The RIA Business Can Heave a Sigh of Relief as Grayscale Beats the SEC in Court - Ari Sonneberg, RIABiz, August 29, 2023 (PDF)
Content Type
9th Circ. Reopens Door To Reprocessing In UBH Battle
9th Circ. Reopens Door To Reprocessing In UBH Battle - Andrew Oringer, Law360, August 25, 2023, (PDF)
IRS Releases ACA Affordability Rates for 2024
The Internal Revenue Service has issued Revenue Procedure 2023-29 to implement the 2024 index adjustments for certain Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) contribution percentages used to determine...
Former Director Sues Howard University Pension Plan
Former Director Sues Howard University Pension Plan - Andrew Oringer, PLANSPONSOR, August 21, 2023 (PDF)
10th Circ.’s Okla. PBM Ruling Could Curtail State Regulation
10th Circ.'s Okla. PBM Ruling Could Curtail State Regulation - Andrew Oringer, Law360, August 18, 2023 (PDF)
IRS Issues Guidance on Taxation of Restricted Stock Units to Employees Working in United States and Abroad
By Barry Salkin In a global economy, it will frequently be the case that employees of multinational organizations will be employed in both the United States and abroad. In Chief Counsel Advice...
11 Attorneys from The Wagner Law Group to be Recognized in 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
Boston, MA, August 17, 2023 – The Wagner Law Group, widely recognized as the country’s top ERISA and employee benefits law firm, is delighted to announce that 11 of its attorneys will be recognized...
DOL Revises Medicaid/CHIP Model Notice
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has released a revised Model Notice for employers to use to inform employees about the potential for them to receive state-provided premium assistance subsidies to...
Claims Appeals Procedures Must be in Formal Plan Documents
Claims Appeals Procedures Must be in Formal Plan Documents - Marcia Wagner, 401(k) Advisor, Volume 30, No. 7, July/August 2023
If You Buy Pension Risk Transfers, Don’t Buy a Pig in a Poke
If You Buy Pension Risk Transfers, Don’t Buy a Pig in a Poke - Michael Schloss, Bloomberg Tax, August 10, 2023 (PDF)
9th Circ. ERISA Fee Ruling May Spur High Court Intervention
9th Circ. ERISA Fee Ruling May Spur High Court Intervention - Andrew Oringer, Law360, August 9, 2023 (PDF)
Failure to Follow Claims Regulations Results in De Novo Review
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in Rhodes v. First Reliance, has ruled that an insurer’s denial of a long-term disability (“LTD”) claim must be reviewed under the de...
Departments Consider Potential Safe Harbor for Nonquantitative Treatment Limitations under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Regarding Network Adequacy
By Dannae Delano, Roberta Casper Watson and Barry Salkin On July 25, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) issued proposed regulations and other...
3 Takeaways From The PBGC’s Latest Fiscal Health Checkup
3 Takeaways From The PBGC's Latest Fiscal Health Checkup - Israel Goldowitz, Law360, August 4, 2023 (PDF)
Agencies Issue Proposed Regulations on Mental Health Parity Implementation
HHS, DOL and IRS (collectively, the “Agencies”) have jointly issued proposed regulations to provide guidance on the implementation of the requirements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction...
UnitedHealth Group Insurance TPA, UMR Sued by DOL
UnitedHealth Group Insurance TPA, UMR Sued by DOL - Andrew Oringer, PLANSPONSOR, August 2, 2023 (PDF)
CMS Recommends Extension of Special Enrollment for Individuals Losing Medicaid and CHIP
By Roberta Watson, Dannae Delano and Barry Salkin Employers frequently provide group health plan coverage for their employees through pre-tax contributions to a cafeteria plan. Elections under a...
Departments Issue Guidance on No Surprises Act and Limitations on Cost Sharing Under the Affordable Care Act
By Dannae Delano, Roberta Watson and Barry Salkin In FAQ Part 60, the Departments of Health and Human Service, Treasury, and Labor (the “Departments”) addressed limitations on cost sharing under the...
Pension benefits at Yellow Corp. secured by Teamsters fund bailout this year
Pension Benefits at Yellow Corp. Secured by Teamsters Fund Bailout This Year - Michael Schloss, Pensions & Investments, August 1, 2023 (PDF)
Fidelity Investments is Suddenly Fending off a Fresh Wave of AI Suitors for its Vast Recordkeeping Data Trove
Fidelity Investments is Suddenly Fending off a Fresh Wave of AI Suitors for its Vast Recordkeeping Data Trove - Ari Sonneberg, RIABiz, July 28, 2023 (PDF)
Danger Will Robinson, Esq. – A Cautionary Note to Lawyers Regarding Engagement Letters
Buried in the recent decision in Supercooler Technologies, Inc. v. The Coca Cola Company, No. 6:23-cv-187-CEM-RMN (M.D. Fl. July 17, 2023), is a set of circumstances that amount to a cautionary tale...
Plan Penalized for Failure to Follow Its Own Provisions
In Laake v. Benefits Committee, Western & Southern Financial Group Co., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit determined that the de novo standard of review applies where an employer’s...
IRS Issues Transitional Guidance for Required Minimum Distributions
By Jon Schultze and Barry Salkin In response to changes made by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) to the required minimum distribution (“RMD”) rules of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”),...
DOL Advises Plan Sponsors to Extend Enrollment Period for Employees Losing Medicaid
DOL Advises Plan Sponsors to Extend Enrollment Period for Employees Losing Medicaid - Roberta Casper Watson, PLANSPONSOR, July 24, 2023 (PDF)
ERISA Arbitrability Battles May Require High Court Guidance
ERISA Arbitrability Battles May Require High Court Guidance - Andrew Oringer, Law360, July 21, 2022 (PDF)
Departments Propose Regulations on Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance and Indemnity Insurance Excepted Benefits
By Dannae Delano, Roberta Casper Watson and Barry Salkin On July 7, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the “Departments”) issued proposed regulations modifying the...
