Legislative Archives - Word on Benefits

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 […]

Diversity and Inclusion Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Legislative Regulatory U.S.

DEI Programs: What Employers Need to Know About New Federal Guidance

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

17 Apr 202517 Apr 2025

In March, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released two technical assistance documents on the subject of discrimination related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at work. These documents are informal guidance that show how the agency may approach what it […]

Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory U.S.

U.S. Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

16 Apr 202516 Apr 2025

Including the Budget Reconciliation Process In March 1976, Saturday morning television featured a new video segment called, “I’m Just a Bill,” using a fun cartoon aimed at children to visualize the complex path of the U.S. legislative process describing how a bill […]

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 […]

Canada Compliance Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Legislative Paid Leave Paid Time Off (PTO)

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 […]

Employee Benefits Legislative Pensions Regulatory Retirement U.S.

Automation Speeds Up Social Security Fairness Act Processing

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

07 Mar 202507 Mar 2025

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has sped up implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) using automation, per Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security. The law requires SSA to adjust benefits for over three million people, the bulk of which […]

Diversity and Inclusion Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Legislative LGBTQ+ U.S.

Executive Orders: Checking In on Benefits Watchlist Topics

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

19 Feb 202519 Feb 2025

Around one month into the Trump administration, many in the benefits community have been watching for new executive orders and evaluating how they affect their benefit plans. The Foundation identified eight executive order (EO) topics that have the greatest potential impact on […]

DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Legislative Retirement U.S.

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 […]