News Archive

"This software is being issued only as a supplemental tool for issuers of risk adjustment covered plans to better understand and simulate the calculation of plan liability risk scores for their enrollees.... Python software is being phased in to replace the SAS software, which will be discontinued for benefit year 2026." Also available:

• Technical Details (XLSX) 
• 2025 Benefit Year Risk Adjustment: SAS Version of HHS-Developed Risk Adjustment Model Algorithm Software (ZIP)
• 2025 Benefit Year Risk Adjustment: Python Version of HHS-Developed Risk Adjustment Model Algorithm Software (ZIP)

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164 pages. "This document contains a proposed regulation that clarifies, and provides a safe harbor for, a fiduciary's duty of prudence under [ERISA] in connection with selecting designated investment alternatives for a participant-directed individual account plan, including asset allocation funds that include alternative assets. 

"The overarching goal of the proposed regulation is to alleviate certain regulatory burdens and litigation risk that interfere with the ability of American workers to achieve, through their retirement accounts, the competitive returns and asset diversification necessary to secure a dignified and comfortable retirement. This goal can be achieved only by clarifying that ERISA gives fiduciaries (not opportunistic trial lawyers) the discretion and flexibility to determine when designated investment alternatives, including those that contain alternative investments, offer the opportunity for participants to maximize risk-adjusted returns on their retirement assets net of fees....

"[T]hree key principles form the bedrock of the proposed regulation. First, there is a need to affirm ERISA as a law grounded in process. Second, ERISA gives maximum discretion and flexibility to plan fiduciaries in selecting designated investment alternatives ... Third, when ERISA fiduciary decision-making follows a prudent process -- such as the process reflected in the proposed regulation -- arbiters of disputes should defer to fiduciaries under a presumption of prudence."  MORE >>

"Attach to Form 1040 or Form 1040NR.... You cannot take the PTC if your filing status is married filing separately unless you qualify for an exception."  MORE >>

34 pages; Mar. 19, 2026. "What's New ... [1] New box 10, 'Family leave benefits,' was added to Form 1099-G to facilitate the reporting of family leave benefits paid by state paid family and medical leave programs.... [2] Form 1099-R ... was revised to include new check boxes 7b for IRA, SEP, and SIMPLE plans, check box 7c for Trump Account reporting, and new box 7d for reporting earnings on excess contributions.... [3] Form 5498-TA, Trump Account Contribution Information, and Form 1099-LPS, Long-Term Care Premiums Paid Statement, are currently under development and projected to be released in mid-2026 for tax year 2026/filing season 2027."  MORE >>

Rev. Dec. 2026. "You can electronically file Form 8868 to request up to a 6-month extension of time to file any of the forms listed below[.]"  MORE >>

"This final rule implements requirements of the Administrative Simplification subtitle of [HIPAA and the ACA] ... Specifically, this final rule adopts standards for health care claims attachments transactions, which will support health care claims transactions, and a standard for electronic signatures to be used in conjunction with health care claims attachments transactions."  MORE >>

"The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the [IRS] invite the public to submit recommendations for items to be included on the 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan.... Please submit recommendations for guidance by Friday, May 29, 2026, for possible inclusion on the original 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan."  MORE >>

"This document implements the judicial vacatur of the Department's 2024 final rule defining who is a 'fiduciary' under [ERISA]. This document also reflects the judicial vacatur of the Department's 2024 amendments to Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2020-02 (PTE 2020-02) and the judicial vacatur of portions of the preamble to PTE 2020-02; and republishes in full the operative text of PTE 2020-02 (as originally published on December 18, 2020)."  MORE >>

"The Commission interpretation: [1] Provides a coherent token taxonomy for digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, stablecoins, and digital securities. [2] Addresses how a 'non-security crypto asset' ... may become subject to, and how it may cease to be subject to, an investment contract. [3] Clarifies the application of federal securities laws to airdrops, protocol mining, protocol staking, and the wrapping of a non-security crypto asset." [Also available: Fact Sheet]  MORE >>

"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]"  MORE >>

"The [PBGC] today announced the relaunch of its Opinion Letter Program. This initiative provides meaningful compliance assistance to the public by answering questions about how PBGC would apply the law to specific factual circumstances."  MORE >>

"This interim summary report on risk adjustment is based on issuers submitting at least 90% of three quarters of claims data and 90% of enrollment data for the 2025 benefit year." [Also available: Appendix A: Interim 2025 Benefit Year Risk Adjustment State Averages with)State Billable Member Months (XLSX); and Appendix B: Interim 2025 Benefit Year Risk Adjustment Geographic Cost Factor (GCF) (XLSX)]  MORE >>

