[{"title":"State 2023 Legislative Agenda Includes Paid Leave, Benefits","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-597315261-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/state-2023-legislative-agenda-includes-paid-leave-benefits.html","kickerTitle":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Jan 26 2023","description":"These health, benefits and insurance areas of pending state legislation are noteworthy as the 2023 legislative sessions convene.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Major Medicare drug price reforms to become law but leave out employer plans","articleTag":"Healthcare Costs","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brand-images/supporting-photography/GettyImages-612387410-1200x630px.jpeg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/major-medicare-drug-price-reforms-to-become-law.html","kickerTitle":"By the Numbers","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Aug 11 2022","description":"Democrats are on the cusp of enacting some of their long-sought drug-price controls after Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation is raising worries that it could the result in significant cost-shifting to commercial market pla","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"CMS Issues Late, Breaking Guidance on Posting Machine-Readable Files","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-597315261-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/cms-issues-late-breaking-guidance-on-posting-machine-readable-files.html","kickerTitle":"Health law \u0026 policy","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Jun 23 2022","description":"With the July 1 deadline for most group health plans to post machine-readable files looming, CMS issued additional FAQ guidance today. ","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"How to Maximize HDHPs and HSAs to Save Costs, Promote Health and Retain Talent","articleTag":"Healthcare Cost \u0026 Quality","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/content-images/north-america/united-states/healthcare-blog/la-2021-social-media-GettyImages-187920071.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/how-to-maximize-hdhps-and-hsas-to-save-costs-promote-health-and-retain-talent.html","kickerTitle":"Healthcare Costs","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Mar 17 2022","description":"HDHPs along with employer-funded HSAs are a powerful tool to retain talent, increase savings for both employers and employees, and offer an affordable coverage option to employees.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Congress Set to Pass Short-Term Renewal of Pre-Deductible Telehealth Coverage","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/social-media/us-2020-social-media-GettyImages-503214288-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/congress-set-to-pass-short-term-renewal-of-pre-deductible-telehealth-coverage.html","kickerTitle":"Washington Weekly","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Mar 10 2022","description":"Congress is set to approve within days a temporary revival and extension of expired COVID-19 telehealth relief. Geoff Manville and Dorian Smith explain this win for health plan sponsors.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"House Bill Extends Free COVID-19 Testing Mandate Beyond Emergency Period","articleTag":"Coronavirus","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-1150962749-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/house-bill-extends-free-covid-19-testing-mandate-beyond-emergency-period.html","kickerTitle":"Washington Weekly","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Mar 03 2022","description":"New legislation would extend beyond the expiration of the current COVID-19 Public Health Emergency the mandate that group health plans cover COVID-19 diagnostic testing and related services without any participant cost sharing.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Mercer, Stakeholder Groups Urge Congress to Extend Pre-Deductible Telehealth Coverage","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-930002644.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/stakeholder-groups-urge-congress-to-extend-pre-deductible-telehealth-coverage.html","kickerTitle":"Washington Weekly","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Dec 09 2021","description":"Numerous stakeholder groups are urging Congress to address the impending expiration of pandemic-related relief allowing HSA-qualifying high deductible health plans to cover telehealth and other remote care services on a pre-deductible basis.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"We’ve Got You Covered; Free At-Home COVID Tests Coming Soon","articleTag":"Coronavirus","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/social-media/us-2021-social-media-gettyimages-1193056707-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/weve-got-you-covered-free-at-home-covid-tests-coming-soon.html","kickerTitle":"Coronavirus","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Dec 09 2021","description":"Following the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, President Biden posted a nine-point action plan to combat the Delta and Omicron variants. Dorian Smith explains how this impacts at-home COVID testing.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"The COVID-19 Testing Alternative: Employers Have Questions, Concerns","articleTag":"Coronavirus","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-1215518843-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/the-covid-19-testing-alternative-employers-have-questions-concerns.html","kickerTitle":"Coronavirus","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Nov 11 2021","description":"We polled the audience on a recent Mercer webcast about whether they will allow the weekly testing and face covering option to unvaccinated employees. We discuss the poll results and some other top testing concerns.