019” (“SECURE Act”). Below is a brief summary of...more
Please join the Locke Lord Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group for our 30th annual employee benefits webinar. Our attorneys will provide an overview of current developments related to employee benefit plans....more
9/19/2018
/ 401k ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CEOs ,
CFOs ,
COOs ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employment Contract ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Retirement Plan ,
Retirement Plan Providers ,
Severance Agreements ,
Tax Planning ,
Webinars
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (the “Budget Act”), which was adopted February 9, 2018, together with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), which was adopted on December 22, 2017, and the Disaster Tax Relief and...more
Effective April 1, 2018, the changes to the Department of Labor’s disability claims regulations will finally go into effect, providing participants with a more full and fair review of disability benefit claims that is more in...more
Please join the Locke Lord Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group for our 29th Annual Employee Benefits Seminar. Our attorneys will provide an overview of current developments related to employee benefit plans....more
A 2013 change in the City of Houston’s employee benefits policy to extend benefits to the same-sex spouses of City employees, intended to align the City’s policy with what its legal counsel determined was a federal...more
Over 30 lawsuits have been filed over the past several years alleging that defined benefit plans maintained by religiously-affiliated hospital systems are not entitled to church plan status under the Employee Retirement...more