"The first round of air ambulance reporting for the 2022 calendar year data must be submitted by March 31, 2023, and reports for the 2023 calendar year will be due March 30, 2024. As with other recent transparency disclosures, many employers will not have access to the necessary data to do the reporting and will need to rely on their carriers and/or third-party administrators (TPAs)."  MORE >>

"This provision allows health savings account (HSA)-qualifying high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to cover telehealth and other remote-care services on a pre-deductible basis. Additionally, an individual otherwise eligible for an HSA can receive pre-deductible coverage for telehealth and other remote-care services from a stand-alone vendor outside of the HDHP.... Likewise, the spending bill extends Medicare telehealth provisions for another two years. "  MORE >>

"As a result of the end of the National Emergency, the tolling of health plan deadlines based on the Outbreak Period extension will end on July 10, 2023. For example, if an employee's 60-day COBRA election period began on Sept. 1, 2022, the election period will no longer be tolled as of July 10, 2023, and COBRA coverage must be elected within 60 days of July 10. However, if an employee's COBRA election period began on July 5, 2022, tolling will end on July 5, 2023 due to the maximum one-year tolling period, and the 60-day election period will begin on that date."  MORE >>

"Legislative activity dropped during the final quarter of 2022, but regulators remained busy, particularly implementing paid leave laws. In Colorado and Oregon, contributions to paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs started on Jan. 1, 2023. Other states announced their 2023 PFML rates, and new leave-related laws passed in Michigan, New York and Washington, DC. Vermont announced a voluntary PFML program, due to take effect this year."  MORE >>

"Quality is the most important factor for employers when evaluating health plans, according to [a recent survey] ... When asked to assign letter grades to their health plan based on its ability to provide high-quality health care to employees, most employers gave their plans a 'C' grade ... More than half of respondents say their health plans care about the quality of care that their employees receive, are committed to reducing unnecessary costs and prioritize improving employee health."  MORE >>

"Alternative funding arrangements, like the captive model or HRAs, can work for smaller employers.... Strategic use of HRAs or HRA-style vendors can help mitigate renewal increases.... Some employers are looking into new ways to offer their employees mental health and stress management resources outside of employee assistance programs (EAPs), which are typically underutilized by participants. Some are considering paying for mindfulness apps or lifestyle and wellness subscriptions."  MORE >>

"The use of health apps has grown by 6 percentage points since December 2018, while wearables usage has grown by 8 points, per Morning Consult data. Respondents said exercise or heart rate monitoring was the primary reason for using a health app. Adults who don't use wearables said cost was the primary reason."  MORE >>

"The state of Delaware's health insurance program could soon be split almost evenly between workers and retirees because of the shortage of workers and rising numbers of retirees.... A rise in premiums is necessary to help the state overcome a deficit now projected at $138.1 million by the end of fiscal year 2024, which starts July 1."  MORE >>

"[E]mployers can offer women additional leave, as long as the policy clearly states that leave is related to physical limitations from pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Employers are not required to offer the same pregnancy-related medical leave to men. However, any other type of leave related to bonding with or caring for the child must be offered equally to both men and women."  MORE >>

"This document contains final regulations amending the rules for filing electronically and affects persons required to file partnership returns, corporate income tax returns, unrelated business income tax returns, withholding tax returns, certain information returns, registration statements, disclosure statements, notifications, actuarial reports, and certain excise tax returns. The final regulations reflect changes made by the Taxpayer First Act (TFA) and are consistent with the TFA's emphasis on increasing electronic filing."  MORE >>