Insights

On October 20, 2023, the IRS published final regulations prescribing mortality tables under Code Section 430 that apply to defined benefit pension plans. The IRS also issued proposed regulations to update the requirements for a single-employer-defined benefit plan to use customized mortality tables as a substitute for the IRS-prescribed tables. The mortality tables are used to calculate the present value of a stream of expected future benefit payments to determine the minimum funding requiremen

The state has announced the 2024 maximum contribution and benefit rates payable for CT Paid Leave, which is the state’s paid family and medical leave program. 2024 Contribution AmountThe contribution rate will remain at 0.5%, up to the federal Social Security wage contribution cap, which is $168,600 in 2024 (2023: $160,200). Accordingly, an employee's maximum contribution in 2024 to the state's plan will be $843 in 2024 (2023: $801). For this purpose, wages used to determine earnings for FICA p

On October 17, 2023, DC’s Office of Paid Family Leave (OPFL) released a new model Notice to Employees that must be posted by February 1, 2024. The model notice is released annually in October. Employers are required to post a physical copy of the notice at each worksite in a conspicuous place where labor notices are customarily posted and send the notice to covered workers who work remotely for posting at their individual worksites. In addition to posting the notice, covered employers must also

Recent legislative amendments will allow employees to supplement (i.e., "top off") benefits received from Massachusetts’ Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML) with any accrued and available paid leave (e.g., sick time, vacation, PTO, personal time) starting with applications filed on or after November 1, 2023. The combined weekly PFML benefits and supplemented paid leave, whether through an employer’s short-term disability/long-term disability policies or the employee’s PTO, cannot exceed the

With any wellness program, the compliance considerations and required disclosures vary depending upon the specific design, activities, and rewards. Numerous benefits compliance laws can be implicated, as explained at a high-level below. ERISA, COBRA, and Other Group Health Plan Laws First, some wellness programs provide medical care (e.g., a medical exam); others simply provide general health and fitness information (e.g., a nutritional webinar). The determination of whether a program provides

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently added another agency victory in procuring a six-figure settlement in its merit lawsuit against iTutorGroup.

In this webinar, the Benefits Compliance team provided practical examples and insights regarding these fiduciary duties by addressing questions employers may be too embarrassed to ask. 

On October 3, 2023, the DOL, HHS, and IRS (the departments) issued a request for information (RFI) regarding the application of preventive services requirements under the ACA to over-the-counter (OTC) preventive items and services available without a prescription. The RFI focuses on four key areas of information: Gathering input from the public regarding the costs and benefits of requiring non-grandfathered group health plans to cover OTC preventive items and services without a prescription an

On September 27, 2023, the DOL, HHS, and IRS (the departments) issued FAQs regarding implementing certain requirements under the Transparency in Coverage (TiC) Final Rules. The guidance rescinds the departments’ prior nonenforcement policy with respect to the TiC prescription drug disclosure. The TiC Final Rules were published on November 12, 2020, and require non-grandfathered group health plans and insurers to disclose the following information on a public website in machine-readable files (M