"Employers should remain aware that this paid COVID vaccination leave cannot be charged against any other leave to which the employee is entitled, including paid sick leave or leave provided under a collective bargaining agreement."  MORE >>

"Construing the ambiguous terms in the policy against Reliance, there was no requirement that Ministeri work any specific number of hours during his irregularly scheduled workweeks. Thus, Ministeri was working 'Part-time' within the policy's meaning until he formally took leave on August 8, 2014. The court further found that the policy's provisions for a one-year continuation and 60-day conversion means that Ministeri's basic life insurance coverage was in effect when he died on October 2, 2015." [Ministeri v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co., No. 21-1651 (1st Cir. July 25, 2022)]  MORE >>

"The Ninth Circuit held that under the clear terms of the [plan's SPD], Plaintiff Norman Mull is liable for the reimbursement of his daughter's benefits, and the Plan is authorized to recoup those benefits through its self-help provision because ERISA does not limit the use of such self-help remedies, and neither contractual doctrines nor res judicata prevent the Plan from enforcing its recoupment provision." [Mull v. Motion Picture Industry Health Plan, No. 20-56315 (9th Cir. Jul. 25, 2022)]  MORE >>

"Employers must help current employees and new recruits meet their diverse wellness needs by providing a comprehensive benefits package, and resources to help them navigate it.... Employers and insurers may face DOL audits to confirm that they are providing equal coverage for both mental health/substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits.... Employees expect a highly integrated benefits experience, resulting in a more cohesive care experience overall and requiring less effort to find, understand, and access the care they need."  MORE >>

"Surveys were able to verify provider directory entries for the four specialties for 59% to 76% of listings or 78% to 88% of providers reached.... [C]onsumers were able to schedule urgent care appointments for 28% to 54% of listings or 44% to 72% of accurately listed providers. For general care appointments, the percentages ranged from 35% to 64% of listed providers or 51% to 87% of accurately listed providers."  MORE >>

"Despite a spate of state and federal regulations that require more accurate health plan directories, they can still contain numerous errors and are often maddeningly outdated.... The law gives insurers some leverage to induce providers to respond, and a whole industry has sprung up around collecting provider updates through a centralized portal and selling the information to health plans. The inaccuracy problem remains, however. Health plans and providers often have outdated data systems that don't communicate with each other."  MORE >>

"The action plan takes a holistic and coordinated approach across CMS to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for people during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.... CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure also encouraged industry stakeholders -- including health care facilities, insurance companies, state officials, and providers -- to consider key commitments the private sector can make to improve maternal health outcomes."  MORE >>

"[T]he 212th 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 Thursday, September 8 and Friday, September 9, 2022.... The Advisory Council is studying the following topics: [1] Cybersecurity Issues Affecting Health Benefit Plans, and [2] Cybersecurity Insurance and Employee Benefit Plans.... The agenda and instructions for public access to the teleconference meeting will be available on the ERISA Advisory Council's web page ... approximately one week prior to the meeting."  MORE >>