"[T]he following expenses may be reimbursed from an FSA, HRA, or HSA under current federal tax law: [1] The cost of the abortion procedure, if legal; [2] Transportation expenses, if out-of-state travel is required; and [3] Lodging (up to $50 per night), assuming that the care is received from a physician in a hospital or an equivalent facility. [Many issues] will depend on the interpretation of the IRS or the courts."  MORE >>

"[T]he Fourth Circuit ... 'agreed with the plaintiffs that if their retiree life insurance coverage were ever a vested benefit, PPG could not rely on the later-added reservation of rights clause to terminate that coverage.' If the removal of the prior reservation of rights clause in 1969 vested retiree life insurance coverage for Plan participants working between 1969 and 1984, then the 1984 reservation of rights clause only allowed PPG to modify or terminate retiree life insurance coverage for participants hired after the clause's adoption." [Bellon v. PPG Emp. Life & Other Benefits Plan, No. 21-1812 (4th Cir. Jul. 15, 2022)]  MORE >>

"The median proposed premium increase is 10% across these 72 insurers. The main contributor to premium growth is health cost trend, which reflects rising prices paid to providers and pharmaceutical companies as well as a rebound in utilization. While [this] analysis focuses on the ACA markets, the main premium drivers [the authors] identified (prices and utilization) are systemic and not specific to the ACA markets."  MORE >>

"Insurance companies that sell policies on and off Connecticut's [ACA] exchange are seeking an average increase of 20.4% on individual health plans next year ... On small group plans, the carriers are asking for an average increase of 14.8%.... Carriers in 2021 asked for an average hike of 8.6% on individual plans and 12.9% on small group plans."  MORE >>

"[It] is common for severe pain, fatigue, and/or fibro fog to prevent an individual with fibromyalgia from working on a consistent basis. You should submit a claim for long-term disability benefits if you are unable to perform the duties of your job due to any combination of those symptoms. However, it can be an uphill battle proving that your fibromyalgia symptoms prevent you from performing your job."  MORE >>