11 pages; 47 Q&As covering [1] Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entity qualifications and the application process (16 Q&As); [2] Fees (10 Q&As); and [3] The Federal IDR process (21 Q&As).  MORE >>

"[T]here is no direct tax or financial relief to employers for providing 2022 CPSL. Various provisions, however, are different. As a result, employers will not be able to simply restart policies and practices in 2022 they previously had in place to comply with the 2021 CPSL, though it is important to note it may be possible to offset this new CPSL obligation with paid leave already provided in 2022."  MORE >>

"The new SPSL law is different from the previous SPSL law in at least two important ways: [1] The employer may not apply SPSL to exclusion pay required by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health's (Cal/OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS).... [2] An employee's pay stub must show the amount of SPSL that the employee has used. Under the previous SPSL law, the employer was required to show the amount of SPSL the employee had available."  MORE >>

"Benefits under the WA Cares Fund will now be available starting July 1, 2026.... [Another new provision] makes the following individuals eligible to voluntarily opt out of the WA Cares Fund and avoid paying the payroll tax: [1] Veterans with a service-connected disability of 70% or higher; [2] Spouses or domestic partners of active duty service members Persons residing outside of Washington while working in Washington; [3] Persons working in the U.S. under a temporary, nonimmigrant work visa."  MORE >>

"Effective March 31, 2022, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) operating in New York must register with the state Insurance Department. Beginning in 2023, PBMs must obtain licenses and adhere to state regulations."  MORE >>

"The guidance includes scenarios that address the compliance implications for different claims based on the date filed (e.g., in 2021 or 2022), bonding leave that follows a medical leave for pregnancy or childbirth, and extensions. It also provides different scenarios addressing how private and self-insured plans should calculate new benefit rates at the end of a benefit year."  MORE >>

"If the employee's death occurs during the 18-month COBRA maximum coverage period caused by a termination of employment or reduction of hours qualifying event, the surviving spouse and dependents who are COBRA qualified beneficiaries experience a second qualifying event.... The IRS has stated that upon the death of an employee participating in the health FSA, the employee's surviving spouse and children experience a COBRA qualifying event to continue coverage under the health FSA in the same manner as the employee could upon termination of employment."  MORE >>

"[M]ost respondents were willing to use video visits in the future but, when presented with the choice between an in-person or a video visit for nonemergency care, most preferred in-person care. Willingness to pay for preferred visit modality was higher for those who preferred in-person care, and those who preferred video visits were more sensitive to out-of-pocket cost."  MORE >>

"A [recent paper states] that optimal insurance levels are set when coverage sets the marginal benefit of risk protection equal to the marginal cost of utilization induced by insurance (i.e., moral hazard). However, the key issue identified by [the authors] is that 'consumers with higher willingness to pay are not necessarily the consumers with a higher efficient coverage level.' "  MORE >>

"[1] Understand the technology AND the industry ... [2] Easy implementation ... [3] Excellent employee communication ... [4] Accommodate all employees ... [5] Flawless data management ... [6] Understand the costs."  MORE >>