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Compliance Benefit Plan Sponsors

Compliance programs typically refer to formalized institutional procedures within corporations and organizations to detect, prevent and respond to indvidual and widespread instances of regulatory violations. ... more +
Compliance programs typically refer to formalized institutional procedures within corporations and organizations to detect, prevent and respond to indvidual and widespread instances of regulatory violations.  In response to many corporate scandals evidencing rampant unethical business practices, many nations, including the United States, began passing strict regulatory frameworks aimed at curbing these abuses. Notable pieces of legislation in this area include the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and the U.K. Bribery Act, to name a few. The foregoing statutes and the severe penalties often associated with them form the basis of many modern institutional compliance programs. less -
Hall Benefits Law

PBM Contracts Could Expose Plan Sponsors to Fiduciary Liability

Hall Benefits Law on

A plan sponsor’s fiduciary duty to be transparent in Pharmacy Benefit Manager contracts safeguards plan participants’ interests and mitigates the risk of litigation, regulatory penalties, and reputational harm, say Hall...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

New DOL/EBSA Opinion Letter Program Offers A Path to Clarity for Plan Sponsors

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

On June 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a significant expansion of its compliance assistance tools by launching an Opinion Letter Program across five key enforcement agencies, including the Employee...more

Polsinelli

Pressing Pause: Federal Agencies Halt Enforcement of Mental Health Parity Rule

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On May 15, 2025, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (the Departments) announced a non-enforcement policy regarding the final rule issued in September 2024 under the Mental Health Parity and...more

Foster Swift Collins & Smith

Navigating Long-Term Part-Time Employee Eligibility Rules for 401(k) Plans

The landscape of retirement plan eligibility is shifting, and plan sponsors need to prepare for key compliance changes affecting long-term part-time (“LTPT”) employees. These new rules, mandated by the SECURE Act of 2019 and...more

A&O Shearman

Pensions in dispute - March 2025

A&O Shearman on

Welcome to our quarterly pensions litigation briefing, designed to help pensions managers identify key risks in scheme administration, and trustees update their knowledge and understanding. This briefing highlights recent...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Trump on Transparency: Making America Healthy Again Through Executive Order 14221; How Plan Sponsors Can Respond

Saul Ewing LLP on

One mandate under the PPACA required health care providers, non-grandfathered health insurance issuers and self-insured group health plans to provide consumers with access to information about the cost of services before they...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

SECURE 2.0’s Required Changes to Annual Funding Notices Become Effective in 2025

SECURE 2.0 introduced many changes for retirement plans, including updated disclosure requirements for a defined benefit plan’s annual funding notice (AFN). These updated AFN disclosure requirements apply for all plan years...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Northern District of California Dismisses 401(k) Forfeiture Suit with Prejudice

Holland & Knight LLP on

In Hutchins v. HP Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed – with prejudice – the plaintiff's claims challenging the use of forfeited employer 401(k) contributions. This is the latest...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Things I Worry About (7): DOL Investigations and Unsuspecting Plan Sponsors

The DOL’s EBSA has a number of programs that can restore benefits to plans and participants. Those include: - Civil investigations. - Criminal investigations. - Informal compliant resolutions. - Correction programs. ...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Congress Declines to Extend HDHP First-Dollar Telehealth Coverage Relief

After Congress declined to extend certain relief allowing first-dollar coverage of telehealth services by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), health plan sponsors may need to make immediate changes to preserve employees’...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Second Circuit Adopts “Meaningful Benchmark” Pleading Standard in ERISA Cases

In Singh v. Deloitte LLP, et al., No. 23-1108, 2024 WL 5049345 (2d Cir. Dec. 10, 2024), the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court’s dismissal of a complaint alleging that plan fiduciaries caused an...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

Self-Correction of Late Deferrals Will Soon be Permissible (Sometimes)

Bricker Graydon LLP on

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a revised Voluntary Fiduciary Compliance Program (VFCP), a long-awaited update by many in the industry. The most significant change is the introduction of a self-correction component,...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

DOL Lost & Found Database for Retirement Savings Goes Live

If you have ever found $10 in the pocket of a coat that you have not worn for some time, you are familiar with the delight of finding lost money that belongs to you. The Department of Labor’s new Retirement Savings Lost &...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Organizing Your Company’s Health and Welfare Plans Part 1: Creating a Framework

Saul Ewing LLP on

Following the flurry of regulatory guidance and informal comments from officials at the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and other agencies of the Federal government, health and welfare plans should be a primary...more

Kaufman & Canoles

ESOPs, Benefits & Compensation Q4 2024 Client Update

Kaufman & Canoles on

We hope you enjoyed the holidays and are settling back in refreshed and recharged for 2025. With a new year comes new rules; please find our thoughts on some of them below....more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

2025 ACA Compliance Updates: Essential Insights for Employers

As we turn the page to 2025, employers and HR professionals are turning their attention to ensuring compliance with the reporting and disclosure requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ...more

Venable LLP

Changes to the ACA: Reporting and Employer Penalties

Venable LLP on

President Biden recently signed into law the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act and the Employer Reporting Improvement Act. These new laws make important changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA)....more

Holland & Knight LLP

Understanding the Recent Wave of Litigation Targeting Tobacco-Free Wellness Programs

Holland & Knight LLP on

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) prohibits employers who offer health and welfare benefit plans from discriminating against plan participants on the basis of a health status-related factor, such as a...more

Williams Mullen

Annual Employee Benefits Compliance Checklists: Plan Administrators of Governmental and Church Plans

Williams Mullen on

Administrators of governmental plans and church plans that are not subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) should review the following actions to be taken before the end of 2024 and address what...more

Williams Mullen

Annual Employee Benefits Compliance Checklists - Plan Administrators

Williams Mullen on

Plan administrators should review the following actions to be taken before the end of 2024 and focus on what to expect for 2025. The following checklist addresses plan amendments, notices, and other considerations for...more

Snell & Wilmer

2024 End-of-Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” List (Part 1) Health and Welfare

Snell & Wilmer on

We are pleased to present our annual End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we present our “To Do” Lists in four separate SW Benefits Updates. This Part 1 covers year-end health and welfare plan issues. Parts 2,...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Year-End Compliance Considerations for Employee Benefit Plans

Open enrollment is right around the corner (at least for employers that run calendar-year health benefit plans), so many employers will be updating their benefit communication plans. Though not comprehensive, the following is...more

Baker Donelson

Health Plan Compliance Concerns for Year-End 2024

Baker Donelson on

As employers look toward open enrollment for their group health plans, now is a good time to review action items needed for those plans by year-end, as well as upcoming deadlines in the near future. While fully-insured health...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

A Pop Culture Guide to the Final Amendments to the QPAM Exemption Taking Effect on June 17, 2024

The DOL recently finalized amendments to the QPAM exemption that will considerably alter the exemption’s conditions effective as of June 17, 2024 (for a detailed summary of the changes, please see our post here). There are a...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

HIPAA Privacy Rules Get a Post-Dobbs Refresh on Reproductive Health Care

Employers will soon see the national debate about abortion popping up in some unexpected places: the HIPAA privacy policies and procedures and notices of privacy practices they use for their health benefit plans....more

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