This afternoon, the IRS issued Notice 2023-62, providing welcome guidance relating to the mandatory Roth catch-up provision under Section 603 of the SECURE Act 2.0 (“S2”), which is effective for plan years beginning after December 31, 2023. First, the Notice clarifies that catch-up contributions are still allowed after 2023, despite a technical glitch in S2. Second

Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of a recent focus on price transparency, claims data, and hidden fees in the health plan world, employer-sponsored health plans have been bringing their fight to the courtroom in an effort to lower costs and demonstrate good fiduciary governance.

In the wake of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, as well as newly-issued transparency regulations, employers sponsoring group health plans now have access to (or should have access to) a bevy of data not previously available in the notoriously secretive space of health plan pricing. As predicted, this new era of information transparency has spurred a small but growing stream of lawsuits. Surprisingly though, the plaintiffs in these suits are plan sponsors (or their committees) in their role as plan administrator, as opposed to plan participants, and the defendants are health plan third-party administrators rather than the plans themselves. In light of these recent lawsuits, this post focuses on fiduciary considerations for health plans in this new era of fee and price transparency.

While each lawsuit filed to date has unique aspects, they all generally allege some combination of the following:

  • Failure to adequately and fully disclose payment data as required by law;
  • Imposition of hidden and unreasonable fees;
  • Breach of fiduciary duty; and
  • Claims mismanagement and overpayment.


Continue Reading Who Do I Need to Sue to Get a Decent Cup of Coffee? Jittery Fiduciaries Consider Options as Health Plan Litigation Froths Up

Seyfarth Shaw’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation department has secured a notable position as one of the best in the country, according to the esteemed Legal 500 United States 2023 edition. This recognition reaffirms Seyfarth’s commitment to excellence in the field of employee benefits and executive compensation law.

Client feedback has played a pivotal role

Signed into law in the waning days of 2022, the SECURE 2.0 Act contains over 90 provisions impacting qualified retirement plans. Several of these provisions materially expand how Roth contributions are to be used, that impact employers and participants alike. We are witnessing the Rothification of retirement accounts. Grab your cup of coffee and tune

Seyfarth Synopsis: New IRS FAQs provide helpful clarifications on eligible medical expenses for HSAs, FSAs, MSAs, and HRAs (including the conditions for reimbursement of those gym memberships).

On March 17, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) posted a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) aimed at individual taxpayers, addressing whether certain medical expenses related to

Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS just announced the 2023 annual limits that will apply to tax-qualified retirement plans. For a second year in a row, the IRS increased the annual limits, allowing participants to save even more in 2023. Employers maintaining tax-qualified retirement plans will need to make sure their plans’ administrative procedures are adjusted accordingly.

As we all are aware, the global pandemic is a force to be reckoned with. Life as we now know it looks completely different than what we had expected a mere few months ago. Nowhere is this more evident than in the financial fortunes of US companies and workers. In response, Congress passed the Coronavirus