"The question is: where is the remote worker's 'worksite'? If your answer is that the remote employee's 'worksite' is their home, you would be wrong.... Field Assistance Bulletin 2023-1 ... requires employers to consider the physical office location remote employees report to and receive their work from as being the 'worksite' for purposes of determining FMLA eligibility."  MORE >>

"In California, temporary military leave gives certain rights to employees of public agencies who take time away from work to serve in the reserves, the National Guard, or the Naval Militia. While this leave may be less common than sick leave, vacation, or maternity and paternity leave, it's important to know how to handle requests from employees who serve."  MORE >>

"[T]he Fifth Circuit held that the regulations improperly restricted the arbitrators' authority to consider the various factors specified in the NSA when deciding on reimbursement amounts for out-of-network providers' services.... The district court vacated the Final Rule ... The Fifth Circuit upheld the district court's decision in its entirety[.]" [Texas Med. Ass'n (TMA) v. HHS, No. 23-40217 (5th Cir. Aug. 2, 2024))]  MORE >>

"Defendant started covering these treatments in 2020 when the medical literature changed.... Plaintiffs argued that the Defendant violated the Parity Act because it did not cover K.H.'s proposed therapies until 2020, however, Defendant covered [certain] chiropractic care ... which Plaintiffs argued lacked scientific support. The district court found that the difference in treatment between these two therapies reflected the differences in the available literature, and not the way Defendant treated mental and physical conditions." [Midthun-Hensen on behalf of K.H. v. Grp. Health Coop. of S. Cent. Wisconsin, Inc., No. 23-2100 (7th Cir. Aug. 5, 2024)]  MORE >>

"The Wells Fargo complaint echoes many of the same claims as in the JNJ suit ... [N]ew in the Wells Fargo complaint is an allegation the plan fiduciaries engaged in prohibited transactions ... by causing the Plan to pay excessive and unreasonable administrative fees to its PBM.... Health plan fiduciaries should strongly consider these steps to help reduce their litigation exposure[.]" [Navarro v. Wells Fargo & Co., No. 24-3043 (D. Minn. complaint filed Jul. 30, 2024)]  MORE >>

"Cost was top of mind for all beneficiaries despite most being able to obtain their prescription drugs ... Beneficiaries described taking drug costs into account when they choose their Medicare plan or make decisions to purchase medications outside their Medicare coverage.... Provider participants in the focus groups said they see the cost of prescription drugs as a big issue for their patients and that cost is the biggest factor driving compliance."  MORE >>

"Lawmakers are calling on the [GAO] to review the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration recently announced by [CMS] ... Through new taxpayer-financed policy adjustments, the demonstration seemingly intends to deflate seniors' premiums that are otherwise slated to increase dramatically following the counterintuitive, haphazardly-written Inflation Reduction Act's drug price provisions. However, the agency has not produced any budgetary analysis and appears to lack a clear statutory basis or credible research goals for the proposal. "  MORE >>

"[S]tate employees who become foster parents can now get eight weeks of paid parental leave after welcoming a foster child into their home.... In 2020, Governor Little introduced a similar benefit for new parents after the birth or adoption of a child through his Executive Order 2020-03 ... Now, he is extending the benefits for foster parents."  MORE >>

"[E]mployers/plan sponsors should use free and independent brokers/consultants who openly and readily disclose every penny they receive from all service providers.... You must review your broker's compensation disclosure. And no, you don't want to rely on the one that they paid tens of thousands to a law firm to write as evasively as they could. You want to craft your own. And you need that document to be specific. If you don't, you are open to liability -- even personal liability."  MORE >>

"This quarter, more participants, nearly 9 in 10, kept their savings rate consistent. More participants took a loan and slightly more took a hardship distribution, but average amounts withdrawn were consistent with last quarter.... While nearly 4 in 10 participants contributed more than they withdrew from their health savings account, more participants could benefit by taking advantage of the investment feature to grow long-term health care savings. "  MORE >>

"According to the bill, the DOL would receive $13.8 billion in discretionary funding, and EBSA will receive $206 million, an increase of $15 million, for fiscal year 2025.... Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su had testified before the House Committee on Appropriations in April, requesting a $13.9 billion total budget for 2025. Her request also included a plan to set aside $4.7 million to implement provisions from the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022."  MORE >>