" In order to require PTO substitution for FMLA absences, ... the employer's FMLA policy must spell out that requirement. If the policy is silent on the issue, employees may choose whether or not to apply their accrued PTO to any FMLA absences.... In a January 14 Opinion Letter, the [DOL's] Wage and Hour Division addressed what should happen if an employee on FMLA leave is receiving some form of paid family or medical leave under state-based law."  MORE >>

"The final quarter of 2024 saw a slowdown in legislative and regulatory activity.... Alaska, Missouri and Nebraska ballot initiatives ushered in paid sick and safe leave mandates scheduled to take effect in 2025. Colorado and Maine issued paid family and medical leave (PFML) regulations. California and Washington, DC, amended their PFML laws.... New York finalized pharmacy benefit manager rules applicable to fully insured and self-funded ERISA plans. New Jersey and Washington, DC, passed telehealth laws. Indiana exempted self-funded ERISA plans from its claims reporting law."  MORE >>

"A new Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) rule ... will require health benefit plans subject to the Arkansas Pharmacy Benefit Manager Licensure Act to file with the Commissioner a written report describing certain pharmacy compensation data.... Together the rule and [a recent AID bulletin] seek to gather information to ensure that pharmacy/pharmacist reimbursements for services are fair and reasonable, and to ensure adequate pharmacy networks for health plans."  MORE >>

"Highlights of HB 4002's amendments to ESTA include: [1] a defined cap on year-end carryover of earned, unused sick time; [2] the ability for employers to frontload a sufficient amount of earned sick time and correspondingly avoid year-end carryover/payout and accrual tracking obligations; [3] establishes procedures for prorating earned sick time for part-time employees; [4] permits a longer new hire usage waiting period; and [5] establishes an individual employee notice requirement for both current employees and new hires."  MORE >>

"On February 21, 2025, Michigan Governor Whitmer signed an amendment to the Earned Sick Time Act, providing several employer-friendly changes. Employers with ten or fewer employees now have until October 1, 2025, to comply. Highlights of the amendment include clarifications regarding covered employer qualifications, benefit accruals, employee eligibility, and benefit amounts."  MORE >>

41 pages. "[The] audit identified challenges that limited EBSA's efforts to enforce compliance with mental health parity NQTL laws and requirements.... EBSA lacked critical tools to enforce compliance and deter parity violations, such as the ability to assess civil monetary penalties or bring actions against all responsible parties. EBSA did not use many of the enforcement tools within its authority to ensure health plans' compliance. It also took up to 3 years to complete NQTL comparative analysis reviews."  MORE >>

"Between the two Departments, 56 plans were reviewed for MHPAEA compliance with 33 total violations found. All the non-compliant plans were either self-funded or involved plans that offered fully-insured and self-funded options under the same plan. The breakdown was a nearly evenly split between violations of financial limits/quantitative treatment limitations (e.g., copays, coinsurance, deductibles, etc.) and nonquantitative treatment limitations (e.g., prior authorization, benefit exclusions)."  MORE >>

"Cell and gene therapies represent a monumental leap forward in medicine, offering the potential to cure previously untreatable diseases. But these life-changing treatments come with eye-watering price tags ... While GLP-1s can offer significant health benefits, their widespread use has led to a surge in pharmacy spending.... Employers are increasingly dissatisfied with their PBMs, citing concerns about rising costs and a lack of transparency."  MORE >>

"[O]ne vexing challenge to employers realizing that positive return will be employees themselves, as patient adherence will play a significant role in long-term ROI for employers that decide to cover GLP-1s."  MORE >>