On June 3, 2025, Allison Wilkerson and Myriem Bennani participated in a webinar hosted by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). They discussed proactive strategies for managing ESOP distribution and diversification obligations, including legal requirements, planning opportunities with “administrative loans,” and methods to meet benefit level goals, offering valuable insights for companies navigating ESOP administration.
Vermont Enacts New Telehealth Legislation Impacting Health Insurers
Vermont’s governor recently signed S 30 into law. The legislation, which goes into effect on September 1, 2025, requires that health insurance plans provide coverage for healthcare and dental services delivered through telemedicine to the same extent as if the services were provided through in-person consultations. Health insurance plans must also provide the same reimbursement rate for services billed using equivalent procedure codes and modifiers, subject to the terms of the health insurance plan and provider contract, regardless of whether the service was provided in person or through telemedicine.
For more updates on state legislative and regulatory developments related to telehealth, check out the latest Trending in Telehealth published by the Health & Life Sciences Group.
Health Plan Provisions in the House Reconciliation Package
On May 22, 2025, the US House of Representatives passed its reconciliation package, now known as H.R.1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, by a 215 – 214 – 1 vote, advancing an agenda that extends and builds on tax cuts enacted in President Trump’s first term. The bill contains several policies impacting group health insurance plans, health savings accounts, and employer tax credits for paid family and medical leave.
Read more about these proposed policy changes and others in this comprehensive report, which highlights the health-related provisions in the House reconciliation package.
Risk Management in the Modern Era of Workplace Generative AI
As human resources (HR) leaders plan to expand the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the workplace, nearly a dozen states have enacted or are considering legislation to regulate its use in employment practices. Additionally, courts are seeing class actions involving alleged disparate impact discrimination and wage and hour violations related to GenAI. Implementing GenAI technologies without understanding their algorithms or data usage can expose employers to legal risks such as potential class actions based on privacy, AI regulations, and employment claims.
IRS Releases 2026 Limits for HSAs and Excepted Benefit HRAs
On May 19, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-21. It includes Revenue Procedure 2025-19, which provides the 2026 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts (HSAs) as determined under Code § 223, as well as the maximum amount that may be made newly available for excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) under Code § 54.9831-1(c)(3)(viii). Revenue Procedure 2025-19 is effective for HSAs for the 2026 calendar year and for excepted benefit HRAs beginning in 2026.
Learn more about other new IRS guidance in this Weekly IRS Roundup published by McDermott’s Tax Group.
