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Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter

May 10, 2023

2 New Job Opportunities 2 New Job Opportunities

 

[Guidance Overview]

The Presidentially Declared COVID-19 National Emergency Is Over

"[DOL] and IRS have informally commented that the 'outbreak period' will end on July 10, 2023.... [This article] recaps the implications on employer-sponsored group health plans of the end of the national emergencies under the NEA and the Stafford Act."  MORE >>

Miller Johnson

[Guidance Overview]

Telehealth Remains Largely Intact When PHE Ends

"Coupled with the evolution of state telehealth practice laws and regulations, the provisions of the CAA enable most telehealth providers to continue their routine virtual care practice through the end of 2024. In fact, the expiration of the PHE should have little impact on the majority of telehealth providers."  MORE >>

Morgan Lewis

[Guidance Overview]

DEA Temporary Rule Extends Telemedicine Flexibilities and Grants Additional Grace Period

"The temporary rule will take effect on May 11, 2023, and ... [1] Temporarily extends COVID-19 PHE controlled substance prescribing flexibilities through November 11, 2023 ... [2] Grants an additional one-year grace period through November 11, 2024 to patients and practitioners who established a telemedicine relationship on or before November 11, 2023."  MORE >>

Polsinelli PC

[Guidance Overview]

HHS Fact Sheet: End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

"[This] Fact Sheet [provides] an update on current flexibilities enabled by the COVID-19 emergency declaration and how they will be impacted by the end of the COVID-19 PHE on May 11.... The Administration's continued response to COVID-19 is not fully dependent on the emergency declaration for the COVID-19 PHE, and there are significant flexibilities and actions that will not be affected when we transition from the current phase of our response on May 11.... Many COVID-19 PHE flexibilities and policies have already been made permanent or otherwise extended for some time, with others expiring after May 11."  MORE >>

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]

Fifth Circuit Holds That Blue Cross Abused Its Discretion in Denying Cancer Patient's Claim for Proton Beam Therapy

"[T]he court distinguished between disputes over a plan's meaning and those over a plan's application. Here, the parties agreed about what the plan said, and thus their only dispute involved the application of those plan terms.... [T]he Fifth Circuit upheld the district court's decision that substantial evidence did not support Blue Cross' adverse benefit decision." [Salim v. Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Co., No. 22-30573 (5th Cir. May 3, 2023; unpub.)]  MORE >>

Kantor & Kantor LLC

DOL Publishes a New (Eggplant-Colored) FMLA Poster

"[T]he September 2013 and April 2016 poster editions are still effective to use, but now we add this latest purple shade to the mix. The new version clarifies just as much as the others did back in 2013 and 2016."  MORE >>

FMLA Insights

Gen Z Expects Mental Wellness Support from Employers

"[S]trategies employers can use ... [1] Design jobs in ways that promote good mental health.... [2] Encourage managers to serve as mental wellness role models, when possible.... [3] Introduce structured, healthy team-based activities.... [4] Offer allocated vacation days instead of unlimited paid time off (PTO).... [5] Conduct mindfulness training during onboarding.... [6] Offer insurance coverage for therapy.... [7] Offer personal coaches.... [8] Provide mental health training to managers."  MORE >>

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

[Opinion]

Health Care Megatrends: System Reconfiguration

"Beyond improving provider workflows, integrating new automated technologies and digital tools in medical practice also provides an opportunity to reduce spending on administrative costs, which accounts for about one-quarter of US health care spending. By some estimates, reducing 'administrative waste' -- unnecessary spending related to billing or other corporate and operational functions -- could save as much as $265 billion."  MORE >>

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, via Health Affairs Forefront

Benefits in General

Some Companies Offering Great Employee Benefits, Despite the 'Perkcession'

"With more and more workers expecting remote work opportunities, in-office perks are less in demand than employer flexibility on hybrid working.... [T]he apparent 'perkcession' appears more like a correction, cutting back the excess and keeping those benefits that are most valuable."  MORE >>

Techspot

Looking to Attract and Retain Younger Workers? Offer Non-Traditional Benefits

"While a majority of younger workers consider traditional benefits (such as paid time off, medical, and retirement savings plans) very important, they also prioritize non-traditional benefits, including flexible work schedules, emergency savings benefits, tuition reimbursement, and financial, mental and health wellness programs."  MORE >>

LIMRA

Employee Benefits Jobs

View job as Plan Consultant (Relationship Manager)
            for Security Administrators, Inc

Plan Consultant (Relationship Manager)

Security Administrators, Inc

Remote / Binghamton NY / AL / AZ / CT / FL / IA / IL / IN / MA / MN / NC / NJ / OH / PA / TX

View job as Plan Consultant (Relationship Manager) for Security Administrators, Inc

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

Actuary

Nyhart, part of FuturePlan by Ascensus

Remote / Atlanta GA

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

Press Releases

Richter-Gordon, Chamberlain Launch Firm to Vet Lifetime Income Options in 401(k)s

Annuity Research & Consulting

IRALOGIX Adds Two Senior Industry Experts to Leadership Team as It Continues to Revolutionize the IRA Landscape

IRALOGIX

PlanSource Product Release Springs into Personalization to Further Innovate Benefits Engagement with New Product Enhancement

PlanSource

Webcasts and Conferences
(Health & Welfare Plans)

National Debt, Debt Ceilings and the Impact on Healthcare and Group Health Plans

RECORDED

NFP Corp.

Last Issue's Most Popular Items

IRS Confirms That All FSA Claims Must Be Substantiated, No Matter How Small

HUB International

End of the COVID-19 National Emergency: What It Means for ERISA-Covered Group Health Plans

Phillips Lytle LLP

Here We Go Again: Prescription Drug Reporting Due by June First

Proskauer

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

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