Blog

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 →

The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 was signed by President Trump on June 5, 2020 and will allow borrowers more flexibility when it comes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The measure gives existing and new PPP borrowers additional options and protections regarding loan repayment and forgiveness.  Some of the... read more →

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been busy in June, releasing the below COVID-19 guidance for employers: OSHA COVID-19 Guidance for Reopening On June 15, 2020, OSHA released a bulletin reminding employers that safety is a priority within both COVID-19 and common workplace hazards. In all phases of... read more →

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee was supposed to expire in 2020, and the last payment for calendar year plans was supposed to be on July 31, 2019. However, at the end of 2019, federal legislation passed extending the fee for another ten years. Even though the federal government has delayed... read more →