Updates to Statute 1557 that Healthcare Providers Need to Know
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Can Employers Impose a Health Insurance Surcharge on Plan Participants Not Vaccinated for COVID-19?
PODCAST: Wellness Program Compliance Update
On April 15, 2025, a group of former U.S. Department of Labor officials issued an “open letter” urging federal contractors to continue voluntary diversity practices, including conducting self-assessments, despite the Trump...more
Federal Suit Charges Staffing Agency Failed to Honor Agreement Concerning National Origin Discrimination - LONGVIEW, Wash. – Total Employment and Management (TEAM), a staffing agency based in Moses Lake, Washington,...more
Can an employee sue under Title VII to challenge a lateral transfer, even if the transfer does not result in a loss of pay? According to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the answer is: Yes....more
We are pleased to present our annual End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. This year, we present our “To Do” Lists in four separate Employee Benefits Updates. This Part 1 covers year-end health and welfare plan issues....more
On March 1, 2023, the Department of Labor issued its guidance on Religious Exemption Final Rule Frequently Asked Questions. The DOL’s Guidance dovetails very tightly with the Freeman Law Insights blog published on February...more
With the holiday season approaching, employers should be mindful that office holiday parties can create HR headaches. As pandemic restrictions have declined, employers are eager to host, and employees are eager to attend,...more
On August 9, 2022, Serena Williams, the undeniable G.O.A.T., said “Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And in Her Own Words,” in an emotionally riveting article for Vogue magazine. In the article, Serena recounts a precious...more
Last week, the US Supreme Court blocked the OSHA standard requiring private employers with 100 employees or more to vaccinate-or-test for COVID-19 from taking effect (more info here). With the fate of that standard likely...more
On November 9, 2021, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a proposed rule rescinding its December 2020 Final Rule broadening the religious exemption from Executive Order 11246’s...more
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York blocked federal rules seeking to remove nondiscrimination protections for health care patients. The blocked rules would have removed protections against...more
Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), "covered entities," which were defined as health programs or activities that receive "federal funding" from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...more
Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”), health programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, or...more
A New York federal judge just struck down a rule that was about to permit the government to withhold federal funds from healthcare providers that don’t allow workers to refuse to perform procedures because they violate their...more
Q: Over the summer, I saw that President Trump tweeted that four minority Democrat congresswomen should “go back” to where they came from. What Human Resources lessons can be learned from the President’s tweet?...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently revealed the agency's proposal to narrow the legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans discrimination based on sex in...more
In a significant development for Pennsylvania employers, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) has issued new guidance announcing that it takes the position that employment discrimination based on LGBT status is...more
In a series of tweets published on July 26, 2017, President Trump announced a ban on transgender service in the armed forces. In the wake of this reversal of government policy, employers may question the current state of...more
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the United States has had a new president for about six months: Mr. Donald J. Trump. Many suggest (and I do not take a position on this) that President Trump was...more
On December 31, 2016, the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued an opinion and order in Franciscan Alliance, Inc. et al v. Burwell, which preliminarily enjoins the US Department of Health and Human...more
As 2016 comes to an end, we are pleased to present you with our traditional End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. Like last year, we are presenting our “To Do” Lists in three separate Employee Benefits Updates. Part 1 of...more
Timely Topics - The final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on May...more
As explained in our April 21, 2015 and May 9, 2015 blog posts, wellness programs that are part of a group health plan are subject to the HIPAA nondiscrimination rules, and other state and federal laws including, but not...more
This article was originally published by American Health Lawyers Association. Copyright 2015, American Health Lawyers Association, Washington, DC. Reprint permission granted. It is no secret that the Affordable Care Act...more