Legislative Archives - Word on Benefits

Mental Health Parity Pitfall to Avoid: Network Adequacy Data

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

27 Mar 202527 Mar 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 […]

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 […]

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

SECURE 2.0 Update: IRS Issues Proposed Rules for Qualified Retirement Plans (Part One)—Catch-Up Contributions

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

05 Feb 202505 Feb 2025

On Friday, January 10, 2025, the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance for several provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0). This blog will primarily focus on the proposed rule for qualified retirement […]

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 […]

Employee Benefits ERISA Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Benefit Plan Laws and Rules on Our 2025 Watchlist

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

16 Jan 202516 Jan 2025

Did you know there are at least 40 potential areas of employee benefit plan regulations and legislation to watch in 2025 and beyond? That’s how many I counted while attending the International Foundation webcast, Legislative and Regulatory Update—What Could Be Coming in […]