SubscribeWhat effects did the COVID-19 pandemic have on employers and employment litigation in 2021? In these slides, McDermott Partners Andrew Liazos and Ashley Altschuler summarize some of the key developments in hiring, executive compensation, remote work and more.
Employment
Supreme Court OKs CMS Vaccine Mandate but Blocks OSHA Rule
On January 13, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States released two emergency opinions that change the landscape of the three federal vaccine rules. In summary:
- A 5-4 Court majority let the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) enforce its vaccine mandate nationwide, impacting specified healthcare facilities.
- A 6-3 majority blocked the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from enforcing its vax-or-test Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) applicable to large employers.
- The third federal vaccine rule—the federal contractor vaccine mandate—remains subject to multiple legal challenges and, at this time, the government is blocked from enforcing the mandate nationwide. The Court has not yet weighed in on this mandate.
Are Out-of-Pocket Costs on Their Way Out? At-Home COVID-19 Testing and Expanded Preventative Healthcare for Women and Children
In response to a directive from the White House, based on provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that eliminated cost sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, three federal government departments—the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the US Department of Labor (Labor) and the US Department of the Treasury (Treasury)—issued guidance in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that states group health plans and insurers must also cover over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic testing. This guidance is effective beginning January 15, 2022.
In addition, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) updated the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) comprehensive preventive care and screening guidelines for women and children to cover additional services and supplies without a copay or deductible, effective 2023.
COVID-19 AT-HOME TESTING COVERAGE
On January 10, 2022, HHS, Labor and the Treasury together issued FAQs that elaborated on prior guidance and indicated that group health plans and insurers are required to cover OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests without cost sharing. Because of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases resulting from the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the guidance will continue for the duration of the public emergency.
Most consumers with private health coverage will be able to buy OTC COVID-19 tests and either have the cost covered upfront or be reimbursed later by submitting a claim to their health plan. The new requirement only applies to “diagnostic” OTC COVID-19 testing. It does not include the treatment of COVID-19 or testing that is for employment purposes.
The guidance provides that health plans and insurers must cover at least eight OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests per covered individual per a 30-day period. Insurers will be able to set up networks of preferred suppliers to provide OTC COVID-19 tests directly to participants without upfront costs. Insurers must still reimburse OTC COVID-19 tests purchased outside the direct coverage program, however, the reimbursable amount is limited to $12 per test if the health plan also provides tests through its preferred pharmacy network and through a direct-to-consumer shipping program without upfront costs.
Besides the risk of increasing the average cost of OTC COVID-19 tests, the new initiative raises concerns over fraud and abuse. For health plans and insurers to protect themselves, the FAQs provide several examples of permissible activities to prevent fraud and abuse, like requiring proof of purchase or an attestation that the test was purchased for proper purposes (i.e., is being used by the covered individual, is not being reimbursed by another source, is not being resold and is not for employment purposes).
HRSA UPDATES ACA PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE GUIDELINES
On January 11, 2022, HRSA announced that it updated the preventive health and screening guidelines for women, infants, children and adolescents. Under the ACA, certain group health plans and insurers must provide coverage with no out-of-pocket costs for preventive health services within these HRSA-endorsed comprehensive guidelines.
HRSA accepted the updates recommended by the Women’s Preventative [...]
Continue Reading
What Are the Pros and Cons of Returning to the Office?
While remote work provides many conveniences, the office offers an ‘interpersonal glue’ that is difficult to replicate when working from home. As McDermott Partner Tina Martini notes in this Chicago Lawyer article, there are countless opportunities to develop professional and personal relationships in the office.
“I don’t think I would be where I am today as an attorney and professional if I didn’t have these chances,” Martini said.
Four Trump-Era Bias Policies Stymied by Biden in 2021
Throughout US President Joe Biden’s first year in office, the Biden administration reversed numerous Trump-era policies, including those concerning the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, federal contractors, wage data and LGBTQ bias. In this Law360 article, McDermott Partner Rachel Cowen offers insight into how the friction between religious and LGBTQ rights will continue to play out throughout employment law.
H-1B Visa Rule About to Die for Good
The Biden administration is no longer defending a Trump administration H-1B visa regulation that would have made it more challenging for international students to work in the United States. As noted in this Forbes article, McDermott Partner Paul Hughes recently successfully argued on behalf of plaintiffs that the H-1B rule violated current law.
Labor Under Biden: What Employers Need to Know
Before the 2020 election, then-US Presidential candidate Joe Biden vowed to be the “strongest labor president you have ever had.” Now having been in office for almost a year, how has President Biden changed the country’s labor environment, and what can employers expect out of his administration? In these slides, McDermott Partners Ron Holland and Kristin E. Michaels and McDermott Associate Philip Shecter provide insight into US labor activity and how the latest labor developments affect both union and nonunion employers.
Round Up of 2021 Legal Issues for US Remote Workers
In a global interview panel sponsored by Lexology, McDermott Partner Carole A. Spink discusses the most critical US legal issues for remote workers. Spink explains how US employers can best prepare for the continuation of remote work and its corresponding legal complexities.
Tenth Circuit Compels Arbitration in Overtime, Joint Employer Case
A recent US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruling determined that a pipeline inspector’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lawsuit against an energy company could not be adjudicated without involving the subcontractor that paid his wages. According to this Law360 article, the Tenth Circuit ruled that the inspector was trying to play “fast and loose with the courts” and using his subcontractor contract “to his advantage when it suits him and disavow it when it does not.” McDermott Partner Rachel Cowen represented the subcontractor.
Federal Vaccine Mandates Are Back in Play (For Now)
The courts continue to move the vaccine mandate goalposts on employers as dozens of legal challenges work their way through the courts. The latest developments are major game changers for employers. As of today, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) vaccine-or-test rule is enforceable nationwide, and the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule (IFR) mandating vaccination, subject to exemptions, is enforceable in 25 states.
