Phia Group

Is the Department of Labor Offsetting a Major Problem?

On January 3, 2024
As if Americans on employer-based health plans didn’t face enough obstacles in trying to obtain reasonably priced healthcare.

Fall Is Here & So Are the Cold-Weather Germs – New CDC Recommendations

On September 26, 2023
Fall is officially here as the fall equinox has passed and with fall comes the impending “flu season” which also brings a bunch of other germs – new strains of COVID-19 and a rise in RSV cases. If you have children who have headed back to school (even college kids), you’ve probably noticed an uptick in stuffy noses and tummy aches already.

Expanding Protections for Breastfeeding Mothers

On August 3, 2023
So far this year, we have seen two notable advancements in protections for breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. The first of which includes the expansion of women’s preventive services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Based on new recommendations by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), breastfeeding mothers will no longer have to pay out-of-pocket costs for particular breast pumps and related supplies. The HRSA specifically noted that access to double electric breast pumps should be prioritized and should not be treated as a secondary step if manual pumps are unsuccessful. In addition to the double electric breast pumps, the preventive service recommendation includes coverage for the pump parts, maintenance of the pumps, and supplementary equipment for women needing additional services or for women who have faced breastfeeding complications. Plans subject to the ACA and its preventive care mandate must cover these new additions to women’s preventive services with no cost sharing.

New Year, New Rules – But Don’t Forget About the Old Ones

On January 3, 2023
The self-funded health plan industry continues to evolve every year based on new rules, guidance, and medical advancements; however, the Department of Labor (DOL) doesn’t overlook old rules either. In case you missed it, there was a case in mid-2022 that seeks to remind us that the DOL is still considering all Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules when they review complaints and perform audits. In Walsh v. Board of Trustees of Local 272 Welfare Fund and Local 272 Welfare Fund, 22-cv-592 (S.D.N.Y August 2, 2022), the DOL filed suit against a Taft-Hartley welfare plan and its trustees for alleged violations of certain amendments that the ACA made to ERISA, including the maintenance of grandfathered status.