"Indiana recently enacted significant new legislation that will impact how pharmacy benefit management services are provided in Indiana. Senate Bill 140 (SB 140), signed into law during the 2025 legislative session, ... introduces new provisions that would directly affect transparency and pharmacy network access involving insurers, PBMs, and pharmacies."  MORE >>

"The court focused on Tiara Yachts' allegations that BCBSM's 'self-dealing was nefarious: BCBSM intentionally inflated the pool of overpayments from which it could profit. The more overpayments BCBSM made on the front-end while processing claims, the more money it could receive on the back-end through the SSP.' The court found that these allegations were sufficient to support BCBSM's fiduciary status with respect to its own compensation." 
[Tiara Yachts, Inc. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mich., No. 24-1223 (6th Cir. May 21, 2025)]  MORE >>

"Caremark and ESI each seek injunctive relief to prevent the implementation and enforcement of Act 624, as well as a declaration that the law is unconstitutional and preempted by federal law.... Act 624 prohibits PBMs from obtaining or holding, directly or indirectly, a permit for the retail sale of drugs or medicines in the state of Arkansas, including permits for mail-order pharmacies. The law is set to become effective on January 1, 2026." 
[Express Scripts, Inc. v. Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, No. 25-0520 (E.D. Ark. complaint filed May 29, 2025); CVS Pharmacy, Inc. v. Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, No. 25-0524 (E.D. Ark. complaint filed May 29, 2025)]  MORE >>

"The House Bill [1] includes several provisions that would expand eligibility to contribute to HSAs and make HSAs more flexible, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025 ... [2] includes ... changes to HRA rules to make HRAs more flexible, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025 ... [3] would make permanent the ability to reimburse student loan payments under a Section 127 education assistance program ... [4] [increases the] maximum tax credit employers would be allowed for providing qualified child care ... from $150,000 to $500,000 ... [5] would make permanent the employer tax credit for a percentage of wages paid to qualifying employees while they are on paid family and medical leave."  MORE >>

"The Treasury regulations governing VEBAs were published nearly 45 years ago. Since that time, the provisions regarding who qualifies as a 'dependent' for VEBA purposes have become outdated.... This letter briefly summarizes [the] rationale for requesting this change and recommends an approach to modify the VEBA regulations to include expanded family relationships, similar to other areas of the law."  MORE >>

"The [DOL] announced the launch of its opinion letter program. This expands the department's longstanding commitment to providing meaningful compliance assistance that helps workers, employers and other stakeholders understand how federal labor laws apply in specific workplace situations.... To support this effort, the department has launched a landing page ... [which] allows users to explore past guidance and provides an easy way to submit new requests to the appropriate agency."  MORE >>

"DOL opinion letters are not legally binding, but they can provide helpful guidance, particularly for plan sponsors, on how the DOL applies the law to the circumstances at hand."  MORE >>

"The ruling aligns Puerto Rico with U.S. Supreme Court decisions, marking a shift from blind deference to administrative 'expertise.' ... After this ruling, courts may freely reexamine legal determinations made by agencies, such as: [1] Whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor; [2] Whether a termination constitutes 'just cause'; and [3] Whether certain benefits or wages are owed under applicable statutes." [DACO v. Consejo de Titulares del Condominio Los Corales, 2025 TSPR 56 (P.R. May 21, 2025)]  MORE >>