New CDC Isolation Guidance and Employee Leave Considerations The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new guidance that individuals no longer need to isolate from work for five days following a positive COVID-19 test may raise questions with employers about what leave they are required to provide to employees with the virus. The [...]
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows individuals to continue their group health plan coverage in certain situations. Specifically, COBRA requires group health plans to offer continuation coverage to covered employees and dependents when coverage would otherwise be lost due to certain specific events. These events include the death of a covered employee, termination [...]
Medicare Part D Disclosures due by Feb.29, 2024 for Calendar Year Plans Group health plan sponsors are required to complete an online disclosure form with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on an annual basis and at other select times, indicating whether the plan's prescription drug coverage is creditable or non-creditable. This [...]
IRS Releases ACA Pay-or-Play Penalties for 2025 On Feb. 12, 2024, the IRS released updated penalty amounts for 2025 related to the employer shared responsibility (pay-or-play) rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For calendar year 2025, the adjusted $2,000 penalty amount is $2,900 ,and the adjusted $3,000 penalty amount is $4,350. This is [...]
In-depth Analysis: The New Independent Contractor Rule’s 6 Economic Reality Factors The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued a final rule rescinding and replacing the current independent contractor rule that was published on Jan. 7, 2021. This new rule changes the agency’s guidance on how to analyze who is an employee or independent [...]
USCIS Issues Final Rule to Adjust Certain Immigration and Naturalization Fees Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a final rule to increase immigration and naturalization fees for multiple employment-based petitions and applications, effective April 1, 2024. Background The USCIS last adjusted its fees in December 2016. The final rule’s fee increases [...]
ERISA Lawsuit Alleges Mismanagement of Prescription Drug Benefits A proposed class action lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) alleges that the company breached its fiduciary duties under ERISA by mismanaging its prescription drug benefits plan. The complaint asserts that J&J violated ERISA’s fiduciary duty of prudence in multiple ways and that this mismanagement [...]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released the results of its Employee Benefits Security Administration’s (EBSA) enforcement actions during fiscal year(FY) 2023. Through its enforcement of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA),the EBSA oversees approximately 2.8 million health plans, 765,00 private pension plans, and 619,000 other welfare benefit plans. According to the audit, [...]
On Feb. 21, 2024, President Joe Biden approved $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 153,000 borrowers currently enrolled in Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plans, an income-driven repayment program that bases a borrower’s monthly payment on their income, lowering their financial burden. Originally planned for July, this approval relieves borrowers almost [...]
The Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a federal law that requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for the known limitations of a qualified individual related to pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, unless it would cause undue hardship. complies with all applicable laws requiring accommodating individuals with known limitations related [...]
