Compliance

Companies can ensure they are advancing the right way by being deliberate about the technology they pursue and ensuring the "human" part of human resources is strong.

As the COVID emergency ends on May 11, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury have issued guidance for employers with regard to COVID vaccine and test costs, telehealth and mental health parity.

Many employers and insurers are opting to wait out the appeals process before considering whether to make changes to their health plans' coverage of recommended preventive services, says this ERISA litigation attorney.

Even though the changes at the end of the emergency periods may fly under the radar for most employees, the industry experts said communicating the changes is important.

A cautionary tale for businesses to avoid falling back on stereotypes when recruiting employees: Employers are paying big bucks in response to gender stereotype lawsuits from the federal agency.

The public health emergency, which ends May 11, signals the collapse of the federal data-sharing network and this raises questions about state and local agencies' investments in tracking COVID and other health threats.

The study said that 53% of respondents said their ACA compliance requirement were overly burdensome, 21% said the requirement were somewhat burdensome.

For benefits professionals, administering employer sponsored health plans and providing employee participants with access to affordable, quality health care is one of the greatest economic challenges of today — and the foreseeable future.