AARP Lawsuit Aims to Stop EEOC’s New Wellness Rules
by Tammy Binford New rules governing incentives offered as part of employee wellness programs are now the target of a lawsuit from a large advocacy group representing older Americans.
Tag: benefits
Court Recasts ERISA/Tax Claim Under PHSA, Allowing COBRA Notice Case to Proceed
By Gwen Cofield Governmental employers and the benefit plans they sponsor are generally exempt from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA) Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provisions but are still required to offer COBRA coverage to qualified beneficiaries under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA).
OCR to Take Closer Look at Smaller HIPAA Breaches
Most Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enforcement has focused on the larger breaches of protected health information (PHI). But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not forgotten those incidents that fall below the “major” threshold of 500 individuals.
New Survey Shows Working Parents Prefer Flexibility Over Salary
Want to retain working parents? According to a recent FlexJobs survey of nearly 1,200 parents with children 18 and younger living at home, work flexibility (84%) and work/life balance (80%) are the most important factors when parents consider a job opportunity. Parents placed these ahead of other factors, such as salary (75%), health insurance (42%), […]
Rise in Mental Health Parity Enforcement Calls for Review of Plan Documents, Practices
By David Slaughter, JD, Senior Legal Editor Enforcement of mental health parity requirements is on the upswing, so plan sponsors and administrators need to be reexamining their plan documents and claims review processes for signs that mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits are being handled differently from other coverage.
Ask the Expert: Should On Call Employee Accrue Vacation During Leave?
We have an employee who was on an approved FMLA for child bonding for about 2 ½ months. During this time, he worked about 10 hours. His occupation is IT, so he was “on call” while he was off so he could work whenever he was needed. I am reluctant to ding his vacation accrual […]
Employers Increasingly Offer PTO for Adoption (Infographic)
Employers are increasingly offering paid time off for adoptions, according to a new report from consulting group Mercer. The benefit is likely an attempt to meet the needs of a workforce in which the definition of “family” now includes same-sex parents, the firm said. While employees in the U.S. have access to 12 weeks’ unpaid […]
Lumber Company Settles DOL Allegations of ACA, ERISA Violations
Fiduciaries of a major Western lumber producer’s group health plan have agreed to settle the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) allegations that the plan violated claims procedure and other requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Court: It Takes More Than a Screenshot to Prove COBRA Compliance
When an employee is terminated from employment and loses group health plan coverage (subject to The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)), plan administrators should ensure that all qualified beneficiaries are sent COBRA election notices in a timely fashion.
Health Savings Accounts Continue to Grow in Popularity
By David Slaughter, JD, Senior Legal Editor Data collected from Devenir Group, by surveying top health savings account (HSA) providers, reflects both a consistent trend toward account growth and a “savings mindset” taking root among healthcare consumers. The new study shows the popularity of HSAs and their continued to grow, with the number of accounts […]