Insights

On July 11, 2023, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued a final rule on benefits administration for terminated single-employer pension plans. The final rule aims to increase transparency of benefits administration for terminated plans while also clarifying and simplifying regulatory language. Key updates include clarification on the following: PBGC’s rules on payment of a lump sum are unaffected by the election of a lump-sum distribution before plan termination. A de minimis b

On May 24, 2023, Gov. Walz signed a bill expanding pregnancy and parental leave to employees in the state. Under Minnesota's Pregnancy and Parenting Leave Act (PPLA), an employer with one or more employees working in MN must provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, prenatal care, or incapacity due to pregnancy, childbirth or related health conditions. Similar to federal FMLA, the employer must continue to make insurance coverage availa

On June 22, 2023, Gov. Green signed HB907 into law. The law temporarily requires reimbursement parity for telehealth services and allows reimbursable mental health services to be provided via audio-only. Specifically, reimbursement for telehealth services provided via audio and video must be equivalent to reimbursement for the same services provided via in-person contact. With respect to audio-only mental health services, the law requires reimbursement equivalent to 80% of the reimbursement for

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New York State will join the growing list of states enacting pay transparency laws. Effective September 17, 2023, New York will begin enforcing additional requirements on employers regarding disclosing compensation or compensation ranges in job postings. Let's take a look at three key takeaways. 1. Covered Employers The law applies to employers in New York with four or more employees, and requires that covered employers, employment agencies and agents disclose compensation or salary ranges in j

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are imperatives that enhance an organization's success. Building a culture that encompasses DEIB and allows stakeholders to thrive can create opportunities for organizations, and help them overcome the substantial labor challenges within today's construction economy. Let's take a look at the current environment in the construction and infrastructure industry. The historic amount of infrastructure investment occurring in North America is a positi

School is out, and benefits compliance summer camp is in session. In this webinar, the Benefits Compliance team discussed the current status of legislation affecting group health plans, including updates on transparency rules, the end of the national emergencies, preventive care mandates, and more. Agenda Health Updates End of COVID-19 Emergency Declarations Transparency in Coverage MHPAEA 2023 ER Mandate Reporting Changes IRS Claims Substantiation Memo Retirement Updates SECURE 2.0 Act ESG

To review, the HIPAA privacy rule requires covered entities, which include group health plans and insurers, to enter a written agreement with a plan service provider before sharing protected health information (PHI) with them. PHI is any individually identifiable health information maintained or transmitted in any form or media, whether electronic, paper or oral. The written business associate agreement (BAA) is designed to ensure the plan service provider (i.e., business associate) will approp

On June 7, 2023, CMS issued guidance on the sunset of the MHPAEA opt-out for self-funded nonfederal governmental plans and related collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA 2023), signed into law on December 29, 2022, eliminated the annual opt-out provision from the MHPAEA previously available to self-funded state and local governmental group health plans. Specifically, new opt-out elections are not permitted and existing elections expiring on or af