Aug. 12, 2024. "Use Form 7206 to determine any amount of the self-employed health insurance deduction you may be able to report on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 17. You may be able to deduct the amount you paid for medical and dental insurance and qualified long-term care insurance for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents"  MORE >>

"The HCSO requires employers to make certain health care expenditures on behalf of their San Francisco-based employees. To the surprise of many employers, the HCSO also applies to remote workers even if the employer has no other presence in or connection to the City of San Francisco."  MORE >>

"On June 28, 2024, a janitorial service company in Texas filed a lawsuit challenging regulations issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and penalties assessed related to the implementation of the [ACA's] (ACA) employer shared responsibility provisions. ... This article will provide background on how the employer shared responsibility provisions work, summarize the new lawsuit brought in Texas, and consider how legal and policy challenges could affect the implementation of these provisions." [Faulk Co., Inc. v. HHS, No. 24-0609 (N.D. Tex. complaint filed Jun. 28, 2024)]  MORE >>

"According to the pharmacy industry groups, PBMs ... fail to drive down patient costs and abuse their market power to benefit only themselves. They claim that the three major PBMs  ... have consolidated most of the market power and wealth, driven small pharmacies out of business, and increased medication costs. The pharmacy industry groups suggest that PBMs have inflicted the worst damage in rural America, such as in many parts of Oklahoma, thus leading to this law's passage." [PCMA v. Mulready, No. 22-6074 (10th Cir. Aug. 15, 2023; cert pet. filed May 10, 2024, No. 23-1213)]  MORE >>

"ERISA fee litigation may now be shifting from retirement savings and benefits to healthcare-related benefits ... [The authors] anticipate that plaintiffs' counsel ... will leverage publicly available information regarding fees paid by health plans -- some of which is now available as a result of relatively new disclosure requirements -- when developing ERISA breach of fiduciary duty and prohibited transaction claims related to health plans."  MORE >>

"Providing a range of health plan choices during annual health enrollment in the U.S. creates a more competitive marketplace, reducing costs for both employers and plan members. A competitive annual enrollment also helps employees select a plan that best meets both their needs and their family's needs, which can vary from year to year. More carriers and health plan choices require additional guidance tools to help employees select the plan that's right for them."  MORE >>

"More than two-thirds of employees surveyed said healthcare benefits are second only to salary when considering a job offer, and 78% said they would find a new job if their benefits package was inadequate.... [M]ost workers (68% at small companies, 64% at large) find the plans offered are better than they expected for a company of that size.... Millennials are especially concerned about how inadequate benefits could allow external factors to impact productivity. At small companies, 79% fear a productivity decline, as do 80% at larger companies."  MORE >>

"GLP-1 medications, originally developed for type 2 diabetes management, are being studied for a variety of potential future uses beyond their current indications.... [S]everal challenges may create an obstacle to increased coverage. The current high cost of GLP-1 medications presents a financial burden for insurers. Additionally, an ongoing debate regarding obesity vs. diabetes persists with some insurers potentially hesitating to cover GLP-1 medications solely for weight loss[.]"  MORE >>

"As currently drafted, SB 966 would create a range of compliance requirements for PBM services offered under health care service plans and health insurance policies.... [T]he bill expressly states, ... that 'Any activity conducted by a pharmacy benefit manager, as defined in this division, shall be construed as the business of insurance.' ... State regulators could interpret this provision to include self-insured ERISA plans, jeopardizing the plans' control over the design and administration of plan benefits and potentially sparking legal challenges."  MORE >>

"SB 188 targets Pharmacy Benefit Managers ... The bill's troublesome provisions include a new mandated dispensing fee of $10 charged by pharmacies for each prescription filled. It also restricts the use of mail-order pharmacies ... What lawmakers did in passing this bill is take away Kentucky employers' ability to work directly with PBMs to design prescription drug benefits that they and their employees can afford."  MORE >>

"[I]ndividuals and businesses in Minnesota that were affected by severe storms and flooding that began on June 16, 2024 ... now have until Feb. 3, 2025 to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.... [I]ndividuals and households that reside or have a business in Blue Earth, Carver, Cass, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Watonwan counties qualify for tax relief."  MORE >>

"[1] Vacating the Rule is the 'default' remedy. ... [2] States can take care of non-competes themselves.... [3] Equity favors nationwide relief"  MORE >>