Sep 17, 2024 | Announcements, Compliance, Department of Labor, Mental Health, Mental health parity, Regulatory
On September 9, 2024, the federal Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released information and a preview of the Department of Labor’s final Mental Health Parity regulations. The Final Rules are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register within the...
Sep 13, 2024 | Cancer, Health care costs, Heart disease, High-cost claims, Mental Health, Rx Costs, Survey
Employers say they expect their health care costs to rise 7.8% next year — the highest estimate in more than 15 years — according to the latest Business Group on Health member survey. Even factoring in cost-reducing plan design changes, respondents project costs to...
Apr 26, 2024 | Caroline Fraker, Compliance, MedBen University, Mental Health, Mental health parity, Regulatory, Roundtables
At the Municipality & Public Employer Roundtable on April 24, MedBen Senior Vice President Caroline Fraker discussed mental health parity and how proposed rules are expected to affect self-funded employers in 2025. “Mental health and substance use disorder...
Mar 29, 2024 | COVID-19, MedBen Analytics, Mental Health, Telehealth
It should comes as no surprise that telehealth visits saw a big upswing in early 2020, as COVID-19 began to spread. As the pandemic subsided, telehealth visits slowly dropped but still retain residual popularity. The graph below shows bimonthly telehealth utilization...
Nov 28, 2023 | Cancer, Cost Savings, Mental Health, Pharmacy, Prescription, Savings, Survey, Transparency
A recent survey of large employers by the Business Group on Health revealed considerations that self-funded plans expect to focus on in the coming year, including: Pharmacy costs. High-priced drugs and overall pharmacy costs are a source of concern for over 90% of...
Jul 24, 2023 | Compliance, Department of Labor, Mental Health, News, Regulatory
On July 10, 2023, the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) received the Department of Labor’s newly proposed Mental Health Parity regulations. This latest installment in health plan Mental Health Parity compliance is expected to be released in the near...
