"Without the option of a premium tax credit, some family members are enrolled in coverage today that under the proposed rule would be considered unaffordable. The proposal's economic analysis indicates that some of those family members will shift to the Marketplace, which could lead to an overall reduction in employer spending on health coverage, but that the number of people taking up the new option could be modest."  MORE >>

"Employers have an opportunity to make an annual contribution of up to $5,250 pre-tax dollars toward employees' student debt balances until January 1, 2026. This benefit is especially attractive to employees now that the pause on federal student loan repayment is scheduled to end September 1, 2022, and employees will have to start making loan payments again."  MORE >>

"Currently, about twenty-two states have a paid sick leave requirement. In addition, various cities and towns within these same states may have their own paid sick leave requirements.... When updating an employee handbook, the [these 22] states' paid sick leave laws should be reviewed along with any city or towns within these states. "  MORE >>

"PCMA contended that these provisions had an impermissible connection with ERISA because they directly affected ERISA plans by dictating network composition, cost-sharing differentials, and communications with beneficiaries, or, in some cases, the benefit design of a plan.... The court acknowledged that these provisions might alter the incentives and limit some of the options that an ERISA plan can use, and would have some effect on the way PBMs pay and/or reimburse pharmacies, but held that they did not impermissibly dictate the design of ERISA plans or force the plans into making any specific choices." [Pharmaceutical Care Management Assoc. (PCMA) v. Mulready, No. 19-0977 (W.D. Okla. Apr. 4, 2022)]   MORE >>

"In 2010, the [six largest insurance] companies took in a combined total of $245.2 billion dollars in revenue. Last year, that number had more than quadrupled to $1.1 trillion. The three biggest -- United, CVS/Aetna and Cigna -- are five times bigger now than in 2010 in terms of revenue.... Last year they made $60.7 billion in profits collectively, compared to $16.9 billion in 2010.... One way the companies have been able to boost their profits despite meager growth in their commercial health plans is by shifting more and more of the cost of care to insured patients."  MORE >>