The Phia Group Blog

By: Kaitlyn MacLeod Not just yet. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that would ban post-employment non-competition agreements for all workers, including independent contractors, in nearly all workplaces. The proposed rule falls under Section 5 of…

By: David Ostrowsky A couple months ago, Forbes magazine published a story hypothesizing five professions that could be eliminated by Artificial Intelligence over the next decade: factory workers, couriers, investment analysts, customer service reps, and security guards. It sounds farfetched,…

By: Christopher Aguiar, Esq. Recently, the 9th Circuit, a jurisdiction that has historically not been kind to benefit plans engaging in third party recovery activity, issued a decision that gives life to benefit plans whose participants shirk their obligations to…

By: Nicholas Bonds, Esq. On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA 2023). Among many, many other things, the CAA included a key law expanding protections for pregnant workers. This law addresses significant limitations…

By: Kelly E. Dempsey, Esq. 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…

By: Lisa Hill, Esq. Increased Popularity in Medicare Advantage Plans The Medicare Advantage program, created in 1997, allowed private health insurance companies (“Medicare Advantage Organizations” or “MAO’s”) to contract with CMS to deliver Medicare benefits for a fixed fee per…