12 pages; Aug. 29, 2024. "Eligible small employers use Form 8941 to figure the credit for small employer health insurance premiums for tax years beginning after 2009. For tax years beginning after 2013, the credit is only available for a 2-consecutive-tax-year credit period. The maximum credit is generally a percentage of premiums the employer paid during the tax year for certain health insurance coverage the employer provided to certain employees enrolled in a qualified health plan offered through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace."  MORE >>

"Unum denied the claim opining based on the file reviews of two 'on-site' physicians ... that Plaintiff would not be restricted from working as a physician since Plaintiff had the ability to reduce the risks associated with COVID-19 exposure ... Unum ... characterized Plaintiff's concerns about returning to work as a simple 'decision' she undertook due to her 'fear of COVID-19,' rather than a prophylactic measure taken to protect herself. The Court disagreed, finding that Plaintiff's concerns were not so trivial." [Downs v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of Am., No. 23-1643 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 19, 2024)]  MORE >>

"Multiple clients of CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services were affected by a data breach that leaked the personal information of CBIZ's clients' retired employees, CBIZ reported in a filing with the Office of the Maine Attorney General on Aug. 28. The company learned of the data breach on June 24[.]"  MORE >>

"42% of employers offer fertility benefits this year, up from 30% in 2020. Coverage for fertility medications has increased from 8% of companies in 2016 to 32% this year, and coverage for in vitro fertilization procedures is covered by 32% of companies this year, up from 13% in 2016. While a growing percentage of companies are covering genetic testing, non-IVF treatments, and egg harvesting or freezing, the percentage of employers offering these benefits remains less than 20%"  MORE >>

"[ERISA] was enacted on Sept. 2, 1974, when self-insured plans that fall under the law covered around 6% of people in group health plans. Today they make up 57% of private employer plans, and increasing scrutiny on their role has sparked calls for more transparency and oversight of other plan service providers that control data and prices. States have moved to regulate the space in the absence of federal action, leading to legal battles over whether ERISA preempts state laws."  MORE >>

"Your data offers a unique window into your employees' needs and the financial pressures affecting your organization.... Every organization has access to claims data; it's just a matter of putting yourself on the right platform. Alternative funding methods, including MERP (Medical Expense Reimbursement Programs), level funding, and self-insuring, are all different methods of receiving at least some level of claims data."  MORE >>

"[T]here is the potential for AI to comb through the pages upon pages of benefits coverage that employees are given and then help find the relevant information if someone has a question.... AI could help spot important patterns in data that human HR managers and company executives might miss.... Advances in HR technology will move the benefits experience closer to [using an iPhone or shopping on Amazon] by making it more accessible and easier to understand ... [T]echnology will reshape the benefits space so that offerings are more personalized to each individual."  MORE >>

"At the House Oversight Committee’s hearing, the PBM chief executives made statements that contradict the Committee’s and the Federal Trade Commission’s findings about the PBMs’ self-benefitting practices that jeopardize patient care, undermine local pharmacies, and raise prescription drug prices. The chief executives for CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx claimed they do not steer patients to PBM-owned pharmacies. The executives also made claims contradicting the Committee’s and FTC’s findings regarding contract negotiations, contract opt outs, and payments to pharmacies. "  MORE >>

"While the FTC may have lost this battle, it ultimately may win the war on non-competes.... Notwithstanding governor vetoes of laws totally banning non-compete clauses in New York, Maine, and Rhode Island, state legislatures continue to introduce and pass laws that whittle away at the scope of permissible use of non-compete clauses.... Until federal legislation is enacted or future rulemaking limiting or prohibiting non-compete clauses sticks, employers should continue to assess their business interests that need to be protected and consider how to protect those interests."  MORE >>