"As a refresher, the guidance consists of three different component documents, each targeted at a different audience. The first provides security tips to participants (e.g., use strong passwords). The second provides tips to an employer for vetting a potential service provider's cybersecurity practices during an RFP process (e.g., verify service provider has cybersecurity insurance and examine its history of breaches). The third provides best practices for service providers to use as part of their cybersecurity programs."  MORE >>

"Effective January 1, 2025, for employers with 25 or more employees, the contribution rate will remain at .88% of eligible wages. This contribution is divided between the employee’s payroll or wage withholdings and an employer contribution.... Employers with fewer than 25 employees must remit an effective contribution rate of 0.46% of eligible wages. This contribution rate is less because small employers are not required to pay the employer share of the medical leave contribution."  MORE >>

"the Tenth Circuit -- without request from either party -- examined the question of whether the claimants had Article III standing to bring the MHPAEA claim.... Though the Tenth Circuit agreed that the benefits denial was an injury for standing purposes, the court concluded that the injury was not fairly traceable to the alleged MHPAEA violation.... Because the claimants would have suffered an injury regardless of the MHPAEA violation, the claimants could not rely on that injury to establish standing." [S. v. Premera Blue Cross, No. 22-4056 (10th Cir. Oct. 1, 2024]  MORE >>

"The district court [had] granted summary judgment to Defendants on the ERISA benefits claim, finding that Plaintiffs were not entitled to benefits under the terms of the plan ... [and had] granted summary judgment to Plaintiffs on the Parity Act and ERISA disclosure claims.... The Tenth Circuit vacated the grant of summary judgment to Plaintiffs on their Parity Act claim, [and] affirmed the grant of summary judgment in Plaintiffs' favor on their ERISA disclosure claim, but for only one of two documents that Plaintiffs sought[.]" [S. v. Premera Blue Cross, No. 22-4056 (10th Cir. Oct. 1, 2024]  MORE >>

"[The lawsuit alleges that] the manufacturers artificially and willingly raised the prices of insulin then paid a significant, undisclosed portion back to the PBMs as a quid pro quo for inclusion in the PBMs' standard offerings. The PBMs then granted preferred status to the manufacturer whose drug has the highest list price while excluding lower priced drugs. These synthetic insulin drugs, which today cost the manufacturers less than $2 to produce and were originally priced at $20 when released in the late 1990s, now range between $300 and $700." [State of Texas v. Eli Lilly et al., No. D-1-GN-24-007940 (Travis Ct. Tex. complaint filed Oct. 3, 2024)]  MORE >>

"In this report, the Congressional Budget Office discusses the factors underlying prescription drug prices and examines a set of policy approaches aimed at reducing those prices. The agency assesses how each approach, if implemented in 2025, would affect average drug prices for purchasers in the United States in 2031. ... Some of the approaches that CBO examined aim to reduce prescription drug prices by capping them or limiting their growth; others would reduce prices by promoting price competition or affecting the flow of information."  MORE >>

"Currently, a federal employee may take up to 15 days of paid leave in connection with their service or training with the National Guard or reserves. While that may be sufficient for a federal worker who works a traditional weekday schedule, employees like federal firefighters, correctional and law enforcement officers who often work weekends must often dip into annual or sick leave -- or take unpaid leave -- in order to fulfill their training and service obligations."  MORE >>

"These include proposals to reform Pharmacy Benefit Manager business practices, increase health plan, provider and hospital transparency and provider competition, require 'site-neutral' provider billing practices in Medicare, extend pandemic-related telehealth flexibilities, lower prescription drug prices, and ease employers' ACA reporting duties."  MORE >>

"OCR's investigation revealed that the covered entity had engaged in multiple potential violations of HIPAA's security rule, including failures to conduct a compliant risk analysis and to sufficiently monitor its health information systems' activity to protect against a cyberattack.... The press release states that OCR has seen a 264% increase in large ransomware breaches since 2018. "  MORE >>

"Because a corporate tax on 'book income,' without adjustment, could include income and assets of tax-qualified pension and other post-retirement funds reported on a corporate taxpayer's financial statements, the Act includes an exemption for a covered benefit plan.... [P]roposed regulations detailing the scope of the 15% minimum tax and the required detailed calculations [were issued September 13]."  MORE >>