employee benefits

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 […]

Five Steps to Nurture Belonging in the Workplace

Guest Contributor
 

Benefits Magazine Extras articles provide you with bonus content on a mix of benefits topics as well as deep dives and analyses on the latest benefit trends and compliance issues. Visit ifebp.org/benefitsmagazine to see the latest Benefits Magazine Extras as well as the bimonthly print […]

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 […]

Five Tips for a Successful Benefits Open Enrollment

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS
 

The arrival of fall signals the start of benefits open enrollment season for many organizations. A 2020 International Foundation survey found that benefits open enrollment periods most often begin in October and November—which means open enrollment starts in just a few weeks […]

Matching Contributions for Qualified Student Loan Payments Under SECURE Act 2.0

Jenny Gartman, CEBS
 

With the federal student loan debt relief plan ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, more employers are expected to consider offering student loan repayment benefits (covered in Part 1) or retirement plan matching under the SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022. The optional […]

Legal & Legislative Reporter: Failure to Satisfy ERISA Requirements Dismisses Future Disability Benefits

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 […]

Companies Outsource 40% of Their Benefits Functions

New Survey Results—Companies Outsource 40% of Their Benefits Functions

Cara McMullin
 

A new survey report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans reveals the operations and staffing practices of corporate benefits departments across the United States. Key findings from Corporate Benefits Departments: Staffing include outsourcing strategies, the greatest challenges facing benefits departments, […]