NAHU Announces Good Faith Standard for Broker Compensation Disclosure

Among its many new requirements for employee benefit plans, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) created new compensation disclosure requirements related to group health plans. Specifically, the new rules require brokers and consultants anticipated to earn $1,000 or more in direct or indirect compensation related to group health plans to disclose that compensation to the plan sponsor reasonably in advance of entering into an agreement to provide that service.

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Insurers Must Cover At-Home COVID-19 Tests Starting Jan. 15 Under New CMS Directive

Insurers must cover at least eight at-home COVID-19 tests per covered individual starting on Saturday, per a new directive from the Biden Administration.

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Newsom To Call For New COVID Paid Sick Leave For Californians After Law Expired

Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to call for new legislation to revive supplemental paid sick leave policies as part of a $2.7 billion coronavirus response package. Newsom’s administration previewed the package over the weekend, saying the governor will call for supplemental paid COVID-19 sick leave, “given the current situation being driven by the Omicron variant to better ...

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CDC Is Criticized For Failing To Communicate, Promises To Do Better

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a telebriefing. Director Rochelle Walensky presided, along with two career scientists. The substance was notable — updated COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools. But even more notable was the fact that the briefing was happening at all. It was the first such briefing in months, despite the ...

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Newsom Proposes $2.7 Billion To Expand COVID-19 Response Efforts

California would spend $2.7 billion on new efforts to respond to the surge in COVID-19 cases, including additional testing capacity and assistance to hospitals, under a budget proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom will send to state lawmakers next week. Newsom will also ask legislators to help craft new COVID sick pay rules for Californians, modeled after ...

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Employee References And Health Insurance Compliance Considerations For 2022

The start of a new year brings recurring compliance items for employers, employees, and individual taxpayers to consider. Here is what you need to know. California Individual Mandate Continues California’s state individual mandate, which began 1/1/2020, continues into 2022 and the foreseeable future. Under California’s Individual Health Care Mandate, Californians are required to have qualifying ...

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Biden Coronavirus Vaccine-Or-Test Mandate Goes Into Effect

Key components of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine or test mandate for more than 80 million workers went into effect Monday amid an ongoing Supreme Court battle that could ultimately doom the rule. The months-long legal battle over the requirement, which was previously blocked by a federal court before being reinstated, has created confusion among ...

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Supreme Court’s Conservatives Cast Cloud Over Vaccine-Or-Test Mandate For Businesses

The Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority on Friday seemed ready to block some or all of the Biden administration’s regulations aimed at increasing vaccinations nationwide. At issue in the nearly four-hour argument were two regulations: 1. One imposes a vaccine mandate for almost all workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other medical providers receiving federal Medicare ...

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California Officials Warn Against Price Gouging Of Home Coronavirus Test Kits

With coronavirus tests nearly impossible to find in the Bay Area — and San Francisco health officials saying they will limit testing early this week because of “challenges beyond our control” — California officials are now warning against price gouging for at-home test kits. California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert Saturday about ...

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Pfizer Says Its Vaccine Targeting Omicron Will Be Ready In March

Pfizer will have a COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant ready by March, the pharmaceutical company’s chief executive said Monday. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company has already begun manufacturing a new version of its COVID-19 vaccine that aims to protect recipients against Omicron. “This vaccine will be ready in March,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” ...

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