On December 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA). The Act contains several provisions that impact healthcare plans and also includes several rules extending COVID relief. Below is a brief summary of the CAA provisions pertaining to employer sponsored health and welfare plans. CAFETERIA PLANS: The CAA allows [...]
According to the 2019 edition of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, the United States ranks 35th among 169 recognized by the World Health Organization. This was one position lower than the U.S. earned in 2017. Spain surpassed Italy to become the world’s healthiest country and four other European nations ranked in the top 10. While [...]
Earlier this month, Diversified Group notified our clients (access blog here) that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) leave requirements were set to expire on 12/31/20. FFCRA allowed for paid FMLA and up to 80 hours of paid sick leave under certain coronavirus related circumstances. The provision was mandatory for employers with fewer than [...]
When you consider that laws governing travel and social distancing vary from state to state, with a couple having no such laws at all, determining how your organization will regulate and discipline off-duty conduct is very challenging. And when an employee travels to another state that has different laws, which take precedence? Some experts have [...]
Guidance recently released by the FDA outlining conditions for approving a Covid-19 vaccine includes a 50 percent benchmark, meaning that any vaccine must be at least 50 percent more effective than a placebo in preventing the disease. This is the same benchmark used annually to approve flu vaccines. In the announcement, Commissioner Stephen Hahn told [...]
On June 25, 2019, Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Connecticut’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law (CTPFML). Below are some highlights from the new law updated with the most recent developments. Despite setbacks due to COVID 19 issues, the deadline to begin collecting contributions in 2021 remains intact. The new CTPFML program will expand the [...]
Researchers at University College London found that ongoing negative thinking can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Nearly 300 people over the age of 55 were monitored in order to determine how much they dwell on negative past experiences or worry about the future. Approximately half of participants were also given PET scans to [...]
The IRS announced in Notice 2020-84 that the adjusted applicable amount for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCOR) fee for policy or plan years ending on or after October 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, will be $2.66 per plan participant. The PCOR fee is calculated based on the average number of lives covered under [...]
From fear of travel to feeling its simply not a good time to take time off, surveys show that the number of unused vacation days is building. Consulting firm Willis Towers Watson reports that a fourth of employers plan to increase rollover limits to minimize lost vacation days. Others are hesitant to relax their policy, [...]
What may be in short supply when a safe, effective Coronavirus vaccine is available? The medical glass needed to produce vials to hold the vaccine. With plans to produce more than a billion doses globally, Johnson & Johnson bought 250 million vials in the U.S. at the start of the pandemic. Corning recently signed a [...]
