"The FAQs make clear that a plan may offer fertility benefits as an independent, noncoordinated excepted benefit, and thus be exempt from ACA requirements, if the following conditions are met: [1] the benefits are provided under a separate insurance policy; [2] there is no coordination between the independent benefit and any exclusion under a related group health plan; and [3] the benefits are payable without regard to whether benefits are provided for the same condition under a related group health plan."  MORE >>

"[T]he City amended its Earned Sick and Safe Time Act (ESSTA) and its Temporary Schedule Change Act (TSCA) to establish a new unpaid leave requirement in addition to existing paid leave requirements and to expand the permissible uses for employee sick/safe leave. These changes will take effect on February 22, 2026."  MORE >>

"The amended ESSTA requires employers to make available the additional 32 hours of unpaid safe/sick time immediately at hire, as well as to 'frontload' it at the start of each new benefit year. The unpaid safe/sick time may be used immediately by employees upon receipt. Further, under the amended ESSTA, if an employee communicates to their employer that they need time off for a purpose covered by safe/sick time, the employer must provide paid safe/sick time unless the employee has no such time available or the employee specifically requests to use other leave in lieu of paid safe/sick time."  MORE >>

"With broad coverage, up to 20 weeks of leave and paid benefits per leave year, and complex coordination requirements, employers should prepare now to ensure compliance."  MORE >>

"Focusing on the legal and historical distinctions between Title VII and Title IX, this case limits the scope of Section 1557's protections. Although the gender-identity discrimination provisions had already been blocked from enforcement, this decision officially vacates the rules." [Tennessee v. Kennedy, No. 24-0161 (S.D. Miss. Oct. 22, 2025)]  MORE >>

"[B]enefit leaders are focused first on ensuring employees feel supported and engaged before leveraging benefits as broader tools for culture, performance or reputation building. While empathetic leadership is a win for employees, there remain challenges for benefit managers in striking the right balance."  MORE >>

"When faced with a document they can't decode, members often disengage until a problem (like an unexpected bill) forces them back in. This defensive strategy might protect users' mental bandwidth in the short term, but the accompanying 'avoidance penalty' leads to real costs on both sides. Confused members delay payments, call support more often, and dispute bills they don't understand. They also lose the ability to plan for healthcare expenses or make confident care decisions -- leaving them frustrated and financially uncertain."  MORE >>

29 pages. "What's New: [1] Social security and Medicare taxes for 2025.... [2] Moving expense reimbursements.... [3] Employer contributions to Trump accounts."  MORE >>