Legislative Archives - Word on Benefits

Ontario’s New Long-Term Illness Leave Takes Effect Soon: What Employers Need to Know

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

10 Jun 202510 Jun 2025

On December 19, 2024, Ontario’s Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 (Bill 229) received Royal Assent. Amongst the changes in the bill amending the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), was the introduction of unpaid long-term illness leave, effective June 19, 2025. While the law […]

Open pharmacy pill containers on a pile of 20 dollar bills.

Compliance DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Health Care Legislative Prescription Drugs U.S.

What the Executive Order Increasing PBM Fee Transparency Means for Employers

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

29 May 202529 May 2025

On April 15, 2025, President Trump signed the executive order (EO) “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First,” which includes specific actions to be taken by federal agencies to reduce prescription drug costs, improve transparency and increase competition in the […]

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

Mental Health Parity: Four Compliance Documents to Reference During Period of Nonenforcement for the 2024 Final Rule

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

20 May 202520 May 2025

The Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury announced on May 15, 2025 that they will not enforce the portions of the 2024 final rule implementing the nonquantitative treatment limitation (NQTL) comparative analyses requirements under the Mental Health Parity […]

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 […]

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 […]