"The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take all necessary and appropriate action to rapidly implement and enforce the healthcare price transparency regulations ... including, within 90 days of the date of this order, action to: [1] require the disclosure of the actual prices of items and services, not estimates; [2] issue updated guidance or proposed regulatory action ensuring pricing information is standardized and easily comparable across hospitals and health plans; and [3] issue guidance or proposed regulatory action updating enforcement policies designed to ensure compliance with the transparent reporting of complete, accurate, and meaningful data." [Also released: Fact Sheet]  MORE >>

"Although many employers rely on third party vendors to prepare and submit these forms, the employer generally remains responsible for the forms' accuracy and timely submission.... [T]he Form 1094-C should always be reviewed by the employer to ensure it states that coverage was offered to at least 95% of full-time employees ... [T]he employer should verify that the Form 1094-C and Forms 1095-C are accepted without errors by the IRS when submitted electronically."  MORE >>

"Notice 2025-15 details how Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) may satisfy the 'clear, conspicuous, and accessible' notice requirement ... for furnishing Form 1095-C. Specifically, Notice 2025-15 borrows from previous guidance that only existed for the alternative manner of furnishing Form 1095-B."  MORE >>

"The GAC Guidance established a framework for how federal civil rights and patient privacy laws should be applied to support gender-affirming care ... The February 2025 letter states that the GAC Guidance no longer reflects the views and policies of the office ... Once the courts have resolved the effectiveness of EO 14187, impacted entities will still need to navigate conflicts between state laws and the EO."  MORE >>

"The amended ESTA still requires most Michigan employers to permit employees to accrue and use paid earned sick time annually. However, the amended ESTA removes certain rebuttable presumptions that an employer had violated the ESTA and eliminates an employee's right to file a private cause of action for a violation of the ESTA[.]"  MORE >>

"Payroll deductions for the state's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program would begin on 1/1/27 and benefits would become available on 1/1/28 under the Maryland Department of Labor's proposal."  MORE >>

"The three largest pharmacy benefit managers are looking to take their legal back-and-forth with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the 8th Circuit Court ... The Missouri [district] court declined to give the companies the preliminary injunction they sought, saying precedent makes the case unlikely to be successful." [Express Scripts, Inc., v. FTC, No. 24-1549 (E.D. Mo. Feb. 18, 2025; notice of appeal to 5th Cir. filed Feb. 21,2025)]  MORE >>

This 204-page report describes, and organizes by topic in detail, over 300 FMLA decisions of federal and state courts from November 1, 2023 through October 31, 2024.  MORE >>

"[O]ne of the major problems with price transparency regulations has been hospitals' slow adaptation to the changes. A report found that two years after the rule was implementation only about a quarter of hospitals were meeting the requirements. The group Patient Rights Advocate found that in 2023 only 24.5% out of 2,000 hospitals fully complied with a rule to post prices for certain items and services."  MORE >>

"The federal government spent $1.9 trillion on health care programs and services in fiscal year (FY) 2024, 27% of all federal outlays in that year, and collectively the largest category of federal spending. Forgone tax revenues to the federal government resulting from tax subsidies for employer sponsored insurance coverage (ESI) and a portion of the [ACA] premium tax credits together totaled $398 billion in FY 2024."  MORE >>

"Rising healthcare costs and limited access to quality care are major challenges for employers and employees alike. This blog explores how advanced primary care improves health outcomes, reduces costs, and streamlines access to care for a better employee experience."  MORE >>