Compliance Archives - Word on Benefits

2025 Employee Benefits Reporting and Disclosure Calendars

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

01 May 202501 May 2025

Plan sponsors and administrators are encouraged to reference these comprehensive calendars to stay on track in 2025. Health and Welfare Plans Retirement Plans Defined Contribution Plans Defined Benefit Plans If you thought this information was helpful, and you’re an International Foundation or […]

Compliance Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance Legislative Regulatory U.S.

2025 Status of Health Care Price Transparency

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

15 Apr 202515 Apr 2025

Americans know that health care costs are high but we don’t always know the specific cost of health care. Knowing about medical costs came to the forefront for many employees when they had an incentive to make health care decisions based on […]

Compliance DOL Employee Benefits Health Care Legislative Mental Health Regulatory U.S.

Mental Health Parity Pitfall to Avoid: Network Adequacy Data Part II

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

10 Apr 202510 Apr 2025

The Department of Labor (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)’s 2024 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) report to Congress, issued January 17, 2025, addressed the enforcement approach to nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) for network adequacy and network composition. The […]

Compliance DOL Employee Benefits Health Care Legislative Mental Health Regulatory U.S.

Mental Health Parity Pitfall to Avoid: Network Adequacy Data

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

27 Mar 202501 Apr 2025

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits to offer parity between coverage of physical health conditions and mental health conditions. The […]

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Ontario’s Working for Workers Acts

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

18 Mar 202518 Mar 2025

Ontario is set to undergo changes in the workplace due to three bills that received Royal Assent in 2024—Working for Workers Four Act, 2024; Working for Workers Five Act, 2024; and Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 (collectively, the Acts). The Acts […]

Compliance DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Health Care Insurance Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Health Plan Gag Clause Attestation Update

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

13 Feb 202513 Feb 2025

Health plans have a variety of reporting and disclosure requirements and other compliance issues to contend with. In recent years, requirements for plan sponsors have been included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) and No Surprises Act (NSA) signed into law […]

Compliance Employee Benefits Legislative Pensions Public Plans Retirement U.S.

What Public Pension Plans Need to Know About the Social Security Fairness Act

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

30 Jan 202530 Jan 2025

Signed into law on January 5, 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (HR 82) repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for some individuals who receive other benefits, such as certain state or local government pension benefits. The Social Security […]

Compliance Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory U.S.

IRS Guidance: What Does It Mean?

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

23 Jan 202523 Jan 2025

A new year means renewed attention to the compliance requirements required of plan sponsors. In addition to legislation and regulations affecting employers, subregulatory guidance helps clarify the law and provides direction and insight into complex rules. What is subregulatory guidance? Regulations or […]

401(k) Plans Compliance Defined Contribution (DC) Plans DOL Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory Retirement SECURE 2.0 U.S.

SECURE 2.0 Act: What’s Coming in 2025?

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

19 Nov 202419 Nov 2024

The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) encompasses several changes affecting retirement plans that go into effect over the next few years. SECURE 2.0 aims to make it easier for employers to offer retirement plans and help employees plan for the […]

Compliance DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Health Care Legislative Mental Health U.S.

MHPAEA Final Rules Amending NQTL Standard

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

01 Oct 202401 Oct 2024

On September 9, 2024, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL), and the Treasury released new final rules implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The final rules set forth content requirements and timeframes for […]