News & Insights

    Gag clause attestation ensures plan sponsors have cost, quality data

    Many provisions within the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), adopted in December 2022, are designed to bring greater cost transparency to the cost of medical care. A new CAA gag prohibition rule in effect today restricts health plans and carriers from entering into agreements with providers,...

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    EEOC updates guidance on hearing disabilities in the workplace 

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)released updated guidance outlining the proper treatment of hearing disabilities in the workplace. Employers covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) cannot ask job applicants if they have a hearing disability, and applicants have...

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    Keeping employees satisfied in uncertain economic times 

    Amid looming recession concerns, many employees are feeling the financial pinch and looking at their compensation with a more scrutinizing eye. Employers should consider a compensation study to ensure they are paying their employees fairly with the market standard. Employees who feel they are paid...

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    Annual PCORI fee increases for 2024  

    Each July 31, heath plans pay an IRS fee to support the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nonprofit research organization chartered by the Affordable Care Act to improve health care outcomes and experiences for patients. Self-funded plan sponsors pay the fee directly, while...

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    Overtime threshold updates expected

    The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is expected to release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in May to update the salary threshold for overtime eligibility. Currently, non-exempt employees earning a salary of less than $684 a week, or $35,568 annually, are entitled to overtime pay for hours worked in...

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    FTC action threatens noncompetes

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently proposed a rule to effectively wipe out noncompete contracts between employees and employers. This ban would render existing noncompetes void and new noncompetes illegal. According to the FTC, a noncompete clause is a contractual term between workers and...

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    EEO-1 reporting on the horizon

    The 2022 EE0-1 Component 1 data collection is tentatively slated to open mid-July. All private employers with at least 100 employees and certain under-100 employers must provide demographic workforce data, including data by race or ethnicity, sex and job categories. Updates, including the...

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    Weather the storm with peace of mind

    While April showers bring May flowers, spring storms can also cause a flurry of damage. Homeowners should take the time to review their insurance policies annually to ensure they are not underinsured and vulnerable to costly liabilities.

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    Keep your business profitable

    With an uncertain economic forecast on the horizon, business owners need to keep an extra close eye on their books to avoid excess costs. Keeping a business profitable is a basic goal of any owner, but the formula to get there is not always so simple. These tips can help take you from merely...

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    2023 mileage rate increases

    Employers with employees who operate personal vehicles for business use can adopt the IRS-established standard mileage rate to determine reimbursement. The rate for 2023 is 65.5 cents per mile and is determined based on a study of fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle.

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