In this economic environment, employers are doing almost anything to attract and retain a quality workforce. Improving the suite of employee benefit offerings, sometimes without incurring major new expenditures, is top of mind for many. Enter SECURE 2.0, which includes a long-awaited 401(k) feature that has sparked employer interest for years. What is it? The…

While many were out last week finishing up their last-minute Christmas shopping, Congress passed the highly-anticipated retirement plan legislation known as “SECURE Act 2.0” and the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued good-faith relief from the troublesome prescription-drug reporting that is otherwise due December 27, 2022.  There are…

The IRS finalized new rules that change eligibility requirements for the premium tax credit (PTC) created under the Affordable Care Act. It is now easier for an employee’s family members to enroll in subsidized health insurance through an exchange. Related guidance creates a new mid-year cafeteria plan election change event to help family members move…

On Friday, June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey.  In doing so, the Court held that the U.S. Constitution “does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion.”…

The No Surprises Act (NSA) became effective on January 1, 2022.  It prohibits surprise billing in certain circumstances.  Surprise billing occurs when a patient receives an unexpected bill, often for a large amount, from an out of network (OON) provider without having a prior opportunity to select the provider.  The patient’s health plan typically does…

This is a supplement to our January 16, 2022 post on the new requirements related to health plans providing free over-the-counter COVID tests. Last Friday (February 4), the DOL issued additional guidance on this topic, which confirms that a direct to consumer shipping program is required (if a health plan wants to be able to…