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing: Key Decisions You’ll Need to Make ","articleTag":"Coronavirus","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/content-images/north-america/united-states/us-2021-GettyImages-1276395298-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/covid-19-vaccinations-and-testing-key-decisions-youll-need-to-make.html","kickerTitle":"Coronavirus ","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Nov 08 2021","description":"In response to the OSHA rules on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing we’ve complied a list of key decisions you’ll need to make.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"OSHA\u0027s Vaccine and Testing Guidance: Your Top 5 Questions Answered ","articleTag":"Coronavirus","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-1226005970-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/oshas-vaccine-and-testing-guidance-your-top-5-questions-answered.html","kickerTitle":"Coronavirus ","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Nov 04 2021","description":"Weighing in at 490 pages, OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard spells out in detail the rules employers are expected to follow to ensure worksite safety and accelerate the pace of vaccination in the US. In this post, our compliance experts comb throug","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Don’t Neglect End-of-Year COBRA Duties ","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brandimages/GettyImages-158315074-1200X630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/dont-neglect-end-of-year-cobra-duties.html","kickerTitle":"COBRA","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Oct 14 2021","description":"Before you put COBRA administration on the back burner because you have bigger compliance fish to fry consider COBRA subsidy work and COVID-19 Outbreak Period relief continues and we are entering COBRA’s busiest time of the year.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Groups Urge Surprise Billing Rules that Control Costs, Protect Patients","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/social-media/us-2021-social-media-GettyImages-1163500880-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/groups-urge-surprise-billing-rules-that-control-costs-protect-patients.html","kickerTitle":"Washington Weekly","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Jun 24 2021","description":"A broad range of employers, unions and other groups are urging the Biden administration to write rules implementing surprise medical billing protections. Geoff Manville explains. ","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Big News for Employers — Long-Sought Answers on How to Handle Unused 2020 FSA Balances and Much More","articleTag":"Benefit Flexibility","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/brand-images/supporting-photography/GettyImages-155377752-Supporting-web.png","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/big-news-for-employers-long-sought-answers-on-how-to-handle-unused-2020-FSA-balances-and-much-more.html","kickerTitle":"Policy","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Dec 23 2020","description":"A massive piece of legislation passed Monday by Congress — the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act — provides COVID-19 relief and funds the federal government, but also has many provisions that will affect employer group health plans and other benef","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Focus on High Court Seat Fuels Uncertainty for Employer Health Plans ","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/social-media/us-2020-social-media-GettyImages-912614070-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/focus-on-high-court-seat-fuels-uncertainty-for-employer-health-plans.html","kickerTitle":"Washington Weekly","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Sep 24 2020","description":"With COVID-19 relief already on life support, the race to replace Justice Ginsburg will further delay legislative action as her death brings new uncertainty for the ACA. Here’s our take on this week’s events in Washington. ","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Surprise Medical Bills, Drug Prices Top 2020 Health Policy Agenda","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content/dam/mercer/assets/social-media/109432754-social-media-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/surprise-medical-bills-drug-prices-top-2020-health-policy-agenda.html","kickerTitle":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Jan 30 2020","description":"Mercer’s 2020 Health \u0026 Benefits Legislative Outlook outlines the most important legislative issues for employers in 2020 with surprise medical bills and drug prices topping the health policy agenda.","otherTagsId":[]},{"title":"Bipartisan HSA Reforms Advance in House Committee","articleTag":"Health Law \u0026 Policy","imageURL":"/content-images/north-america/united-states/us-2109-health-reform-capital-675621811-1200x630.jpg","pageUrl":"/content/mercer/north-america/us/en/our-thinking/healthcare/bipartisan-hsa-reforms-advance-in-house-committee.html","kickerTitle":"Washington Weekly","authorTagId":["Dorian Z. Smith"],"publishDate":"Oct 31 2019","description":"Legislation to modernize and enhance HSAs cleared a hurdle in the House last week. Geoff Manville and Dorian Smith provide a short summary of the bills.","otherTagsId":["Dorian Z. Smith"]}]