"If finalized, the Proposed Rule would allow employers to offer stand-alone fertility benefits as excepted benefits starting with plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2027. Employers with self-insured fertility arrangements would need to maintain a traditional group health plan, although employees would not be required to enroll in that plan to access fertility coverage."  MORE >>

"[E]ven though your employee's son is not a COBRA qualified beneficiary (because he was not covered by the plan when he lost eligibility), he is still an 'other individual' to whom you must provide a notice of unavailability. The notice must be written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average plan participant and must explain why the individual is not entitled to COBRA (or an extension of COBRA)."  MORE >>

"[R]ecent developments underscore a central reality -- while the NSA has succeeded in shielding patients from balance billing for NSA-covered claims, the system operating behind the scenes remains under significant strain and, contrary to congressional intent, is driving up health care costs and creating unintended incentives for certain provider types to remain, or otherwise become, an out-of-network provider. Regulators are aware of these issues and are considering additional actions to address them, but meaningful resolution will likely require additional oversight, rulemaking, and potentially further clarification by the courts."  MORE >>

"95% of employers reported providing parental leave coverage to birthing, non-birthing and adopting parents. However, many employers maintained a tiered structure regarding the length of that leave.... [In another survey, nearly] all (96%) organizations surveyed stated they had no plans to change their childcare or eldercare benefits, and slightly fewer (88%) reported no intention to change their flexible work arrangements."  MORE >>

"Organizations with the most effective enrollments don't focus on a two‑week window, they build always‑on systems that make enrollment the result of year-round engagement.... Cost is the conversation whether you start it or not ... The always-on system is the stage, the moment is the spotlight ... Employees don't want more information, they want answers ... Enrollment becomes behavior-shaping, not just informational."  MORE >>

"Last summer, several top health insurers voluntary pledged to streamline and improve the prior authorization process across all health insurance markets.... The new coalition includes insurers, hospitals and health records companies to streamline the process for reviewing medical procedures, known as prior authorization."  MORE >>

"As abuse and misuse of the No Surprises Act continues from some private equity-backed and out-of-network providers, a new ad campaign highlights how misaligned incentives create a ‘fox guarding the hen house’ dynamic, allowing bad actors to flood the law’s independent dispute resolution (IDR) process with outrageous, often ineligible claims.... Without meaningful guardrails, oversight, or accountability, the IDR process has so far added more than $5 billion in excessive costs that employers and consumers ultimately have to pay."  MORE >>

"The Oklahoma Dream Accounts Investment Program Act authorizes the State Treasurer to make a one-time $250 contribution into a Trump account of each eligible Oklahoma child, once a family applies and the account is verified."  MORE >>