Health and Welfare Plans Archives | EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG

What Venus Williams’ health insurance comments reveal about COBRA

by Sarah Raaii | Aug 14, 2025 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

When tennis superstar Venus Williams recently spoke about returning to the sport to maintain her health insurance, it highlighted a broader issue many employees face: navigating complex benefits after leaving their jobs. This challenge is particularly acute when it comes to Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) coverage, which allows former employees to temporarily keep their employer-sponsored health insurance. As Sarah Raaii points out, the high cost of COBRA and limited alternatives create significant financial strain. To address this, employers could provide clearer information about COBRA, its costs, and available alternatives, enabling employees to make more informed decisions about their health coverage during career transitions.

Mississippi enacts new law regulating telemedicine coverage

by Stacey Callaghan, Amanda Enyeart and Abby Higgins | Aug 12, 2025 | Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

Mississippi has enacted SB 2415, ensuring that health insurance and employee benefit plans cover telemedicine services to the same extent as in-person medical consultations. The legislation specifies that all telemedicine must be real-time audio-visual unless using store-and-forward technology or remote patient monitoring.

Key updates on the US health benefits and reimbursement landscape

by Sarah Raaii and Rachel Stauffer | Aug 7, 2025 | Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

The health benefits landscape is undergoing significant changes. Recent developments in policy and legislation are poised to reshape the economic environment, affecting employer plan sponsors, insurance providers, third-party administrators, and those enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans.

Learn more about the changes to the benefits industry here.

OBBBA’s impact on employee benefit plans, programs, and arrangements

by Alden Bianchi, Jacob Mattinson and Sarah Raaii | Jul 29, 2025 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law. The OBBBA includes several employee benefits-related provisions impacting employer-sponsored plans and fringe benefits, including changes to health savings account eligibility, telehealth coverage, dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), employer-provided childcare credits, student loan repayment programs, and more.

Learn more about the OBBBA’s employee benefits provisions here.

HDHP telehealth safe harbor permanently reinstated

by Sarah Raaii and Rachel Stauffer | Jul 22, 2025 | Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act permanently extends the telehealth safe harbor for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) for plan years beginning after December 31, 2024. This extension allows HDHPs to cover telehealth and remote care services at low or no cost, expanding access for millions of participants and encouraging digital health providers, insurers, and employers to reassess and update their offerings to meet the growing demand.

Learn more about the telehealth HDHP safe harbor extension here.

Unpacking the OBBBA’s HDHP telehealth safe harbor permanency

by Sarah Raaii, Rachel Stauffer and Julia Grabo | Jul 17, 2025 | Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

In this edition of Health Policy Breakroom, Sarah Raaii and Rachel Stauffer join Julia Grabo to explore a crucial virtual care provision from the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, exploring its effects on patients, employers, and the broader landscape of virtual care policy.

Listen to the Breakroom episode.

Unpacking health insurers’ prior authorization announcement

by Jeffrey Davis and Lynn Nonnemaker | Jul 8, 2025 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

Health insurers recently announced steps to improve the prior authorization process, a move that was praised by US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz. This initiative responds to longstanding complaints from patients and providers about the complexity and burden of prior authorization, which often leads to denied coverage for necessary care. While CMS and HHS have already implemented regulations to address these issues, the question remains whether the new industry commitments add anything beyond what is already required.

FAQs regarding the Skrmetti decision for healthcare entities and payors

by Gregory Fosheim, Travis Jackson, Kristen O'Brien, Sarah Raaii and Alden Bianchi | Jul 1, 2025 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

On June 18, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in United States v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s SB1 law that limits access to gender-affirming care for minors. The court’s 6-3 decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, deemed the law constitutional under a rational basis review, determining it classifies based on age and medical use rather than sex or transgender status.

These FAQs highlight key implications for healthcare providers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, and employer plan sponsors navigating the ruling’s consequences.

Download the FAQs.

Vermont Enacts New Telehealth Legislation Impacting Health Insurers

by Amanda Enyeart and Alan LeBlang | Jun 18, 2025 | Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

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

by Kayla Holgash, Maddie News, Debra Curtis, Rodney Whitlock, Amy Kelbick, Leigh Feldman, Josh Jorgensen and Julia Grabo | Jun 17, 2025 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans

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.

BLOG EDITORS

STAY CONNECTED

TOPICS

ARCHIVES

RECENT POSTS