Insights

Despite affecting approximately 17.5% of the US workforce, menopause in the workplace remains one of the most overlooked aspects of workplace health policy.

E-bikes have experienced exponential growth in popularity, but come with heightened safety concerns and complicated insurance landscapes.

This article introduces our new "NFP Observations" format, which combines compliance information with commentary and practical insights from our Benefits Compliance team. Wellness programs have become a cornerstone of employer-provided group health plans, aiming to foster healthier lifestyles and reduce healthcare costs. Among these initiatives, tobacco surcharges have emerged as a common strategy for wellness programs. These surcharges, which impose higher premiums on employees who use tobacco

On January 28, 2025, the Trump administration issued Executive Order 14187, which declares that it is the policy of the United States not to “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support” gender transition for people under 19, which includes 18-year-olds who are legal adults in the states where they reside. Among other things, the order requires federal agencies, such as HHS, to take all appropriate actions to end the “chemical and surgical mutilation of children,” including regulatory and sub-re

In a brief filed on February 18, 2025, the Trump-appointed secretaries of the DOL, IRS, and HHS (the departments) asked the US Supreme Court to reverse the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (Fifth Circuit) decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra (Braidwood), which found some ACA preventive care coverage requirements to be unlawful. Background In Braidwood, the plaintiffs claimed that the ACA preventive care mandates, which require group health plans and insurers to cover certain preventiv

The answer depends upon whether the employees lost eligibility for the medical, dental, vision, health FSA, and other benefits when they were furloughed, and how long the furlough lasts. Employers should review the terms of the SPD/plan document and cafeteria plan document to ensure that the furloughed employees are actually eligible under the plan terms to continue participating. First, an employer needs to review the plan’s eligibility terms in the plan document/SPD (aka the wrap document). I

On February 11, 2025, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) published an updated report on HSAs. An HSA is a tax-advantaged account that individuals can use to save and pay for unreimbursed medical expenses (e.g., deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and services not covered by insurance). It was first authorized in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. The report includes an overview of the principal rules governing HSAs, including with respect to elig

With 2024 “in the books,” we reflect on the past and look forward to 2025.

Explore the latest trends in HR, technology and artificial intelligence in this edition of Echo.