Significant Changes Made to IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System
By Dannae Delano, Seth Gaudreau and Barry Salkin The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, Division T of Public Law No. 117-328 (“the Act”) includes dozens of provisions that affect retirement plans and...
Reservists Must Receive Paid Administrative Leave Benefits
In Myrick v City of Hoover, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has ruled that military reservists must be treated as if they were on paid leave for purposes of the Uniformed Services...
ERISA Fiduciary Institute 2023
ERISA Fiduciary Institute 2023 - Andrew Oringer and Susan Rees, panelists, American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (JCEB) seminar, Washington, D.C., September 12, 2023 - Click...
Twitter Hit With $500M Suit for Unpaid Severance
Twitter Hit With $500M Suit for Unpaid Severance - Andrew Oringer, planadviser, July 12, 2023 (PDF)
Plan May Exclude Certain Specified Emergency Services
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has ruled, in Shafer v. Zimmerman Transfer, that a group health plan does not have to pay for emergency services specifically excluded by the plan...
Verizon 401(k) lawsuit settles for $30 million
Verizon 401(k) lawsuit settles for $30 million - Stephen Rosenberg, InvestmentNews, July 11, 2023 (PDF)
ERISA Allows Plan Fiduciaries to Pursue More Than Just Money
ERISA Allows Plan Fiduciaries to Pursue More Than Just Money - Michael Schloss, Bloomberg Tax, July 10, 2023 (PDF)
EBSA Publishes Regulatory Update on Health Facility Fees, Provider Networks
EBSA Publishes Regulatory Update on Health Facility Fees, Provider Networks - Roberta Casper Watson, planadviser, July 7, 2023 (PDF)
IRS Issues HDHP Guidance for End of COVID Emergency Period
In response to the ending of the COVID-19 public health emergency and national emergency, the IRS has issued Notice 2023-37, which modifies its prior guidance on benefits relating to the testing and...
3 DOL Moves Benefits Attorneys Will Be Watching For
3 DOL Moves Benefits Attorneys Will Be Watching For - Andrew Oringer, Law360, July 3, 2023 (PDF)
SEC’s Recent Marketing Rule Risk Alert Identifies Additional Areas of Focus During Compliance Examinations
By Seth Gaudreau and Stephen Wilkes On June 8, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Division of Examinations (the “Division”) published a risk alert (the “Risk Alert” - found here)...
Financial Aspects of Divorce in Massachusetts: Division of Retirement Assets in Divorce
Financial Aspects of Divorce in Massachusetts: Division of Retirement Assets in Divorce - Marcia Wagner and Ari Sonneberg, MCLE New England, 2nd Edition, 2023
Jury Delivers Win to Yale With 403(b) Lawsuit Verdict
Jury Delivers Win to Yale With 403(b) Lawsuit Verdict - Andrew Oringer, PLANSPONSOR, June 29, 2023 (PDF)
IRS Releases Guidance Denying Favorable Tax Treatment to Certain Wellness Program Incentive Payments
IRS has released guidance, in the form of Chief Counsel Memorandum Number: 202323006 (the “Memorandum”), denying favorable tax treatment to wellness incentive program payments provided through...
DOL Sues Missouri Bankers Benefit Plan
DOL Sues Missouri Bankers Benefit Plan - Andrew Oringer, PLANSPONSOR, June 16, 2023 (PDF)
Could Health Care Regulation Go the Way of Retirement Plans?
Could Health Care Regulation Go the Way of Retirement Plans? - Andrew Oringer, PLANSPONSOR, June 12, 2023 (PDF)
DOL Provides Guidance About Holidays During FMLA Leave
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) has issued Opinion Letter FMLA 2023-2-A (the “Letter”) to clarify how the amount of leave used is calculated when an employee takes Family and Medical Leave Act...
The Wagner Law Group Grows its Washington D.C. Office with Veteran DOL Attorney Michael Schloss
The Wagner Law Group Grows its Washington D.C. Office with Veteran DOL Attorney Michael Schloss - June 7, 2023
New England 401(k) Fee Suits Forge Employers’ Longshot Bid
New England 401(k) Fee Suits Forge Employers’ Longshot Bid - Marcia Wagner, Bloomberg Law, June 6, 2023 (PDF)
Massachusetts Division of Insurance Provides Special Enrollment Period for Loss of COBRA Coverage
By Dannae Delano, Barry Salkin and Roberta Casper Watson As we have previously described in client alerts, the end of the National Emergency and the cessation of the outbreak period on July 10,...
Churchill Holdings ESOP Participants Sue
Churchill Holdings ESOP Participants Sue - Andrew Oringer, PLANSPONSOR, June 2, 2023 (PDF)
Coverage Requirements for COVID-related Services Post-Public Health Emergency
The COVID-19 national emergency (“NE”) and public health emergency (“PHE”) officially ended on April 10 and May 11, 2023, respectively. The end of the emergencies provides group health plan sponsors...
Pension Row With Teamsters Belongs In Court, 1st Circ. Told
Pension Row With Teamsters Belongs In Court, 1st Circ. Told - Stephen Rosenberg, Law360, May 26, 2023 (PDF)
Pension Risk Transfers Continue to Skyrocket in Q1
Pension Risk Transfers Continue to Skyrocket in Q1 - Marcia Wagner, PLANSPONSOR, May 25, 2023 (PDF)