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Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

January 30, 2023

2 New Job Opportunities 2 New Job Opportunities

 

[Official Guidance]

Text of Proposed Regs: Coverage of Certain Preventive Services Under the ACA

"Current regulations include exemptions and optional accommodations for entities and individuals with religious or moral objections to coverage of contraceptive services. These rules propose rescinding the moral exemption rule. These proposed rules also would establish a new individual contraceptive arrangement that individuals enrolled in plans or coverage sponsored, arranged, or provided by objecting entities may use to obtain contraceptive services at no cost directly from a provider or facility that furnishes contraceptive services. Contraceptive services would be available through the proposed individual contraceptive arrangement without any involvement on the part of an objecting entity. Under these proposed rules, a provider or facility that furnishes contraceptive services in accordance with the individual contraceptive arrangement for eligible individuals would be able to be reimbursed for its costs by entering into an arrangement with an issuer on a Federally-facilitated Exchange or State Exchange on the Federal platform, which in turn may seek a user fee adjustment."  MORE >>

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]; U.S. Department of Labor [DOL]; and U.S. Treasury Department

[Guidance Overview]

CMS Fact Sheet: Proposed Regs for Coverage of Certain Preventive Services Under the ACA

"The proposed rules would leave in place the existing religious exemption for entities and individuals with objections, as well as the optional accommodation for contraception, while also establishing a new pathway -- referred to as an individual contraceptive arrangement -- that individuals enrolled in plans or coverage sponsored, arranged, or provided by objecting entities that are not eligible for or have not opted for the existing accommodation may use to obtain contraceptive services at no cost directly from a willing provider or facility that furnishes contraceptive services."  MORE >>

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]

[Guidance Overview]

Administration Proposes New Rules to Expand Access to Birth Control Coverage Under the ACA

"The proposed rules seek to ensure broader access to contraceptive services by creating an independent pathway for individuals enrolled in plans arranged or offered by objecting entities to make their own choice to access contraceptive services directly through a willing contraceptive provider without any cost. This would allow women and covered dependents to navigate their own care and still obtain birth control at no cost in the event their plan or insurer has a religious exemption and, if eligible, has not elected the optional accommodation."  MORE >>

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]

[Guidance Overview]

Requirements for COVID-19 Paid Leave Are Dwindling

"States and localities are backing off their requirements that employers give paid leave to workers with COVID-19 after death and hospitalization rates have fallen dramatically since the height of the pandemic."  MORE >>

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

Third-Party Administrators May Be on the Hook for ACA's Anti-Discrimination Rules

"[A] federal district court ... recently ruled that a third-party plan administrator (TPA) violated the ACA's anti-discrimination rule when administering a self-insured health plan that excluded gender-affirming care.... The court concluded the TPA fit the definition of a health program or activity, expressly concluding that [HHS] rules to the contrary were not binding.... The court concluded that ERISA could not be read to invalidate or impair Section 1557, nor could ERISA insulate the TPA from liability. " [C.P. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, No. 20-6145 (W.D. Wash. Nov. 9, 2022)]  MORE >>

Lane Powell

Michigan Appeals Court 'Undoes' Lower Court's 'Undoing' of What Legislature 'Undid' Concerning Paid Leave Standards

"Some employers may have prepared to revise their wage and paid leave policies and practices but held off on rolling out those changes pending a decision from the appellate court. Employers that did so should not fill their trash bins with all that hard work just yet, because if the decision is appealed, the state supreme court could disagree with the appellate court and revert to the laws as envisioned by the ballot measure drafters." [Mothering Justice v. Michigan, No. 362271 (Mi. Ct. App. Jan. 26, 2023)]  MORE >>

Littler

2023 Employee Benefits and Workplace Predictions: This Year's Must-Have Benefits

"2023 is the year that fertility becomes health care ... Comprehensive benefits packages will continue despite the economic downturn ... Personalized benefits navigation ... Fixing the Family Glitch will accelerate a shift away from employer sponsored health care ... Employers will expand leave and benefits policies for caregiving ... Frictionless benefits ... Employers continue to absorb health care premiums and other costs ... Progressive employee benefits."  MORE >>

BenefitsPro; free registration required

Five Employee Benefits That Weren't Offered 20 Years Ago

"The last three years amid the COVID-19 pandemic have ushered in even more employee benefits that are now considered staples.... [1] Flexible and remote work opportunities.... [2] Vacation and PTO ... [3] Financial security benefits ... [4] Money management resources ... [5] Pet insurance."  MORE >>

GOBankingRates

Employee Benefits Jobs

View job as Jr Retirement Plan Administrator/ Administrative Assistant
            for Hochheiser Deutsch & Co, Inc.

Jr Retirement Plan Administrator/ Administrative Assistant

Hochheiser Deutsch & Co, Inc.

Melville NY

View job as Jr Retirement Plan Administrator/ Administrative Assistant for Hochheiser Deutsch & Co, Inc.

View job as Sr. Actuary
            for Nyhart, part of FuturePlan by Ascensus

Sr. Actuary

Nyhart, part of FuturePlan by Ascensus

Remote / Atlanta GA

View job as Sr. Actuary for Nyhart, part of FuturePlan by Ascensus

Press Releases

HUB International Launches People & Technology Consulting Practice

HUB International

Foundation and Advisor Search RFP Template Available Free of Charge and Free of Copyrights

Retirement Advisor Council

Last Issue's Most Popular Items

Transportation Plans Offer Valued Benefits But Pose Compliance Issues (PDF)

Mercer

Which Benefits Are Valued Most Depends on Age of Workers (PDF)

Employee Benefit Research Institute [EBRI]

Take Two: Ninth Circuit Reverses Class Win Against United Behavioral Health

Roberts Disability Law

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

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