Insights

In Washington, rulemaking from administrative agencies can occur throughout the year. The state’s 2025 legislative session began on January 13 and will conclude on April 27. Important employee benefit updates recently finalized by the administrative agencies or legislature are chronologically detailed below. On November 27, 2024, the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) adopted R2024-01 Implementation of the SSB 5986 and updates to the Balance Billing Protection Act. The rule u

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) published the updated Illinois Consumer Coverage Disclosure Act (CCDA) template for 2025. Employers should begin using the 2025 template. As a reminder, the CCDA requires employers to provide eligible employees with a disclosure that compares their coverage to essential health benefits required for coverage received through the Illinois marketplace. The disclosure must be provided upon hire, annually thereafter, and at the request of an employee. The CCDA

In March 2025, Gov. Huckabee Sanders signed several healthcare bills into law. Act 268 (previously HB 1309) amends the law regarding coverage of examinations for breast cancer and clarifies cost-sharing requirements. Specifically, the act clarifies that health benefit plans shall not impose a cost-sharing requirement for a screening mammogram or breast ultrasound, even if a service is provided on a different date or more than one service is provided on the date of service. Act 348 (previously H

On December 9, 2024, the Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI) announced that all employers with Colorado employees must update their total employee headcount for 2025 on the My FAMLI+ Employer portal by February 28, 2025. If the annual total employee headcount was not updated by February 28, the FAMLI Division will assume an employer has 10 or more employees and will be required to send in 0.9% of wages each quarter in 2025. This means that if an employer had nine or fewe

Beginning January 1, 2025, all employers with 10 or more employees were required to enroll in the Delaware Paid Leave plan unless an approved private benefit plan was in place. Employers with 10 or more employees that do not provide the mandated benefits either through the Delaware Paid Leave plan or an approved private plan will face fines. Covered employers must register for LaborFirst, the state’s system for managing Delaware Paid Leave. Employers who want a private plan exemption can do so

Beginning February 1, 2025, employers were required to post an updated notice to employees regarding DC Paid Family Leave and furnish a copy to all covered employees. The updated notice includes information on covered workers, covered events, maximum leave entitlement, benefit amounts, and employee protection. All employers with at least one employee working in DC should make sure they are meeting the new notice requirements. 2025 DC PFL Employee Notice

Hawaii's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced the 2025 Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) maximum weekly benefit and contribution amounts. The weekly benefit amount remains 58% of an employee's average weekly wages. The maximum benefit amount increased to $837 per week in 2025 from $798 per week in 2024. An employer may withhold TDI contributions of one-half the premium cost but not more than 0.5% of the employee's weekly wage, with the maximum not exceeding $7.21 per week i

On February 12, 2025, the Massachusetts Division of Insurance issued frequently asked questions (FAQs)-style guidance regarding a 2022 law known as the Act Expanding Protections for Reproductive and Gender Affirming Care. The FAQs are intended to help insurance companies, employers, providers, pharmacists, and individual plan participants understand the reproductive access rights provided under the law and other related state laws and insurance bulletins.The new guidance clarifies that most Mas

In January 2025, the Minnesota Paid Leave Division issued guidance regarding how employers can use self-insured plans or plans from an insurance carrier to comply with the Minnesota Paid Leave Law. The division refers to insurance plans providing coverage for Minnesota’s Paid Leave law as “equivalent plans.” Equivalent plans must allow for the same, or more comprehensive, coverage than is expressly required by existing paid leave law and employers can choose to use an equivalent plan to cover o