Compliance Archives - Word on Benefits

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 […]

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 […]

Compliance Employee Benefits Legislative Mental Health Regulatory

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

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

27 Sep 202327 Sep 2023

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 […]

Canada Compliance Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disability Benefits Disease Management Employee Benefits Flexible Work Options Health Care Human Resources (HR) U.S. Wellness

2023 Outlook on Respiratory Illnesses and the Workforce

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

26 Jan 202310 Mar 2023

At this time of year in cold climates, airborne illnesses (influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19) persistently impact families and workplaces. Influenza is a well-known endemic. Endemic means persistent—It will not go away, and it won’t get much worse or better. Influenza […]

Compliance Cybersecurity DOL Employee Benefits

Five Critical Components of a Cybersecurity Compliance Review

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

15 Sep 202215 Sep 2022

Cybersecurity should be top of mind for retirement plan fiduciaries, not only because the risks of a data breach or fraud are on the rise but also because the Department of Labor (DOL) has begun auditing retirement plans with a focus on […]

Communication Compliance Education Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Insurance Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Unraveling Post-Dobbs Implications

Staff

28 Jul 202228 Jul 2022

The legal environment relating to abortion coverage has become quite complex following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Health plan sponsors should review their coverage of abortion services to ensure that their health plans reflect the […]

Behavioral Decision Making Canada Communication Compliance Diversity and Inclusion Education Employee Benefits Mental Health U.S. Wellness Work Life Balance

8 Ways to Support Employees With Mental Health Challenges

Cara McMullin

19 May 202219 May 2022

As Mental Health Awareness Month (in the U.S.) continues, we’re sharing strategies and approaches to help leaders respond to employees with mental illness in a psychologically safe way. When employees have mental illnesses, effective accommodation can help them stay productive at work. Leaders […]

Employee Benefits HIPAA Regulatory

Keeping Compliant With HIPAA Security Regulations

rosep

15 Mar 202215 Mar 2022

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is responsible for enforcing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). In 2020, OCR received 27,182 HIPAA-related complaints. Of these, some of the most […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Communication Compliance Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Coverage for COVID-19 Testing after FAQs 51 and 52 Released

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

08 Mar 202226 Apr 2022

Early in 2022, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) issued two sets of guidance in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQ) 51 (released January 10, 2022) and 52 (released February 4, 2022) explaining how […]