National Employee Benefits Day is a good reminder for all in the world of employee benefits to pause and look back at where we have been over the last year and where we are going. While the challenges are many, the work is more valuable than ever.
Change is one constant over the last few years. From the compliance perspective, employers like certainty (plan advisors do, too) and there has been anything but. This is true now more than ever across all areas of benefits and is likely to continue for years.
It is no surprise that health and welfare plan administration continues to occupy more time and attention than ever before. Plans continue to grapple with compliance with mental health parity, transparency in coverage, the No Surprises Act, and other changes at both the federal and state level. Traditionally an area in which plans operated relatively autonomously, health plan administration and compliance have become increasingly complex. This will continue to be the case, particularly for multi-state plans. Other issues include those that surfaced (and will continue to evolve for years) following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs and recent state and federal attention on pharmacy benefits.
As the end of the Public Health Emergency and National Emergency approaches, benefit plans must pay close attention to unwinding the temporary relief provided at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes close attention to COBRA, special enrollment and claims deadlines,...
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