DOL Archives - Word on Benefits

Plan Sponsors Can Self-Correct Some Violations of ERISA—Here’s Where to Start

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

18 Feb 202518 Feb 2025

The Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP) encourages employers and plan sponsors to voluntarily correct certain violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). For certain categories of eligible transactions, the Department of Labor (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) intends for […]

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 […]

DOL Employee Benefits U.S.

Top Five Risks for Fiduciaries in 2024

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

19 Dec 202419 Dec 2024

The landscape of risks for employee benefit plan fiduciaries includes some fresh wrinkles on longstanding issues and some brand-new developments, such as last summer’s Supreme Court ruling overturning the Chevron doctrine. Attorney Todd Solomon, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP […]

DOL Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory U.S.

How New Regulations Are Created

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

03 Dec 202403 Dec 2024

Recently, we wrote about how laws are created in the blog “U.S. Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law.” After legislation is passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by the president, it becomes law. The next step […]

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 […]

DOL ERISA Legislative U.S.

The Supreme Court and the Chevron Doctrine: Key Takeaways for Employee Benefit Plans

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

14 Aug 202414 Aug 2024

Employee benefit plan sponsors and administrators may feel the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the so-called Chevron doctrine for many years to come, predicts Katherine Hesse, CEBS, an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) attorney. Hesse, who is […]

401(k) Plans DOL Employee Benefits ERISA ERISA50 Health Care Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Understanding ERISA Liability in the Context of Pharmacy Benefits

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

17 Jul 202417 Jul 2024

Fiduciary responsibility has always been a concern for retirement plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The language on the Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Responsibilities webpage explains, “The primary responsibility of fiduciaries is to run the […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) DOL Health Care Legislative U.S.

ACA Litigation Update: Preventive Services Requirements Upheld

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

12 Jul 202412 Jul 2024

What’s new? On June 21, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Braidwood v. Becerra that the lower court had overreached when it struck down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive services mandate nationwide. The Fifth Circuit held that federal […]

401(k) Plans Compliance DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Retirement SECURE 2.0 U.S.

Three DOL Developments for Retirement Plan Sponsors

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

09 Jul 202409 Jul 2024

So far in 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) has released proposals for plan administrators to populate a missing participant database and automatic portability of retirement plan accruals when employees change jobs. The DOL also finalized a retirement security rule package and […]