"On March 21, 2022, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) adopted a permanent rule, effective April 1, 2022, that expands the reasons employees can use leave under Oregon's paid sick and safe leave law during a public health emergency.... BOLI's permanent rule expanding paid sick and safe leave is identical to its temporary rule in effect from August 6, 2021 through January 17, 2022."  MORE >>

"After a two-year reprieve, the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) has announced the annual San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) reporting requirement is back in effect. Since the traditional April 30th due date falls on a Saturday, the deadline to complete the reporting shifts to the following Monday, May 2."  MORE >>

"[M]ore than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, now have access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per calendar month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency."  MORE >>

"Though Steigleman's employees gained access to group-type disability insurance coverage through her membership in the TAA, and the LLC paid the premiums for the employees' coverage, these facts are not sufficient to show that Steigleman established or maintained an ERISA plan." [Steigleman v. Symetra Life Ins. Co., No. 21-15613 (9th Cir. Mar. 29, 2022; unpub.)]  MORE >>

"[This article profiles] four purchaser-led initiatives to tackle the high costs of health care, centered around direct negotiations with health care providers; employee incentives to seek care from higher-quality, lower-cost providers; and efforts to call attention to high prices. While success has varied and challenges are daunting, these strategies point to possible avenues for other employers to explore."  MORE >>

"In addition to telehealth, there are other incentives or special benefits that employers may be tempted to offer, especially to encourage retention during this era of labor shortage. Be careful, though, that your generosity doesn't compromise your employees' HSAs by relieving them of their obligation to bear the full weight of their HDHP coverage."  MORE >>

"The sooner your people know of this initiative and how it benefits them, the easier the process will be and the more engaged they will feel.... Use technology to your advantage ... Tailor your content so it is relevant to your people and encourages taking required actions more swiftly.... Have an advocacy team to proactively assist employees."  MORE >>

"Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ... tapped Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to craft a compromise that members of both parties could accept.... Collins said in an interview March 30 that the two senators had come up with an outline based on a bill they worked on three years ago that goes beyond capping what diabetes patients pay and aims to bring down the prices drugmakers charge."  MORE >>

"Employer-provided coverage is the cornerstone of our national health care system, delivering high-quality, affordable health care for more than half of all Americans ... Employer-provided coverage serves Americans from all walks of life, including significant proportions of racial and ethnic minority populations. ... Americans of all ages get their health care coverage through either their own or a family member's employer. ... American workers at all levels and income brackets rely on employer-provided coverage for their and their families' health care needs."  MORE >>

"The lower court's decision was so thorough in its analysis that it was surprising the Ninth Circuit concluded it was reasonable for [United Behavioral Health (UBH)] to utilize guidelines that do not require consistency with generally recognized standards of care and treatment.... [T]he district court's finding that the UBH guidelines failed to meet such standards should have been subjected to review for clear error and not disregarded on the ground that discretion permitted UBH to utilize treatment guidelines that were inconsistent with generally accepted standards of care." [Wit, et al. v. United Behavioral Health, Nos. 20-17363, 21-15193, 20-17364, 21-15194 (9th Cir. Mar. 22, 2022; unpub.)]  MORE >>

"[T]he 210th open meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (also known as the ERISA Advisory Council) will be held via a teleconference on Monday, May 9, 2022.... The purpose of the open meeting is to set the topics to be addressed by the Council in 2022."  MORE >>