Insights

Home and auto insurance rates are increasing rapidly across the country, and it's not just in states that are prone to catastrophic weather events or a result of the same. In this white paper, we discuss some of the key factors that are driving the rates up now and will continue to have an impact in the future. These key factors include: Claim frequency and severity continue to increase year over year. Current economic factors such as supply chain disruptions, inflation, and labor shortages. T

The pandemic disrupted the status quo of how healthcare was delivered. It became more challenging to access quality healthcare where face-to-face treatment was limited. Virtual care allowed high-quality providers to use technology to power the delivery of a broader level of primary care services, including clinical care navigation, mental and behavioral health, musculoskeletal and chronic disease management, and other well-being services. On-site and near-site primary care clinics were some of

Offering benefits to employees on a pre-tax basis is only allowed under a Section 125 plan, and those rules limit when employees may change their annual elections. Join us for a brief refresher of the qualifying event rules '” both mandatory and permissible. We'll also discuss common employer pitfalls and practical implications of administering qualifying events. Agenda Review of Election Rules Qualifying Events HIPAA Special Enrollment Rights IRS Permissible Qualifying Events

On July 8, 2022, President Biden issued an Executive Order in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. In the order, the President stated that his administration continues to support a woman's rights to make reproductive healthcare decisions and will protect and defend those rights. To demonstrate that policy, the order gives specific directions to several agencies. Specifically, the Secretary of HHS is ordered to submit a report to the President

An ICHRA is an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement. It is the only way an employer may reimburse an employee or directly pay the cost of an employee's individual health insurance policy on a tax-advantaged basis. To do so outside of an ICHRA, an employer risks an excise penalty of up to $100 per day per employee for an impermissible employer payment plan. An ICHRA can only be offered to a classification of employees who are not eligible for the employer's major medical plan. F

On July 1, 2022, the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (the Commissioner) issued Directive 22-EX-5 regarding self-funded healthcare plans electing to participate in the Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act (the Act). The Act (originally HB 888) was signed into law on July 16, 2020, and was designed to stop surprise billing to patients receiving out-of-network care for emergency services and non-emergency services at in-network facilities provided without patient consent. For covered it

On June 28, 2022, in Gimeno v. NCHMD, Inc., et al., the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that an employer could be liable for the value of supplemental life insurance benefits that would have been available absent the employer's plan enrollment errors. The plaintiff in this case, Raniero Gimeno, sued his late spouse Justin Polga's employer, NCHMD, Inc., for mishandling Polga's supplemental life insurance enrollment. As part of the initial hiring process, NCHMD's HR staff helpe

Recently, HHS' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance for US retail pharmacies, reminding them of several civil rights laws that impact the pharmacies' ability to provide reproductive healthcare services. The guidance points out that maternal deaths have increased over the last twenty years, particularly among Black and Native American women. OCR asserts that the recent Dobbs decision will increase the inequities and disparities for women. OCR is responsible for protecting the rights o

On July 8, 2022, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued a final rule regarding special assistance to financially troubled multiemployer pension plans. In response to public comments, the final rule makes several changes to the prior interim final rule (IRF). The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program to provide funding for severely underfunded multiemployer pension plans. The goal was to enable these plans to pay benefits and