"Plan sponsors and administrators should consider ... [1] How will the plan cover out of network COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and boosters going forward? ... [2] How and when to inform plan participants and beneficiaries [about] ... what will change for them under their plan(s).... [3] Whether to proactively extend deadlines for participant claims and appeals coming up prior to May 11, 2023."  MORE >>

"As the CARES Act expanded access to the COVID-19 vaccine for many group health plan participants, employers should perform a holistic review of their COVID-19 vaccine strategy. If the national emergency ends on May 11, 2023, the Outbreak Period, which suspended several important health plan deadlines for up to one year, will expire July 10, 2023."  MORE >>

"The ex-wife sought a declaratory judgment that she, as legal guardian of the minor son, is entitled to the proceeds because the [Legal Separation Agreement (LSA)] is a [QDRO] under [ERISA] ... With regard to the LSA's failure to name the Hartford plan ... the Court opined that the LSA would likely pass muster as a QDRO, as it clearly contained the information specified in the statute that a plan administrator would need to make an informed decision." [Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co. v. Kowalski, No. 21-6469 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 3, 2023)]  MORE >>

"Dr. Haddad argued that the settlement should not be offset from his disability payments because it was unrelated to his current disability. The court rejected this argument ... Dr. Haddad also argued that Hartford could not offset the entire non-cost portion of the settlement as lost wages because it was for various forms of relief. ... [The court found that] Dr. Haddad did not offer a meaningful explanation of the amount of the settlement attributable to lost wages so Hartford could offset the full amount of the settlement." [Haddad v. SMG Long Term Disability Plan, No. 21-16175 (9th Cir. Feb. 10, 2023; unpub.)]  MORE >>

"If half of adults -- about the same percentage as those who opt for an annual flu shot -- get COVID boosters at the new, higher prices, a recent KFF report estimated, insurers, employers, and other payors would shell out $12.4 billion to $14.8 billion. That's up to nearly twice as much as what it would have cost for every adult in the U.S. to get a bivalent booster at the average price paid by the federal government."  MORE >>

"The FTC is showing that it intends to be more active regarding the misuse and exploitation of sensitive personal information. Companies that use health information should take precautions to protect consumer data and provide proper disclosures when sharing health information with technology firms that target advertising or otherwise."  MORE >>