"The IRS Employee Plans has digitalized Form 15315 to allow you to electronically report the actuarial certification of a multiemployer defined benefit plan's funding status. No additional attachments or letters should be submitted with your Form 15315 submission."  MORE >>

"For the 2026 benefit year and beyond, HHS is replacing the May 13, 2024, Risk Adjustment Telehealth and Audio-only Services FAQ, with [these] FAQs to clarify how HHS determines eligible services for the filtering criteria HHS uses to extract risk adjustment-eligible diagnoses from claims. HHS continues to accept certain telehealth and audio-only service codes for risk adjustment diagnosis filtering."  MORE >>

"This document contains proposed regulations relating to Trump accounts.
The proposed regulations provide guidance on making an election to open a Trump
account and reserve additional sections for further guidance on Trump accounts. The
proposed regulations would affect children eligible to have a Trump account, individuals
who would make elections with respect to those children, and trustees of Trump
accounts."  MORE >>

34 pages. "This document contains proposed regulations relating to the Trump accounts contribution pilot program under which the Trump accounts of eligible children can receive $1,000 pilot program contributions. Eligible children must be U.S. citizens with valid Social Security numbers born in 2025 through 2028. The proposed regulations would provide guidance on making an election for the Trump account of an eligible child to receive a $1,000 pilot program contribution. The proposed regulations would affect eligible children and individuals who would make elections with respect to those children."  MORE >>

18 pages. "This document corrects technical errors in the proposed rule that appeared in the February 11, 2026, Federal Register titled 'Patient Protection and [ACA], HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program.' "  MORE >>

"[CMS] is releasing this bulletin establishing the submission deadlines ... for health insurance issuers applying to offer qualified health plans (QHPs) on the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs).... Table 1 lists key PY2027 dates for QHP certification applications and related data submissions. Additional information about the PY2027 QHP certification process will be provided in future guidance."  MORE >>

13 pages. "The Department of the Treasury and the [IRS] request comments on whether the requirements that brokers currently must meet to furnish certain payee statements to their customers in an electronic format and thereafter be treated as timely furnishing these statements should be modified and, if so, what those modifications should be. This notice also requests comments on whether the Treasury Department and the IRS should modify the electronic furnishing requirements applicable to any persons other than brokers required to furnish other payee statements."  MORE >>

35 pages; Feb. 27, 2026. "What's New ... [1] New box 10, 'Family leave benefits,' was added to Form 1099-G to facilitate the reporting of family leave benefits paid by state paid family and medical leave programs.... [2] Form 1099-R ... was revised to include new check boxes 7b for IRA, SEP, and SIMPLE plans, check box 7c for Trump Account reporting, and new box 7d for reporting earnings on excess contributions.... [3] Form 5498-TA, Trump Account Contribution Information, and Form 1099-LPS, Long-Term Care Premiums Paid Statement, are currently under development and projected to be released in mid-2026 for tax year 2026/filing season 2027."  MORE >>

"This document extends the comment period on the Department's Improving Transparency Into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fee Disclosure proposed rule ... [which] was published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2026, with a comment deadline of March 31, 2026. On February 3, 2026, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 amended ERISA to add several provisions relating to providers of pharmacy benefit management services. Consequently, the Department is extending the comment period for an additional 15 days, to April 15, 2026, to allow interested persons to address whether the rule should be adjusted due to these new statutory provisions."  MORE >>

146 pages. "The Department is proposing to rescind the analysis for determining employee or independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) currently set forth in 29 CFR part 795 and replace it with the analysis that it published and adopted in a prior final rule dated January 7, 2021, with a few modifications. In addition, the Department proposes to apply this analysis to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA), both of which incorporate the FLSA's scope of employment."  MORE >>

25 pages. "The AV Calculator [XLSM] represents an empirical estimate of the AV calculated in a manner that provides a close approximation to the actual average spending by a wide range of consumers in a standard population. This document is meant to detail the specific methodologies used in the AV calculation."  MORE >>

38 pages. "This 2027 Draft Letter provides updates on operational and technical guidance for the 2027 plan year for issuers seeking to offer qualified health plans (QHPs), including stand-alone dental plans (SADPs), in the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) or the Federally-facilitated Small Business Health Options Programs (FF-SHOPs).... The 2027 Draft Letter focuses on guidance that has been updated for the 2027 plan year[.]"  MORE >>

Feb. 5, 2026; 17 pages. "What's New: [1] Financial institution that is a disqualified person ... [2] Direct deposit and electronic payments."  MORE >>