Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion based on oral arguments given on January 7, 2022, and in sum: Vaccine or test mandate for private employers with 100+ is blocked Healthcare vaccine mandate survives Background On July 7, 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments to decide whether certain federal vaccine requirements can…
On January 10, 2022 the DOL, HHS and IRS issued FAQs to address requirements for issuers/carriers and group health plans to cover over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests under certain conditions. On the same day, CMS also issued a supporting user-friendly set of 15 FAQs . The FAQs offer more clarification on the requirement that plans and…
Compliance Update Federal Circuit Court Lifted Stay, OSHA Mandate is Reinstated This summary has been provided by our preferred partner for employment law, Fisher Phillips, and has been published with their permission. In one of the more shocking developments in a year full of surprises, a federal appeals court breathed new life into the Biden…
Affordable Care Act 1094/1095 Information Reporting To keep you updated and informed, GBS has prepared a webinar which can be accessed on-demand and at your convenience. This year’s presentation provides a thorough overview, addresses common questions, pitfalls, and penalties, and offers line-by-line instruction and practical tips. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyyPgv1asRE 2022 Deadlines for Filing 1094/1095 Forms Based on…
Dr. Russell Vinik, GBS Medical Director Additional Considerations and Treatment Options if you get COVID-19 Isolate yourself immediately. Your family members are not destined to get sick. On average 25% of household contacts get COVID. This can be reduced with isolation. Test close contacts. Close contacts should be tested about 5 days after exposure to…
Each year, various federal regulators announce cost-of-living adjustments affecting tax, employee benefits dollar amounts and penalties for the upcoming calendar year. Highlights of adjustments for 2022 that are most relevant to health and benefits plans (including prior amounts from 2021) are listed below. Download PDF
On Nov. 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a federal Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to address the grave danger of COVID-19 infection in the workplace. Affected employers will be required to comply with most provisions of the ETS by Dec. 6, 2021, and with its testing requirements by Jan. 4, 2022.…
The OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) issued on November 4, 2021 has been met with controversy from the outset. It is intended to require employers with 100+ employees to ensure that those employees are either fully vaccinated or produce a weekly negative COVID-19 test beginning January 4, 2022. Other requirements in the ETS are effective…
On November 4, 2021, the DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a COVID-19 vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) which takes effect November 5, 2021. The ETS is intended to preempt any State or local requirements that ban or limit an employer from requiring vaccination, face covering, or testing. The ETS applies…
Originally published by Fisher Phillips. The GBS & Leavitt Group preferred partner for employment law. Republished with permission. With many current COVID-19 safety protocols dependent on vaccination status, verification and vaccine mandates continue to raise unique confidentiality and privacy considerations for employers. Here are some important points to keep in mind when tracking, collecting, or…
OSHA’s Mandate-or-Test Emergency Rule Gets Sent to White House for Final Review: How Employers with 100+ Employees Can Avoid Vaccine Confusion The Department of Labor (DOL) took the next step in advancing President Biden’s vaccine mandate-or-test emergency rule (for large employers with 100+ employees) sending the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to the White House’s regulatory office. Here…
Monoclonal Antibodies can prevent hospitalization or death in people infected with COVID19. It is important to know if you would benefit for antibody treatment, and if you qualify to seek treatment as soon as possible. What are monoclonal antibodies? COVID Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies similar to those which you body would naturally produce in response…
As the Delta variant surges throughout the country, more and more employers are implementing mandatory vaccine policies, especially now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval. Most employers know they may need to make reasonable accommodations to the mandatory vaccine plan under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because of an employee’s disability. But…
Background On June 24, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First directing the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor (Departments) to develop regulations to require hospitals, healthcare providers, health insurance issuers, and self-insured group health plans to provide or facilitate access to information…
On Oct. 29, 2020, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued a final rule regarding transparency in coverage that imposes new transparency requirements on group health plans and health insurers in the individual and group markets. These provisions only apply to non-grandfathered coverage, including both insured and self-insured group…