"The Act extends the following current telehealth flexibilities until 31 December 2024: [1] Expanding the definition of originating and geographic sites to include anywhere the patient is located, including the patient's home. [2] Expanding the types of practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services ... [3] Delaying the in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services through telehealth ... [4] Extending reimbursement for audio-only telehealth services.... [5] Extending the safe harbor exceptions under health savings account-eligible, high-deductible health plans for telehealth services."  MORE >>

"Reporting must be completed online ... A single disclosure to CMS form can be submitted for entities with subsidiaries if the plan year is the same for all subsidiaries.... If all options are either creditable or non-creditable, aggregate data may be provided for all options.... Employers must estimate how many Part D eligible individuals they expect to cover as of the first day of the plan year, excluding any retiree drug subsidy participants."  MORE >>

"For most plan sponsors, the end of the Public Health and National Emergencies is a welcome development from a health plan management perspective. First-dollar coverage of COVID-19 tests, particularly at-home tests, has been a significant cost driver under most plans. Additionally, the Outbreak Period administrative deadline delays have been difficult to navigate (especially with respect to COBRA premium payments)."  MORE >>

"Make sure you know where your employees are located. In an age of remote work, even employers based in states such as California where the right to abortion healthcare has been confirmed, may have employees working remotely in other states which have restrictive abortion laws.... Set up a system to monitor legal developments in this area, ... at the state, local, and federal levels.... Review all relevant plan documents.... Consider new plans/plan designs.... Review applicable leave laws."  MORE >>

"The employee is not required to provide a reason for the leave and does not need to submit documentation or proof to support the leave. An employer can require the employee to provide seven calendar days' notice prior to using the leave if the need for use is foreseeable.... If an employer does require notice for unforeseeable need, the procedures for such notice must be in a written policy."  MORE >>

"Effective January 1, 2023, contribution rates have decreased for employers of all sizes.... In 2023, the maximum weekly benefit rate for covered employees is $1,129.82 ... increased from $1,084.31 in 2022.... Massachusetts law requires employers to notify new and existing employees of the 2023 updates to contribution rates and weekly benefit amounts under the PFML law and display an updated 2023 PFML law poster in the workplace."  MORE >>

"There are clear benefits, but implementing a reference-based pricing model takes time, support and a significant amount of employee education. If you're looking to make this change, here's how to get reference-based pricing right and implement it for your organization and your employees."  MORE >>

"While self-insured health plans may have more flexibility to provide for coverage of certain family-building benefits, most fully-insured health plans do not offer comprehensive coverage for family-building.... Nevertheless, companies with insured and self-insured health plans are increasingly offering programs that cover a variety of family-building services without requiring a clinical infertility diagnosis."  MORE >>

"Amazon's launch of RxPass is part of a sustained healthcare push by the company and represents an effort to increase the accessibility of pharmaceuticals in the United States. While the tech giant certainly has enough resources and capital to make a difference in this critical area, ... the current version of RxPass does not cover the specialty medicines that are causing the lion's share of financial hardship for Americans and their employers."  MORE >>

"[The Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (HR 824)] would ... treat benefits for telehealth services offered under a group health plan or group health insurance coverage as excepted benefits.... Defining telehealth services as an excepted benefit would also allow employees not enrolled in the employer's group health plan to enroll in a standalone telehealth plan."  MORE >>

"There is actually a way to approach employee benefits complexities as a net-positive solution instead of a compliance chore. As we head into 2023, you can create some interesting enhancements to your value proposition and separate your organization from the pack by implementing a few simple changes."  MORE >>