"A new opinion letter from the [DOL] explains that employees may use leave under the [FMLA] not only to attend qualifying medical appointments, but also for the time spent traveling to and from those appointments. Notably, employers may not require a health care provider to estimate travel time as part of an FMLA medical certification."  MORE >>

"Unlike the Federal FMLA, the CT FMLA does not require employers to maintain an employee's group health benefits during the period an employee is on CT FMLA leave to the same extent as if the employee was still working. However, there may be other applicable laws, contractual provisions, or policies that do require such coverage when an employee is out on CT FMLA leave, even if no other leave is being run concurrently."  MORE >>

"On January 12, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition for writ of certiorari in Guardian Flight, leaving in place the Fifth Circuit's June 2025 decision ... As a result, within the Fifth Circuit, providers cannot rely on the No Surprises Act (NSA) itself to enforce Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) awards in court and face a heightened standing bar for ERISA-based claims where patients are insulated from financial harm. And the persuasive effect of the Fifth Circuit's holding is bolstered nationwide." [Guardian Flight, L.L.C. and Med-Trans Corp. v. Health Care Serv. Corp., No. 24-10561 (5th Cir. June 12, 2025; cert. pet. denied Jan. 12, 2026, No. 25-441)]  MORE >>

"Federal regulations implemented over the last four years require a greater degree of price transparency from hospitals, insurers and health plans. Providing participants with easy-to-use shopping tools and incentives to use them are among the strategies that may help plan sponsors leverage transparency to lower health plan costs."  MORE >>

"[The PBM Fiduciary Accountability, Integrity, and Reform (FAIR) Act (S 3549)] would amend ERISA to treat [PBMs] as fiduciaries when providing services to employer-sponsored group health plans. If enacted, the legislation would impose fiduciary duties, require detailed compensation disclosures, and restrict contractual indemnification provisions that shift fiduciary risk to plans. Employers may gain increased transparency into PBM compensation structures, but should expect potential changes to PBM contracting practices and service models."  MORE >>

"Any employer-sponsored benefit that allows participants to access DTC programs will be considered employer-provided medical care. In general, there are two primary paths to accessing DTC programs -- through integration with an EAP, telemedicine program, wellness benefit, or general purpose health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) or without integration with excepted benefit HRAs or EHBRAs."  MORE >>

"Trump's proposal would send the value of the now-lapsed ACA enhanced subsidies directly to consumers rather than route the tax credits through their insurer to bring down premiums.... [T]he plan aims to 'hold big insurance companies accountable' by requiring that they post rate and coverage comparisons online in plain English, making it easier for consumers to shop for coverage. It would also require that health plans publish what percentage of their revenue is paid out to claims compared to overhead costs and profits."  MORE >>

"After a near record low of 46.3% in 2023, the percentage of employers offering health benefits increased slightly to 49%. Declines have been concentrated among small employers, while large employer sponsorship has remained stable.... [W]orker eligibility for health benefits has stayed mostly constant since 1996, ranging from 75-81%.... The percentage of the non-elderly population with employment-based health benefits was at or near 70% from 1970 to 1989."  MORE >>

"Subcommittee on Health hearing to have productive discussions with health insurance companies on the core drivers working against health care affordability -- namely onerous government interference, administrative burdens, waste, fraud, and abuse, and lack of competition and patient choice. DATE: Thursday, January 22, 2026"  MORE >>

"Hospital markets are increasingly dominated by a few large systems ... Consolidation increases hospital systems' market power, allowing them to demand higher prices from health plans and employers that in turn contribute directly to higher premiums.... The prices providers charge for identical services and treatments vary wildly depending on location, ownership or provider market power.... More than 24 cents of every premium dollar goes toward prescription drug costs -- more than any other individual category."  MORE >>

"If the president and Congress follow through on the promise to shift more prescription drugs to pharmacies' over-the-counter sections, they will make medicines cheaper and more accessible -- but, more importantly, they will return a measure of control over health care to patients themselves, where it belongs."  MORE >>

"To contribute to employees' Trump accounts starting as soon as July 4, 2026, an employer must establish a [Trump account contribution program (TACP)] ... [E]arly TACP adoption poses the risk that the final Trump account regulations, expected in 2026, will impose new obligations on TACP design and administration. Additionally, it remains unclear whether TACPs are 'employee welfare benefit plans' under [ERISA]."  MORE >>

"The [ERISA Litigation Reform Act (HR 6084)] would impose a stay on discovery once a defendant files a motion to dismiss under Rule 12 in any action against a plan or its fiduciaries under Section 502. The stay would be automatic unless the court finds that particularized discovery is necessary to preserve evidence or prevent undue prejudice. The bill would also impose document preservation obligations during the pendency of the stay."  MORE >>

41 slides. "Concerns about physical, mental, and workplace well-being have climbed slightly, but financial well-being concerns have eased since 2022.... Workers reported similar satisfaction with their benefits package as in prior years, with top suggestions for improvement being a greater employer contribution and more flexibility of benefits to choose from.... Workers were somewhat open to using AI as a tool to help with benefits, but significant shares were skeptical."  MORE >>