Insights

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

On June 8, 2023, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a trial court's ruling that denying certain employment benefits to police officers on military leave while providing the same benefits to other employees on nonmilitary paid administrative leave violates the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). From 1998 through 2018, four police officers from the city of Hoover, Alabama, were on active-duty service on 13 separate occasions for a collective total of 4,571 days

Recently, Gov. Bel Edwards signed numerous healthcare bills into law. Act 336 (previously HB 41) requires a health plan to pay for covered occupational therapy services provided via telehealth equivalent to the coverage and payment for the same service provided in person. Generally, the new law's provisions prohibit coverage maximums, cost-sharing, and other conditions relative to telehealth services that are inapplicable to in-person services. Act 299 (previously HB 186), known as "The Medical