For employers operating their group health and welfare plans beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2022, now is the time of the year to prepare for open enrollment. Typically, the focus is on evaluating the services and performance of vendors, renewing rates, and considering design changes. In addition to these items, employers need to address various legal requirements. This Benefits Brief provides a checklist that covers these requirements for the 2022 plan year.
With Employee Benefits & HR topics regularly in the news, it’s difficult to stay up to date. Our weekly newsletter will help you stay current. Check out this week's edition.
Mark your calendars! We are excited to present the third edition (September-December) of our HR & Benefits Compliance monthly webinar series calendar for 2021.
On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – the first such approval of its kind. Along with expanded access to the vaccine, the FDA’s announcement is likely to cause an increase in vaccine mandates in both the private and public sectors. In lieu of a mandate, though, some employers may instead prefer to incentivize employees to get vaccinated.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) requires group health plans subject to COBRA to provide a 100% COBRA premium subsidy and expanded enrollment rights to those who qualify as assistance eligible individuals (“AEIs”) for a period of six months (April 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021). ARPA also imposed new COBRA notice obligations on group health plans. As the subsidy period nears the end, employers and plan administrators are required to provide a subsidy expiration notice (“Notice”) to AEIs, informing them of the impending subsidy termination.
This month's Benefits and Me discusses surprise billing, shopping around for health care and common health insurance terms.