Blog

Pfizer and Moderna recently announced that their experimental coronavirus vaccines appear to be 95% effective, prompting employers to consider if they can require employees to vaccinate once doses are accessible to the general public. The short answer is yes, companies probably will be able to ask their workforce to vaccinate as a condition... read more →

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have announced the Medicare Part B standard premium, Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAAs) for Parts B and D of Medicare, and the Part B deductible for 2021: The standard Part B Premium is increasing by $3.90/month to $148.50 in 2021 (up from $144.60 in... read more →

On 10/28/2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order 192, which requires NJ employers to conduct COVID-19 symptom screenings at the worksite. The measure also implements other worksite safety precautions related to the coronavirus pandemic. The new requirements are the first state action of this kind nationwide. As of 6:00 am... read more →

Employer groups that offer prescription drug coverage to Medicare eligible employees, dependents and/or retirees, need to provide annual creditable disclosures to both their eligible plan participants and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “Creditable” plans mean that the coverage provided is as good as, if not better... read more →

On August 3, 2020, the Federal court for the Southern District of New York struck down four segments of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) interim final rules on paid leave. The court ruled that with regard to the below, the US  Department of Labor (USDOL) exceeded the bounds... read more →

New Jersey's Family Leave Insurance (NJFLI) benefits partially replace wages of workers who need to care for a seriously ill or injured family member, or bond with a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed foster child. The program complements the New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance (NJTDI) program, which partially replaces wages... read more →

On July 31, 2020, Governor Murphy signed a new 2.5% net premium tax into law. It will apply to fully-insured individual and large group health insurance policies sold in the state, beginning on January 1, 2021. The Murphy Administration hopes the new tax will generate $220M in new revenue annually, some... read more →

Many insurance carriers are in the process of issuing employer-sponsored group health, dental and vision plan credits for future premiums owed or on current (or past) premiums billed, in response to the coronavirus pandemic and disruption in overall utilization of benefits. While any premium savings or credits are welcome news... read more →

On July 24, 2020, President Trump issued the following series of executive orders in an effort to lower drug prices: Lowering Prices for Patients by Eliminating Kickbacks to Middlemen: this executive order directs federally-qualified health centers to pass along massive discounts on insulin and epinephrine received from drug companies to... read more →

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that requires employers to abide by specific regulations concerning disclosure requirements for their health and welfare benefit plans. All employers who sponsor health and welfare benefits with at least 2 participating employees are subject to ERISA, except... read more →