"HHS is making the lowest cost silver plan data available for employers in all States that use the Federal Healthcare.gov platform to determine whether the individual coverage HRA offer is affordable for purposes of the employer shared responsibility provisions under IRS Code section 4980H.... This data dictionary describes the variables contained in ICHRA Employer LCSP Premium Look-up Table [XLSM]. Each record reports LCSP age-based rates in a geographic location."  MORE >>

32 pages; Nov. 21, 2024. "Eligible small employers use Form 8941 to figure the credit for small employer health insurance premiums ... 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 >>

"The DOL's Wage and Hour Division clarified that participation in a clinical trial can qualify as 'treatment' under the FMLA if it involves an employee's own serious health condition and all other FMLA eligibility requirements are met. The Wage and Hour Division, acknowledging the experimental nature of some clinical trials, emphasized that the FMLA regulations' definition of 'continuing treatment' does not require that a clinical trial meet a certain level of efficacy or achieve specific results."  MORE >>

"[D]rugs such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists (including Ozempic) that may be prescribed for weight loss are not currently included in the mandate.... [S]mall group market plans may be required to cover certain weight-loss drugs as essential health benefits. And an exclusion of drugs prescribed for weight loss may fail to comply with other state mandates and federal laws, including HIPAA[.]"  MORE >>

"[1] Individuals must be given the opportunity to qualify for the reward under the program at least once per year ... [2] The size of the reward (or penalty) is limited to a percentage of the total cost of coverage ... [3] The program must be reasonably designed to promote health or prevent disease: ... [4] The full reward must be available to all individuals who complete the reasonable alternative standard: ... [5] The employer must provide notice of availability of the reasonable alternative standard in program materials:"  MORE >>

"[E]mployers with 15 or more employees [must] provide mandatory paid sick leave for Missouri employees beginning May 1, 2025.... Employees may use paid sick leave to care for their own physical or mental health, to care for a family member's physical or mental health, while the employee's place of business or their child's school/place of care is closed due to a public health emergency, or, in certain circumstances, due to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking."  MORE >>

"[R]egulations issued by the [DOL] for health-contingent wellness plans actually permit a higher surcharge for tobacco usage than for any other health factor. Now, employers who have imposed these surcharges find themselves in costly class action litigation with participants seeking reimbursement for millions of dollars in health premiums."  MORE >>

"[I]nsurers are projecting medical costs will increase by 10.4% in 2025, matching/mirroring this year's rate.... In North America, costs are projected to rise from 8.1% in 2024 to 8.7% in 2025, while in the U.S., insurers project a 10.2% increase in 2025, up from 9.3% this year. Costs are also projected to accelerate in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, while Europe and Latin America will see slower increases."  MORE >>

"The percentage of employers with 25 to 99 workers offering healthcare fell to 77% in 2023 from 81% in 1996 ... It decreased to 52% from 65% among employers with 10 to 24 employees, and to 23% from 34% among employers with fewer than 10 employees.... Employer spending on healthcare is expected to surge 8% next year, the highest increase in nearly a decade[.]"  MORE >>

"Without congressional action, employers will be required to charge employees more to access telehealth services, creating a barrier to care, including tele-mental health treatment.... The 228 signatories below urge Congress to pass legislation this year to extend this flexibility."  MORE >>