Health Care 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 […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Legislative U.S.

Congress Could Expand Health Savings Accounts

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

29 Apr 202529 Apr 2025

Over a dozen bills that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand health savings accounts (HSAs) have been introduced in Congress this year, according to the International Foundation’s U.S. Legislative Tracker (members only). If enacted, the bills aim to […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Retirement U.S.

Long-Term Care and Caregiving: Four Challenges for Employees and Employers

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

24 Apr 202524 Apr 2025

Most employees will have caregiving responsibilities at some point in their lives and/or a need to pay for long-term care (LTC) for themselves or a loved one. Employers are increasingly realizing the challenges created by caregiving and LTC for both their employees […]

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 […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care U.S. Webcast Wellness

Menopause and the Hidden Link to Chronic Illness in the Workplace

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

03 Apr 202503 Apr 2025

A 2023 report from the Menopause Foundation of Canada found that “the fastest growing segment of working women in Canada are those aged 45 to 55 – the time when most women reach menopause.” Although the report addresses Canada specifically, this statistic […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Multiemployer U.S.

The Multiemployer Health Plan Landscape Report: Key Findings

Cathe Gooding, CEBS

01 Apr 202501 Apr 2025

Examining Form 5500 data submitted by 1,480 multiemployer health plans, the average benefit costs for the plans increased about 5% from 2018 to 2020, reaching $12,298 per participant per year (PPPY), according to The Multiemployer Health Plan Landscape: A 15-Year Look (2006-2020), […]

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 […]

AI Canada Disease Management Employee Benefits Health Care U.S. Webcast Wellness

Using AI to Empower Women’s Health

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

25 Feb 202525 Feb 2025

Many women’s underlying health conditions often go under- or undiagnosed. When present, common women’s gynecologic conditions, such as endometriosis, cause unnecessary suffering, limit women’s roles at home, and lead to economic and workplace challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to help […]

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 […]