Blog

2024 Health Plan Renewal Perspective

As we have reached the year’s midpoint, employers are increasingly focusing on their upcoming 2024 health plan renewals. Numerous factors contribute to the renewal rates and overall costs of health plans, and this year, employers may experience higher premiums than in the recent past due to ongoing COVID-19-related impacts and general inflation, among other factors. Employers may also consider changing their health plan’s carrier or administrator, weighing the potential cost savings against the impact it might have on their employees. Continue reading

Investment in Employee Well-Being

Employers have a vested interest in the overall well-being of their employees. A happy and healthy workforce increases productivity, reduces absenteeism, improves retention and lowers total benefit costs. There are several ways employers can invest in employee well-being. Employers can focus on one or more of the four pillars of well-being: physical, mental, financial and social, or they can take a more comprehensive approach.  Continue reading

How the End of the COVID-19 Emergency Periods Will Impact Health Plans

UPDATE – COVID-19 National Emergency Ends Sooner Than Previously Announced

On March 29, 2023, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that would end the COVID-19 national emergency declaration that has been in place since 2020. The U.S. House of Representatives voted in February to terminate the order, and President Joe Biden had indicated that he would sign the bill despite strongly opposing it. Biden had previously announced plans to end the national emergency declaration implemented by former President Donald Trump in May 2023. This resolution will not change the end date of the public health emergency which remains May 11, 2023.

On April 10, 2023, President Biden signed a resolution ending the COVID-19 national emergency. Since the national emergency now has been determined to end on April 10, 2023, the 60-day period would end on June 9, 2023 (rather than July 10, 2023, as previously predicted). But we understand the DOL has indicated that it will continue to use the May 11 date, meaning the outbreak period would end on July 10, 2023 (60 days after May 11) as originally announced. We are hopeful the agencies will issue formal, written guidance to confirm the end of the outbreak period.

Our original post about the plans to end the national emergency and public health emergency is included below.  We also hosted a Q&A webinar on this topic on March 2.  Click here to watch the webinar recording.

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Liability Considerations for Affordable Housing Developments

Affordable housing developments are a critical component of building a strong economy, and the need for affordable housing today is urgent.  According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s 2022 Report, the U.S. is facing a shortage of 7 million affordable rental homes/units.

While this need creates challenges for our communities, it simultaneously creates significant opportunity for affordable housing developers.  Given the increasing number of projects, our team has determined the following liability considerations and risk management strategies.  Continue reading

Why Are Personal Auto Insurance Rates Increasing?

With very few exceptions, nearly every individual and family in the U.S. is facing higher-than-normal increases to their auto insurance premiums.  According to Bankrate, an independent publisher and comparison service, auto insurance in the U.S. costs an average of $2,014 per year, an increase of 13.72% between 2022 and 2023.

While individual rates will vary based on each individual’s circumstances and history, there are some general trends that are leading to these increases.  Continue reading