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On January 6, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) published new Paid Family and Medical Leave (MAPFML) regulations (the 2023 Regulations). These regulations make changes to [...]

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed some nine years ago, many employers wondered what would become of COBRA (aka, the continuation coverage requirements of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget [...]

The Affordable Care Act (the 'ACA') requires most health plans to provide first dollar coverage of FDA-approved contraception methods. Nearly nine years after the ACA's enactment, this contraception mandate continues [...]

To attract and retain the best employees, a 401(k) plan is a must. Operating a 401(k) plan, however, involves many responsibilities, including drafting and maintaining plan documents, communicating with employees, [...]

On April 2, 2018, significant changes to ERISA's disability claims procedures will take effect. These new rules will require all ERISA-covered plans which provide disability benefits to make significant modifications [...]

Happy New Year! It's that time when we all vow to better ourselves in the months ahead. Resolutions abound, and they need not be limited to individual self-improvement. Employers too [...]

Tis the season . . . for ERISA disclosure requirements, of course! Between open enrollment and the calendar year end, the list of documents, notices and updates required under ERISA [...]

Hurricanes. Fires. Floods. Shootings. The evening news seems consistently laden with catastrophe. In times like these, a federal agency called the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) often springs into action. [...]

The blood remaining in the umbilical cord after childbirth contains stems cells which may be used in a variety of medical treatments. Many parents of newborns are seeking to save [...]

The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), enacted on December 13, 2016, provides a new opportunity for small employers to help employees pay for health insurance: the 'qualified small employer [...]

On October 21, 2016, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued a FAQ providing indefinite relief for employers who subsidize [...]

Uber, Lyft, and their competitors, offering handy apps, responsive drivers and competitive prices, are fast becoming a favored commuter option. Many employers either subsidize employee commuter expenses or allow employees [...]

The Department of Labor's new overtime rules take effect December 1, 2016, and employers across the country are carefully reviewing and modifying their compensation and payroll practices in anticipation. As [...]

Even though the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate is in effect and fully phased-in, it has been our experience that few employers have bothered to review their employee handbooks to [...]

On February 5, 2016, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) issued guidance addressing the application of market reforms and other provisions of the [...]

Health and welfare have been around for a long time, and they are ubiquitous. Employees have come to expect medical, dental, life, and other insurance as part of their benefits [...]

When it comes to telling their employees about certain benefits, many employers have for decades (since 1974 to be exact) flouted a particular provision of the law with impunity. The [...]

While Americans everywhere were busy eating turkey and drinking eggnog last November and December, our government was hard at work attending to budget matters. Tucked among the appropriations were several [...]

In our prior installments, we determined that students who work at least 30 hours per week for their educational institutions are 'full time' employees of those institutions under the Affordable [...]

In Part 2 of this miniseries, we discussed whether a student health insurance plan may be used to help an educational institution avoid penalties under t the Affordable Care Act's [...]

In the previous installment of this series, we addressed whether student employees may be excluded from an employer's offer of coverage. We concluded that a blanket exclusion of this nature [...]

Educational institutions employ students in a variety of positions including work-study positions, teaching and research assistantships, and resident assistantships. This four-part series will discuss several issues that have arisen under [...]

On April 16, 2015, the EEOC published proposed regulations setting forth its position on the use of physical examinations under employment-based wellness programs. This comes as welcome guidance to employers [...]

On Tuesday, March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. We want to take this opportunity to share with you some highlights of [...]

On January 1, 2015, the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) employer shared responsibility mandate took effect. Up until July 1, 2013, most employers doing business in Massachusetts were required to comply [...]

Since 2007, most Massachusetts residents have been required to either obtain health insurance coverage meeting Massachusetts 'minimum creditable coverage' standards, or pay a state tax penalty (for 2014, the penalty [...]

One of your company's 401(k) investment fund options is underperforming. Or, perhaps the fund is no longer appropriate for your employees. Or, perhaps a fund's wildly successful fund manager has [...]

The concepts of 'hours of service' and 'full time' loom large in the Affordable Care Act's 'employer shared responsibility' mandate (also known as the 'employer mandate' or 'pay or play [...]

Employers and insurers offering medical plans: take note! Two important final regulations issued jointly by the IRS, DOL and HHS (the 'Departments') apply to plan years (or, in the individual [...]

This past summer, the Obama administration decided to delay the 'employer shared responsibility' portion (also known as the 'employer mandate' or 'pay or play mandate') of the Affordable Care Act [...]

On October 29, 2013, the Massachusetts Connector released Bulletin 03-13, which sets forth a significant course change in the Commonwealth's cafeteria plan, HIRD, and free rider surcharge rules. History Under [...]

The Affordable Care Act has established a new annual fee, imposed on group health plans, which will be used to fund the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The amount of [...]

As we reported in our post earlier today, the Obama administration has decided to delay implementation of the 'employer shared responsibility' mandate for in order to afford employers more time [...]

The Affordable Care Act (Act) creates a new disclosure requirement for group health plans and issuers: the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC). On February 14, 2012, the Departments of [...]