On November 13, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2025-67, which sets forth the 2026 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The IRS also announced the health savings account (HSA) and high deductible health plan (HDHP) annual deductible and out-of-pocket expense adjustments earlier this year
Unpacking the One Big Beautiful Bill’s Employee Benefit Provisions
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“Act”), a sweeping tax and spending package, which includes provisions that impact employee benefit plans. These changes affect health savings account (“HSA”) eligibility, telehealth services, dependent care assistance limits, and other fringe benefits. The telehealth relief is effective in 2025
Less Paperwork, More Peace of Mind: New ACA Laws Lighten Employers’ Reporting Load
On December 23, 2024, President Biden signed into law two important pieces of legislation that aim to ease the administrative and reporting burdens on health plan sponsors and insurance providers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act and the Employer Reporting Improvement Act bring significant changes to the way employers must
New Year Brings New Automatic Enrollment and Escalation Requirements for Some Recently Adopted 401(k) and 403(b) Plans
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 requires certain 401(k) and 403(b) plans to include automatic enrollment and escalation features for the first plan year beginning after December 31, 2024, meaning that for those plans with a calendar plan year, the new year brought a new compliance obligation.
Beginning on January 1, 2025, 401(k) and 403(b)
Annual Limits on Qualified Plans for 2025
On November 1, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2024-80, which sets forth the 2025 cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. The IRS also announced the health savings account (HSA) and high deductible health plan (HDHP) annual deductible and out-of-pocket expense adjustments earlier this year
Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Emergency Declarations: Part I. Considerations for COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing Coverage
On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it intends for the National Emergency (“NE”) relating to the COVID-19 pandemic to end on May 11, 2023. Shortly after, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services announced the intent to end the Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) on the same day. The end
Departments Provide Relief for 2020 and 2021 Prescription Drug Reporting
On December 23, 2022, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued FAQs providing relief from prescription drug and health care spending reporting requirements. The FAQs are available here: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/aca-part-56.
As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, group health plans and issuers must annually report to the Departments
Just in the Nick of Time – Congress Grants Second Extension of CARES Act Telehealth/HSA Relief
Recently Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (“2023 CAA”). Among other things, the 2023 CAA extends, for a second time, the telehealth relief provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act permitted high deductible health plans (“HDHP”) to provide first-dollar telehealth services or other remote care services. This allowed individuals covered under a
Agencies Issue Guidance Requiring Coverage for Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests
Beginning January 15, 2022, and through the duration of the public health emergency, insurers and group health plans must cover at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests available over-the-counter (OTC) without imposing cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other medical management requirements. This requirement stems from the latest guidance issued on January 10, 2022, by the Department of Health and
Agencies Issue COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Guidance
On October 4, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor and Treasury jointly issued FAQs relating to COVID-19 vaccine incentives and surcharges. Under the guidance, employers may provide incentives such as premium discounts or surcharges through group health plans to incentivize COVID-19 vaccines, provided the incentive complies with the activity-only