News & Analysis as of

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Wellness Programs Employer Liability Issues

Bricker Graydon LLP

Can you Charge Smokers More for Your Health Plan?  

Bricker Graydon LLP on

Several new lawsuits have been filed recently alleging that employers violated HIPAA’s non-discrimination rule by charging higher health insurance premiums to employees who use tobacco products. ...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Holy Smokes: Is Your Tobacco Surcharge Program Compliant?

Warner Norcross + Judd on

A “tobacco surcharge” is part of many employers’ wellness programs, where the employer charges tobacco users higher health insurance premiums than non-tobacco users. A typical tobacco surcharge program will ask an employee if...more

Fisher Phillips

Rising ERISA Class-Action Lawsuits Over Tobacco Surcharges in Health Plans: What Employers Need to Know + 6 Steps to Stay...

Fisher Phillips on

A wave of ERISA class-action lawsuits is challenging tobacco surcharge programs in employer-sponsored health plans across the U.S. These cases center on potential fiduciary breaches, with plaintiffs arguing that surcharges...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Wellness Apps and Privacy

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Employers looking to enhance their suite of employee benefit programs, and focused on lessons learned during the pandemic on wellbeing, are interested in providing greater access to wellness tools. And, the vendors who...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Key Takeaways | Putting Employee Wellness Programs to Work

During this session, panelists discussed the unique opportunities and challenges of digital-health wellness programs that partner with employers and health plans in considering, adopting and operationalizing wellness programs...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Agencies Clarify How Employers Can Charge COVID-19 Vaccine Premium Incentives

On October 4, 2021, the US Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services (the Tri-Agencies) issued guidance regarding the application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) wellness...more

Jackson Walker

Vaccination Incentives as Wellness Programs – Getting Back to Business Incentives

Jackson Walker on

Employers wanting to encourage employees to get vaccinated can phrase vaccination incentives as a wellness incentive program so that it is part of an outcome-based wellness program, which may include other wellness programs...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

Considering Incentives for Employee COVID-19 Vaccines – Tips and Traps

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

Husch Blackwell LLP

New Proposed EEOC Regulations Pose Potential Hurdles On Common Wellness Incentives - UPDATED March 2021

Husch Blackwell LLP on

Update: The Alert below discuses wellness rules proposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Those proposed...more

Snell & Wilmer

Wellness Program Incentives – New Year, New EEOC Proposed Rules

Snell & Wilmer on

For years we have been trying to understand how the EEOC regulates wellness programs. Although we still do not have a complete picture, we are getting closer with the EEOC’s new Notices of Proposed Rulemaking on wellness...more

Fisher Phillips

Charting The Risk Associated With Common Workplace COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Programs

Fisher Phillips on

Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is becoming increasingly available, how can employers encourage employees to receive it? Beyond requiring the shots as a mandatory condition of employment – which is not an option many employers...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

EEOC Proposes New Rules on Wellness Programs

On January 7, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued proposed guidance regarding employer-sponsored wellness programs and the level of incentives employers may offer employees who participate in these...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

EEOC Withdraws Wellness Plan Incentive Rules

Employer wellness plans have attracted multiple legal challenges ranging from HIPAA concerns to allegations that such programs violate federal civil rights under GINA and the ADA. Adding to this confusion, the Equal...more

Verrill

December 2018 Client Advisory

Verrill on

This Client Advisory highlights important developments in the law governing employee benefit plans and executive compensation over the past year. It offers insight into what these developments mean for employers and plan...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

What Now for Wellness?

Foley & Lardner LLP on

If you’re an employer trying to sponsor a wellness program for 2019, then the recent kerfuffle between the AARP and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) affects you. The AARP has challenged the EEOC’s...more

Cozen O'Connor

I-22- The Benefits of Benefits: A Roundtable Discussion on Trending Benefits Issues for 2018

Cozen O'Connor on

From tax and health care reform to employee wellness programs to even handheld electronic devices, why should your company be interested in today's hot benefits issues? In today's episode of Employment Law Now, a roundtable...more

Alston & Bird

Lawsuits Are Focused on Wellness Program Compliance. Are You?

Alston & Bird on

Wellness programs are a win-win for everybody – until administrators run afoul of ambiguous rules and regulations. Our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group analyzes two recent lawsuits that could impact program...more

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

Court’s Ruling Requiring The EEOC To Reconsider Its “Wellness” Regulations Is Not Necessarily A Good Thing For Employers

The ruling in the AARP v. EEOC case may be detrimental to employers and their healthcare plans because the EEOC may either reduce the percentage of its allowable inducement (or penalty) below 30% the employee cost for...more

Epstein Becker & Green

EEOC’s Wellness Program Incentive Regulations Rejected by the District Court

Epstein Becker & Green on

On August 22, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (“EEOC”) regulations defining what incentives an employer may use to promote participation...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Judge Orders EEOC to Reevaluate Wellness Program Regulations

Ballard Spahr LLP on

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) must revisit regulations governing employee wellness programs because the agency did not provide adequate supporting information for the...more

Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C.

Wearables And Wellness: Considerations For Connected Employers

Wearable devices such as smart watches and fitness trackers have become increasingly popular as the technology matures and the devices become more affordable. Many forward-thinking employers, with an eye towards controlling...more

Amundsen Davis LLC

Does Your Workplace Wellness Program Comply With Existing Laws?

Amundsen Davis LLC on

The National Business Group on Health’s Eighth Annual Survey on Corporate Health recently revealed the growing prevalence of workplace wellness programs. Many such programs are expanding their aim to not only better the...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

District Court Decision Upholds Employer’s Wellness Program But Signals Support for EEOC Positions Going Forward

In EEOC v. Orion Energy Systems, Inc., the Eastern District of Wisconsin rejected the EEOC’s claims that Orion Energy’s wellness program violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Although the court upheld the...more

King & Spalding

Compensation and Benefits Insights – September 2016

King & Spalding on

New Guidance Affects Wellness Program Design - Over the last several months, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) have provided additional guidance regarding the...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

EEOC Issues Sample Wellness Program Notice

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently posted on its website a sample employee notice to help employers with wellness programs comply with the agency's recently issued final rule under the Americans with...more

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