"Generally, health care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are not required to file a Form 720 unless the employer (and not just the employee) makes contributions to it that exceed the lesser of $500 annually or a dollar-for-dollar match of the employee's contribution.... For Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), you must first look at the integrated group health plan. If that plan is fully insured, then the employer must file the 720 for the HRA and pay the $3.00 [per participant fee.]"  MORE >>

"Eligible businesses may use the funds to reimburse for [supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL)] provided between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. Businesses will be required to provide proof of employee payroll records that verify all SPSL provided by the business was pursuant to the state requirements"  MORE >>

"Minnesota's new law creates a paid family and medical leave program to provide partial wage replacement for employees for twelve to twenty weeks in a fifty-two-week period for medical leave, bonding, caring for a family member, safety leave, or a qualifying exigency leave. Employees may begin taking paid leave in January 2026."  MORE >>

"Effective January 1, 2024, Illinois' Paid Leave for All Workers Act requires most employers in the State of Illinois to offer 40 hours of paid leave for any reason to employees.... The Illinois Department of Labor recently published FAQs, intended to enhance public access and understanding of the law.... [W]hile the FAQs provide some helpful guidance, they still leave a number of substantive topics unaddressed[.]"  MORE >>

"The government stipulated that it would not seek penalties or take enforcement action against Braidwood for its refusal to cover the PSTF-recommended preventive care at issue (HIV-related preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs) through the time the Fifth Circuit issues a decision on the merits. The government also agreed that, until the Fifth Circuit issues its decision, it would not take any enforcement action against any Texas-based insurance issuer for offering to the individual plaintiffs a plan that excludes PrEP drugs or against the individual plaintiffs themselves for purchasing such a plan." [Braidwood Management, Inc. v. Becerra, No. 20-0283 (N.D. Tex. Mar. 30, 2023); No. 23-10326 (5th Cir. joint stipulation Jun. 12, 2023)]  MORE >>

"While the stay is in effect, sponsors of non-grandfathered plans are required to continue to cover the 'A' and 'B' preventive services recommended by the USPSTF with no cost sharing.... Oral arguments are expected to occur this summer. Multiple patient advocacy groups have filed amicus curiae briefs ... arguing that to remove the preventive services requirements will harm patient health and result in an increase in healthcare costs as serious health conditions may be detected much later." [Braidwood Management, Inc. v. Becerra, No. 20-0283 (N.D. Tex. Mar. 30, 2023); No. 23-10326 (5th Cir. joint stipulation Jun. 12, 2023)]  MORE >>

"With respect to the post-appeal evidence, the court assumed, 'without deciding, a plan administrator's reliance on appeal on new factual information or evidence could require a claimant to be provided an opportunity to respond to the new material.' ... [T]he court found that 'substantially complied with ERISA regulations and the result of the appeal would not have been different had such an opportunity to respond been provided.' " [Easter v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., No. 21-4106 (10th Cir. June 14, 2023; unpub.)]  MORE >>

"Health insurer stocks dropped after UnitedHealth Group warned of higher medical costs as older Americans start to catch up on surgeries they delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.... Insurance companies have benefited in recent years from a delay in nonurgent procedures, but that trend may be reversing."  MORE >>

"The summary includes remarks by FTC Chair Lina Khan, questioning whether additional considerations beyond traditional horizontal overlap theories should be analyzed when evaluating deals in the pharmaceutical context -- including more closely examining remedies, potential innovation and prior bad acts by the parties to a deal.... The topics discussed broadly fell into several categories ... [1] concentration in the pharmaceutical industry, [2] remedies in pharmaceutical mergers, and [3] examination of prior bad acts in merger review. This article discusses and analyzes these topics."  MORE >>

"[HHS] began investigating the CE ... after receiving a breach notification indicating that 23 security guards working in the hospital's emergency department accessed the electronic protected health information of 419 individuals without authorization. The guards used their login credentials to access the information, which included individuals' names, dates of birth, addresses, medical record numbers, treatment notes, and insurance information. The guards lacked an employment-related reason for accessing the information."  MORE >>

"[T]he term 'benefits' now encompasses many offerings that support employees' well-being, financial stability, and personal growth.... [T]hese benefits are increasingly being tailored to meet individual employees' unique needs and preferences ... [1] Retirement savings & financial wellness programs ... [2] Insurance coverage ... [3] Flexible work & PTO arrangements ... [4] Professional development ... [5] Health & mental wellness programs ... [6] Family financial assistance ... [7] Housing & legal assistance."  MORE >>