On Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. It is the first full approval of any coronavirus vaccine in the United States. The other vaccines, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are still available under emergency use authorization (EUA) granted by the FDA. The Moderna [...]
On Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, Delta Air Lines announced it will require employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or pay a $200 monthly fee. Starting Nov. 1, unvaccinated employees on Delta Air Lines’ health plan would be responsible for paying a $200 monthly surcharge for health benefits, in addition to being tested weekly for COVID-19. [...]
The Delta variant has quickly become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the United States. Delta—which can cause a more severe form of COVID-19—spreads more efficiently than the original coronavirus strain that sparked the pandemic in 2020. Faster transmission means greater concerns for employers, especially those with unvaccinated workers. This article provides guidance to [...]
For the past two decades, health costs have increased each year. This happens for a variety of reasons, such as inflation or, say, a global pandemic. With that in mind, employers can bank on prices going up in 2022. According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, medical costs are projected to increase 6.5% in 2022. This [...]
New York City officials and Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced that all Department of Education (DOE) employees in the city are required to provide proof of a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27. This mandate aligns with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to city officials. It [...]
Overview of Grandfathered Plans The Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains many provisions that affect employer-sponsored health coverage. The extent of the ACA’s impact depends, in part, on whether an employer’s health plan has “grandfathered” status. Grandfathered plans can avoid a number of the ACA’s reforms. A grandfathered plan is a group health plan or health [...]
With a growing percentage of the U.S. population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, many localities and employers have eased mask mandates and policies. However, due to the spread of an emerging variant of coronavirus known as Delta, these policies may still need updating; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now announced updates to [...]
The widespread availability and administration of COVID-19 vaccines have changed the trajectory of the pandemic in the United States. However, vaccination coverage varies across the United States, and transmission risk remains considerable in areas with low vaccination rates. The emergence of more transmissible variants—including Delta—increases the urgency to expand vaccination coverage and for organizations to [...]
On Thursday, August 12, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a third vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals—roughly 3% of Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to diseases and their effects. This latest FDA authorization aims to help protect these individuals from [...]
Biden to Require Nursing Home Staff Vaccinations as Condition for Federal Funding President Joe Biden recently ordered the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to draft new regulations requiring all nursing home staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or lose federal funding. The policy would withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding to nursing home facilities [...]
