Culminating a flurry of late June opinions released by SCOTUS this week, the court today in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has taken the extraordinary step of ending decades of precedent surrounding the protections for abortion-related services under the U.S. Constitution. The opinion has been widely anticipated since a draft opinion was leaked, and
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 4: Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs): Do’s and Don’ts
Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) are an essential mechanism for employers to use when informing employees and participants of benefits offered under their plans. What kind of information is required to be included in an SPD? Should you consider including information that’s not required? Who drafts them? How are SPDs distributed, and how often? Grab your
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 3: Employee Benefit Impact of Restrictions on Abortion, Contraceptive and Prenatal Services
Should the recently leaked SCOTUS draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade become law this summer, trigger laws across the Country will go into effect, illegalizing abortion in a significant number of states. Other states are exploring implementing new restrictions on abortion, contraceptive and prenatal services. Many clients have already asked us about what options they
IRS Releases Increased HSA Limits
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has announced increases to key limits for certain health and welfare benefit programs, including HSA contributions for 2023.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released 2023 cost-of-living adjustments applicable to dollar limitations for employer-sponsored health and welfare plans.
The changes in the 2023 cost-of-living adjustments for employer-sponsored health and welfare plans
Introducing Coffee Talk With Benefits Podcast: Episode 1 – The Impact of Disability on Retirement Plan Participation
We are excited to announce the rollout of Coffee Talk With Benefits, a podcast brought to you by our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department. Each episode will provide brief and lively discussions of questions, issues, and concerns that our EB clients and colleagues encounter on a daily basis or wrestle with from time-to-time.
No More Surprises, But Much Uncertainty Over Non-Network Bills
Seyfarth Synopsis: Last summer and fall, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued Interim Final Rules (IFRs) [here] and [here], implementing the sweeping changes that applied to out-of-network health care providers and health plans under the No Surprises Act. While much of the IFR content was welcome
Guidance Arrives on Long-Awaited Compensation Disclosures for Group Health Plans
Seyfarth Synopsis: Almost a decade after the 408(b)(2) fee disclosure requirements took effect for retirement plan service providers, Congress finally passed legislation addressing compensation disclosure rules for service providers to group health plans. At the end of 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which requires individuals to disclose direct and indirect compensation of
IRS Announces PCORI Fee for 2022
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has announced the adjustment to the applicable dollar amount for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (“PCORI”) Fee for 2022.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the PCORI to support research on clinical effectiveness. The PCORI has been funded in part by fees paid by certain health insurers and sponsors of self-insured
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Washington State’s Long Term Care Act
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Washington State’s Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Act (the “Act”) that requires each worker in Washington to contribute $0.58 per $100 (0.58%) of wages to a trust set aside to pay long-term care benefits for its residents. The lawsuit challenges the Act and requests a declaratory judgment
Employee Health & Welfare Benefit Plan Limits
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released 2022 cost-of-living adjustments applicable to dollar limitations for employer-sponsored health and welfare plans and retirement plans.
The changes in the 2022 cost-of-living adjustments for employer-sponsored health and welfare plans are summarized in the table below:
| Health and Welfare Plan Limits (Rev. Proc. 2021-45 and Rev. Proc. |