Transgender protections and rights in the workplace are currently the subject of much confusion. This issue extends to employer-sponsored health plans. Whether an employer-sponsored health plan must cover gender-affirming...more
In 2020, health care spending in the United States increased by nearly 10 percent to reach $4.1 trillion, or 20 percent of the U.S. economy. Although the health care industry is foundational to the health and well-being of...more
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v. Wade in its consequential decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. With federal protection for abortion now dissolved, many employers are...more
In response to COVID-19, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania and a growing list of states have directed health insurance carriers to, among other things, relax cost-sharing and enhance telemedicine services. These...more
As employers look for new ways to control healthcare costs and provide innovative healthcare offerings to their employees, employers are starting to consider the “direct-to-provider” contracting model as a way to achieve...more
On March 1 the U.S. Supreme Court again reinforced the broad preemptive scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C.A. §1001. In Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 136 S. Ct. 936, the court...more
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision reminds us that straying into the land of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) can be hazardous for an unwary state or health care provider. When ERISA preempts a...more
On March 1, 2016, the Supreme Court held that a Vermont law requiring detailed reporting of health data could not be applied to self-funded plans subject to ERISA. In Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, the Court,...more
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 2016 U.S. LEXIS 1612, underscored the broad extent to which the preemption language of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974...more
On March 1, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company that delivered a big win for self-insured group health plans. The case involved a challenge to a Vermont law that required...more
As 2014 winds down, plan sponsors are likely thinking ahead to some of the significant changes that will take effect in 2015, most notably, the employer "pay or play" mandate under the ACA. However, there are two deadlines...more
If you sponsor a self-insured group health plan, then November includes two important deadlines: (1) you must obtain a health plan identifier for your plan, and (2) you must report the number of participants for whom a...more