Compliance

Dispelling Cybersecurity Myths for Benefit Plans

Guest Contributor
 

As the rate of digital transformation continues to accelerate across all industries, poor cybersecurity remains a pressing threat to employers and benefit plan sponsors. Awareness of nine common cybersecurity myths can help employee benefit plan stakeholders better understand their plan’s risk posture […]

New Mental Health Parity Guidance: More Clarity, But More Compliance Obligations

Anne Newhouse
 

According to speaker John Barlament, Shareholder, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, S.C., in his webcast “New Mental Health Parity Guidance: More Clarity, But More Compliance Obligations,” held on August 30, 2023, new guidance has been “desperately needed” on the topic of mental health […]

DOL Guidance on Mental Health Parity: Proposed Rules for NQTL Comparative Analyses

Jenny Gartman, CEBS
 

Many health plan sponsors continue to struggle to comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), particularly the requirement to conduct a comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) that has been effective under the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act […]

What Retirement Plan Sponsors Need to Know About Spousal Consent and Remote Witnessing

Jenny Gartman, CEBS
 

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) temporarily allowed, in light of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, electronic alternatives to physical presence requirements for retirement plan participants’ elections that required spousal consent. The two allowed alternatives were remote witnessing by notaries public […]

In a Benefits Plan Far, Far Away

Julie Stich, CEBS
 

Over the past several years, May 4 has skyrocketed in popularity as Star Wars Day—as in, “May the Fourth be with you.” In honor of May the Fourth, we thought it would be fun to continue the rebellion against convention by using Star […]

ACA Preventive Services Requirements Struck Down: Braidwood Management v. Becerra Explainer

Jenny Gartman, CEBS
 

As a result of ongoing litigation, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (the departments) cannot enforce some Affordable Care Act (ACA) preventive care requirements, but the departments strongly encourage plan sponsors to keep coverage without […]

Where We Are Now: Special Financial Assistance Under the American Rescue Plan Act

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS
 

From capital market return expectations to the rules that cover the program, a lot has changed in the two years since the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law and created the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) program for struggling multiemployer pension […]

It’s Coming—The End of the COVID-19 Emergencies

Amanda Wilke
 

After nearly three years, the time has finally come. The Biden administration announced that both the COVID-19 national emergency (NE) and the public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. Now it’s time for employers to prepare to unwind the […]

Legal & Legislative Reporter: Third Party Administrator Liable for Violation of ACA Antidiscrimination Provision

Guest Contributor
 

Every month, the International Foundation releases the Legal and Legislative Reporter, a compilation of new employee benefits–related case summaries. Below is a summary we thought you’d be interested in. Content provided by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. The U.S. District Court for the […]