BenefitsLink.com logo
EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com logo

Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

January 20, 2022

9 New Job Opportunities 9 New Job Opportunities

 

[Guidance Overview]

2023 Out-of-Pocket Maximums and Projected Employer Mandate Penalties

"[T]he ACA out-of-pocket maximum limits for 2023 will be $9,100 for self-only coverage and $18,200 for family coverage ... This is up about 4.6% from the 2022 limits of $8,700 and $17,400, respectively.... While these changes are not effective until 2023, the much earlier announcement gives employers ample time to prepare for 2023 enrollments."  MORE >>

HUB International

[Guidance Overview]

CMS Releases Proposed 2023 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters

"HHS is proposing [1] a more comprehensive standard for nondiscrimination in benefit designs for individual market and small group health insurance coverage ... [2] amendments to the medical loss ratio (MLR) regulations ... [3] new and more stringent requirements for the review of QHP networks ... [and] [4] to tighten its regulations governing insurance agents, brokers, and web-brokers assisting consumers in enrolling in QHPs."  MORE >>

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

[Guidance Overview]

2022 State Paid Family and Medical Leave Contributions and Benefits

"As of January 2022, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Washington, and Washington, DC, mandate paid leave for an employee's own health condition. Oregon and Colorado will begin similar programs in 2023.... Despite some common elements, differences in these mandates make compliance and administration particularly challenging for multistate employers."  MORE >>

Mercer

[Guidance Overview]

Exceptional Usefulness and Quality icon Group Health Plans Must Provide Free Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests: Takeaways and Action Items for Employers

"Plan sponsors should consider confirming that PBMs and TPAs will directly cover OTC COVID-19 tests in accordance with the Direct Coverage Safe Harbor, and if not, what actions they will take to comply with the new requirements to cover OTC COVID-19 tests. Practically, PBMs and TPAs may need additional time to establish a direct coverage program. In the meantime, plans will be required to pay the full costs of tests, even if greater than $12."  MORE >>

Snell & Wilmer

CBO Report on Prescription Drugs: Spending, Use, and Prices

"In this report, [CBO] examines trends in nationwide spending on prescription drugs over the 1980-2018 period. The report also provides a more detailed analysis of trends in spending, use, and prices in the Medicare Part D and Medicaid programs over the 2009-2018 period."  MORE >>

Congressional Budget Office [CBO]

How Supreme Court Ruling on OSHA's Vaccine Mandate Affects Employers

"The Supreme Court decision does not prohibit employers from mandating vaccination.... Some states and localities require at least some employers to have vaccine mandates, and some employers are requiring boosters. On the other hand, ... 14 states have laws or regulations that limit or prohibit employers from implementing vaccine mandates."  MORE >>

Willis Towers Watson

Update on the Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate

"As long as the injunctions remain in place, it appears reasonably clear that the federal government cannot enforce the federal contractor mandates ... [E]mployers that have entered into agreements regarding COVID-19 workplace safety measures may still need to consider whether their particular agreements remain enforceable."  MORE >>

Littler

[Opinion]

Benefits Benchmarking: Striving for Average?

"[M]ost benefit programs are 'benchmarked' to be close to (above or below) average. Almost no companies seek to be best-in-class, and rarely do any seek to be world class.... [M]any more employers can sponsor high-performing benefit programs -- programs with excellent and affordable coverage, exceptional service, and at a low cost. The process begins with good data but shouldn't end with the status quo."  MORE >>

Chelko Center for Benefits Management

Benefits in General

Employee Benefits Due Diligence Should Be at Top of M&A Checklist

"No matter how the buyer seeks to limit its potential liability, ... the days of ignoring employee benefits and other employment-related issues in the diligence process are history. These issues matter in terms of legal liability, deal valuation (and evaluation) and post-acquisition integration of operations/policies/assets."  MORE >>

Fisher Phillips LLP, via Crain's Cleveland Business; free registration required

Pandemic Likely to Have Lasting Effect on Workplace Benefits

"Nearly a third of people don't want to give up the freedom of remote work that was prompted by the pandemic, saying they would quit before returning to traditional office life ... Workers are also eager to retire, with 48% indicating they would hang up their hats sooner than expected if they weren't dependent on employers for health care insurance ... Nearly as many, 44%, said they plan to take Social Security payments as early as possible, even if that meant having less income."  MORE >>

RPA Convergence

Employee Benefits Jobs

View job as Retirement Plan Administrator
for Nicholas Pension Consultants Retirement Plan Administrator

Nicholas Pension Consultants

Remote / Rancho Cordova CA / Corona CA

View job as Retirement Plan Administrator
for Nicholas Pension Consultants

View job as Pension Plan Administrator
for DeMars Pension Consulting Services, Inc. Pension Plan Administrator

DeMars Pension Consulting Services, Inc.

Overland Park KS / MO / NE / OK

View job as Retirement Plan Account Manager
for Aegis Retirement Partners, LLC Retirement Plan Account Manager

Aegis Retirement Partners, LLC

Remote / CT / MA / NH / RI

View job as Retirement Plan Account Manager
for Aegis Retirement Partners, LLC

View job as DB/DC Plan Consultant
for NPPG, Inc. DB/DC Plan Consultant

NPPG, Inc.

Remote / FL / NJ / NY / TX

View job as Distribution Specialist
for ERISA Services, Inc. Distribution Specialist

ERISA Services, Inc.

Knoxville TN

View job as Employee Benefits Investigator (English and/or Spanish)
for Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA] Employee Benefits Investigator (English and/or Spanish)

Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA]

Remote / Pasadena CA

View job as Employee Benefits Law Specialist
for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC] Employee Benefits Law Specialist

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC]

Remote / Washington DC

View job as Legal Assistant
for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC] Legal Assistant

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC]

Remote / Washington DC

View job as Actuary
for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC] Actuary

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC]

Remote / Washington DC

Press Releases

NTSA Names Recipients of Richard Ford Volunteer Service Awards for 2022

National Tax-Deferred Savings Association [NTSA]

TIAA Offers Lifetime Income for Corporate Retirement Market

TIAA

Webcasts and Conferences
(Health & Welfare Plans)

ERISA Fiduciary Standards and Compliance Challenges for Plan Sponsors and Administrators

March 16, 2022 WEBCAST

Strafford

Last Issue's Most Popular Items

DOL Sets 2022 Penalties for Health and Welfare Benefit Plan Violations

Mercer

Issues Arise as Health Plans Begin Covering At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM]; membership may be required to view article

Challenges of Mental Health Parity Compliance

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans [IFEBP]

Unsubscribe  |   Change Email Address

Search Past Issues   |   Privacy Policy

Submit an Article   |   Contact Us   |   Advertise Here

Copyright 2021 BenefitsLink.com, Inc. All materials contained in this newsletter are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of BenefitsLink.com, Inc., or in the case of third party materials, the owner of those materials. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notices from copies of the content.

BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter, ISSN no. 1536-9587.

Links to web sites other than BenefitsLink.com and EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com are offered as a service to our readers. We are not involved in their production and are not responsible for their content.