"Individuals will be considered 'affected by a FEMA-declared emergency or major disaster' and eligible for an Exceptional Circumstances SEP ... if they were unable to enroll in an enrollment period for which they were eligible due to a FEMA-declared emergency or major disaster.... FEMA-emergency affected individuals will have up to 60 days from the end of the FEMA-designated incident period to select a new QHP through the FFE or make changes to their existing QHP enrollment. " Unnumbered document, Aug. 31, 2023; updates and supersedes guidance effective Aug. 9, 2018.  MORE >>

"In determining the maximum self-only contribution amount that a calendar year plan can charge in 2024 under the FPL safe harbor, the 2024 FPL of $14,580 for a one-person household is used. The maximum monthly contribution will be ... $101.94. The amounts for prior years are also [shown in a] table."  MORE >>

"Employers that do not offer a medical plan option meeting the 2024 federal poverty line affordability safe harbor (i.e., the lowest-cost plan option exceeds $101.93/month) should generally utilize the rate of pay affordability safe harbor, which looks to the lowest hourly rate of pay for hourly full-time employees and the lowest monthly salary for salaried full-time employees."  MORE >>

"The State of Illinois recently passed the 'Transportation Benefits Program Act' that will go into effect January 1, 2024, and require employers with 50 or more employees located in specific areas to offer a pre-tax commuter benefit to 'covered employees.' Employees who take advantage of the benefit can use a pre-tax payroll deduction to pay for transit passes and avoid paying taxes for the deduction amount."  MORE >>

"[M]ost Oregon employees who work full or part-time will be eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid leave per year. Both employers and employees started paying into the paid leave trust fund in January 2023, and those funds are what make the program possible. Benefits will become available starting on September 3, 2023."  MORE >>

"With new health plan disclosure and transparency laws in place, the groundwork is laid for lawsuits focused on health plan expenditures and fees. Like the retirement plan cases, the anticipated health plan fee litigation will be costly to defend. As this litigation takes shape, health plan fiduciaries and service providers should carefully review what they respectively pay and charge for health plan benefits and services."  MORE >>

"According to physician respondents, many payers, including insurance companies, are ignoring arbitrated rulings on the reimbursement amounts or failing to pay them in full. Physicians also cite expediting delays with this process and frustrations when attempting to collect on awards with little to no effect from enforcement, leaving them questioning if the NSA is functioning as intended in the fair and amicable interests of all involved."  MORE >>