"[T]he amount used to calculate the PCORI fee for plan years ending on or after October 1, 2021, but before October 1, 2022, including 2021 calendar year plans, is $2.79 per covered life. For 2021 plan years [that ended] on or before September 30, 2021, the PCORI fee due in 2022 remains at $2.66 per covered life. Sponsors of self-insured health plans are required to file and pay the applicable fee by July 31, 2022"  MORE >>

"[T]he amendments broaden the populations of employees eligible to voluntarily opt out of the WA Cares program. These additional populations of employees can begin opting out under the new opt-out criteria starting January 1, 2023."  MORE >>

"Employers should immediately stop any WA Cares payroll deduction ... Employers that collected any premium from employees with the first paychecks of 2022 under the then-existing version of the Act have 120 days to refund those premiums to employees in full.... Employers should maintain copies of all exemption approval letters for those employees who purchased their own insurance and obtained approved exemptions ... Be aware of new exemptions."  MORE >>

"The district court found that the employer's failure to correct the participant's COBRA eligibility date was arbitrary and capricious. The court reasoned that the employer's decision to use January 1, 2014, as the end date for the participant's active-employee coverage was inconsistent with: The COBRA election notice furnished to the participant [and the] employer's decision to pay for his active-employee coverage through February 28." [Buford v. Gen. Motors, LLC, No. 16-14465 (E.D. Mich. Jan. 26, 2022)]  MORE >>

"A City of Seattle ordinance requires large hotels and related businesses to give workers either health insurance coverage or additional compensation. [T]he ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) [has] petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking a determination of whether this ordinance is preempted by [ERISA]. This update summarizes the ordinance and key arguments in ERIC's petition for a writ of certiorari." [ERISA Industry Committee vs. City of Seattle, No. 20-35472 (9th Cir. Mar. 17, 2021, unpub.; cert. pet. filed Jan. 14, 2022)]  MORE >>

"Some employers may not want to pay for tests their employees take as a condition for continued employment, but others may wish to do so. Reasons include retaining unvaccinated workers, complying with state workplace rules, or meeting collective bargaining obligations. Providing such coverage, however, can create traps for the unwary."  MORE >>

"[T]he DOL issued 156 letters to plan sponsors and insurance providers requesting information about comparative analysis for NQTLs, and the initial responses were all insufficient. [The report] contains helpful information for those sponsors who were not part of the initial investigation. The agencies characterized the responses as generic, unresponsive, and lacking in sufficient detail and supporting documentation."  MORE >>

"Telehealth services expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic.... [T]his Issue Brief analyzes national trends in telehealth utilization across all payers and examines how use of video-enabled vs. audio-only telehealth services differ across patient populations. The study finds notable disparities by race, ethnicity, income, age, and insurance status in access to video-enabled telehealth."  MORE >>

"[D]espite the positive feedback from patients, lawmakers and doctors alike are asking the same question: Can you conduct a proper virtual consultation -- whether physical or behavioral -- when the patient doesn't have the proper equipment to log onto their appointment? ... As the digital divide becomes more apparent, [Massachusetts] state lawmakers are looking for ways to support lower-income residents with proposals to expand broadband internet."  MORE >>