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New Rule Proposed to Determine Employee Status
On October 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule to help analyze whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The 2021 independent contractor guidelines used a five-factor test to determine classification with two of the factors—the nature and degree of control over the End excerpt
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FOIA Request Pending for All Type 2 EE0-1 Data
Federal Contractors Have Until Oct. 19th to Object In June 2022, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) for all Type 2 EEO-1 Reports filed from 2016 through 2020. On August 19, 2022, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance End excerpt
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California and NYC Salary Transparency Laws Go Into Effect
Salary Transparency Laws are slated to go into effect in New York City and California, and other states and jurisdictions may soon follow. In New York, the “Salary Transparency Law,” a recent amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), is set to go into effect on November 1, 2022. Employers advertising jobs End excerpt
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Medical Loss Ratio Rebates
Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rebate checks are currently arriving for many companies. MLR rebates are required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and are furnished when a health insurer does not utilize enough of the premiums they have received directly towards the cost of medical claims and activities that improve the quality of care. There End excerpt
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Health Care Costs and Concerns on the Rise
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) recently shared data from a poll they conducted with the public to assess their experiences with health care costs. Highlights include: Approximately 50% of U.S. adults encounter issues paying for health care. Often, patients are unable to fill prescriptions due to the costs. Adults who are uninsured, Black or Hispanic, or End excerpt
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State Legislators Are Considering Ways to Restructure Prior Medical Authorization Practices
The goal of prior authorization requirements is to decrease unnecessary health care spending. Often times, however, patients do not receive timely care due to lengthy steps required to obtain prior authorization. Patients could face life threatening conditions because doctors must wait until prior authorization is granted to provide necessary care. After examining grievances from doctors End excerpt
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Changes On the Way! The I-9 Form to Become More User Friendly
The I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form, the onboarding document required by the federal government used to record employment eligibility in the United States, is scheduled for an overhaul by the time the current form expires on October 31, 2022. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing changes that will simplify and clarify the I-9 End excerpt
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Engagement Deep Dive
Pharmacy spend remains a top priority for many employers. Pharmacy also known as Rx, is typically one of the highest cost drivers in employer-sponsored health plans. It has become increasingly important for CFO’s and Benefit Administrators to understand their Rx spend and how they can better manage and engage employees around what is frequently a End excerpt
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Contractor Portal
Earlier this month, the OFCCP released a bulletin announcing the creation of its new “Contractor Portal”. The portal must be used by federal contractors and subcontractors with 50 or more employees and $50,000 in contracts to certify annually that they have developed and maintained an affirmative action plan (AAP). The portal will also allow contractors End excerpt
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Why Employee Education & Engagement on Healthcare Is Important
Lack of employee engagement and education can lead to uncontrollable costs in health plans and unsustainable increases that get passed on to employees through premium increases. This brief will exam the long-term impact that education and engagement can of on employer’s bottom line. According to Mike Wolf, associate vice chair for research in the department End excerpt
