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Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

April 25, 2022

8 New Job Opportunities 8 New Job Opportunities

 

[Guidance Overview]

Departments Issue New FAQs on Transparency in Coverage Reporting Requirements

"[The transparency in coverage] rules require plans and insurers to publish an in-network rate file. This file must express rates as a dollar amount and may include negotiated rates, underlying fee schedule rates, or derived amounts for covered items and services. Because some plans and insurers report rates under 'percentage-of-billed charges' or some other alternative arrangement, [FAQs Part 53] establish[es] two safe harbors."  MORE >>

OneDigital

[Guidance Overview]

New Paid Family Leave Laws Sprout in Maryland, Virginia and D.C.

"Following in the footsteps of the District of Columbia, the Maryland law will create a mandatory statewide benefit that will be funded by payroll taxes. In contrast, the Virginia law will create a voluntary benefit program whereby employers may choose to purchase insurance plans to provide paid family and medical leave benefits to employees if they so wish."  MORE >>

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Fourth Circuit Affirms District Court's Award of Coverage for Surgery Because Claim Not Handled in 'Fair-Minded' Manner

"[T]he court found no need to remand the claim to the plan trustees for reconsideration.... The court did not find bad faith on Central States' part, but the plan 'repeatedly failed to handle Garner's claim in a sensitive and fair-minded manner.' Central States had three opportunities to give the claim reasoned consideration and it did not do so." [Garner v. Cent. States, SE & SW Areas Health & Welfare Fund Active Plan, No. 21-1602 (4th Cir. Apr. 20, 2022)]  MORE >>

Roberts Disability Law

Alert (High Risk Issue) icon Using Benefits to Increase Take-Home Pay Is Probably an Illegal Double-Dip

"[T]he general approach usually starts with a pre-tax employee contribution at least nominally funding some kind of employee benefit. The dollar amount of that employee contribution is later repaid to the employee, sometimes in exchange for doing a very simple task ... The payment for this very minimal activity is, at least according to these scheme promoters, not taxed. The end result is that the employee has the same (or almost the same) gross pay, but artificially reduced payroll taxes sometimes result in an actual increase in take-home pay.... The IRS has made clear that these arrangements are impermissible[.]"  MORE >>

HUB International

Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Vertical Relationships in Drug Supply: The State of Current Research

"Despite their importance to the supply of prescription drugs, there has been limited research on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their vertical relationships to insurers and drug manufacturers. This paper provides an overview of the current state of research on this topic, motivates why further research is needed, and discusses promising theoretical and empirical directions for that research."  MORE >>

National Bureau of Economic Research [NBER]; purchase required for full document

How the Pandemic Changed Parental Leave Policies

"During the pandemic, as employees became responsible for home-schooling children or caring for immediate or extended family members, they and their employers discovered that they could be productive while juggling work and home responsibilities. Employers are now weighing changes to their company policies to reflect what they've learned."  MORE >>

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

[Opinion]

Can Taxes Help Address High Health Care Prices?

"So far, state policy makers concerned about high medical prices that may result from market power (or other causes) have focused on the use of regulations to force prices down. In this article, [the authors] argue that taxation provides another policy tool, and in some instances one more targeted at the harm of excessive prices for health care."  MORE >>

Health Affairs

Benefits in General

Best Practices to Help Perfect Your Hybrid Work Model

"Prioritize consistent and clear communication ... Keep working for human connection ... Hire hybrid talent with purpose ... Set productivity and workflow expectations ... Don't compromise culture."  MORE >>

Ceridian

Employee Benefits Jobs

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          for Cash Balance Actuaries, LLC Cash Balance Plan Actuarial Associate

Cash Balance Actuaries, LLC

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          for Cash Balance Actuaries, LLC

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          for Ubiquity Retirement + Savings Client Success Director

Ubiquity Retirement + Savings

Remote / San Francisco CA

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          for Ubiquity Retirement + Savings

View job as Consultant
          for Spectrum Pension Consultants, Inc. Consultant

Spectrum Pension Consultants, Inc.

Remote / Tacoma WA

View job as Consultant
          for Spectrum Pension Consultants, Inc.

View job as Manager Compensation - North America
          for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc Manager Compensation - North America

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc

Remote / Allentown PA / Houston TX

View job as Manager Compensation - North America
          for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc

View job as Defined Contribution Plan Administrator (Entry Level)
          for MGKS Defined Contribution Plan Administrator (Entry Level)

MGKS

Remote / Phoenix AZ

View job as Defined Contribution Plan Administrator (Entry Level)
          for MGKS

View job as ESOP Consultant
          for FuturePlan, by Ascensus ESOP Consultant

FuturePlan, by Ascensus

Remote

View job as ESOP Consultant
          for FuturePlan, by Ascensus

View job as Benefits Advisor (Student Intern)
          for Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA] Benefits Advisor (Student Intern)

Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA]

Remote / San Francisco CA / Seattle WA

View job as Benefits Advisor (Student Intern)
          for Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA]

View job as Employee Benefits Investigator (Student Intern)
          for Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA] Employee Benefits Investigator (Student Intern)

Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA]

Remote / San Francisco CA

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          for Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA]

Press Releases

Congruent Solutions Elevates Lucas Soucy as COO - North America

Congruent

Last Issue's Most Popular Items

No Surprises Act Update: New IDR Guidance

Health Law Advisor, Epstein Becker Green

Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Updates: What Employers Need to Know

Mintz

Oregon's Generous Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Is Gearing Up

Lockton

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

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