"[DOL], [HHS], and Treasury have issued additional FAQ guidance addressing first-dollar coverage of contraceptives under the [ACA's] preventive health services rules. The FAQs include a therapeutic equivalence approach ... as an alternative to complying with the contraceptives mandate using the Departments' current implementing guidance."  MORE >>

"Employers that cover Florida employees under their prescription drug plans are now prohibited from imposing mandatory mail-order requirements and are required to provide a sixty-day continuity of care period following midyear formulary changes under a recently enacted Florida law regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)."  MORE >>

"Employers should act in a timely manner to correct missed HSA contributions in the manner best suited for the specific facts and circumstances. Fortunately, employers discovering missed contributions after the close of the year can still correct by the tax filing deadline -- and without the need to correct the prior year Form W-2."  MORE >>

9 pages."As the 50th anniversary of ERISA approaches, the Committee is seeking feedback on ways to build upon and strengthen ERISA, the foundation of employer-sponsored health care.... Examining ways to increase affordability of coverage and increase quality and access to care, the Committee seeks feedback on the topics outlined [in this letter]. Please submit any responses ... by March 15, 2024." [Committee letter to Members of the Employee Health Benefits Community, Jan. 22, 2024]  MORE >>

"[S]upporting attraction and retention strategies [is] the number one driver for making changes to paid leave, time off or disability programs, cited by almost three-quarters (73%) of employers that have made or plan to make changes to their leave programs. Nearly as many (72%) cited enhancing the employee experience as a top reason. These reasons for making changes are consistent, with just small variations, across all employer sizes, from 100 employees to more than 25,000 or more employees."  MORE >>

48 pages. "Machine learning algorithms excel at constructing intricate models by discerning patterns in data, yet the risk of overfitting to training data necessitates rigorous testing by modelers and users.... This report endeavors to enhance transparency and understanding in the realm of health insurance fraud detection through interpretable machine learning."  MORE >>

"In the context of rising drug prices, the possibility of importing prescription drugs from other countries at lower prices is again being debated. Generally, the importation or reimportation of a prescription drug that does not meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements is prohibited. The policy debate has centered on creating a legal option for the import of lower-cost prescription drugs into the United States." [IF11056 Jan. 22, 2024]  MORE >>

"We don't know if the Senate will take steps to approve the House's Lower Costs, More Transparency Act [HR 5378]. That means we do not know if the amendments to the Gag Clause Prohibition ... will ever make their way into the law.... We also don't know whether PBM reforms -- particularly S 1339 -- will be included in legislation to keep the government funded and/or other supplemental spending bills.... [We] don't know whether the requirement to share claims data for 'audit' purposes and/or any other Transparency provisions will find their way into the law during these upcoming legislative exercises."  MORE >>

"[I]ndividuals and businesses in parts of Connecticut affected by severe storms, flooding and a potential dam breach that began on Jan. 10 ... now have until June 17, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.  ... Currently, this includes New London County, including the Mohegan Tribal Nation and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation."  MORE >>

"[This DOL report] covers the last year before auditors were required to comply with the new Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 136 ... Of the 307 plan audits reviewed, 30% contained major deficiencies ... The audit areas with the most deficiencies were participant data (15.6%), contributions received and receivable (15.3%), and benefit payments (9.4%)."  MORE >>