In a January 18 amicus ("friend of the court") brief filed in federal court, the American Benefits Council and more than a dozen other business and organized labor organizations explained how the Biden administration's September 30 interim final rule governing "surprise" medical billing is clear, consistent with the underlying law and "essential to meeting Congress's goal of lower health care costs for employees and their families."
With a key pandemic measure set to expire in 2022, the American Benefits Council and its allies are recommending that the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provide a policy of non-enforcement, which would allow employers and insurers to continue providing pre-deductible access to telehealth services.
The American Benefits Council ("the Council") appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed rule published by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regarding prudence and loyalty in selecting plan investments and exercising shareholder rights ("proposed regulation" or "proposal").1 The proposal would amend DOL's investment duties regulation, which was most recently revised in 2020 by the previous administration through a pair of rulemakings.2 The 2020 revisions had amended the investment duties regulation to incorporate in regulatory guidance for the first time standards related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in plan investments and investment courses of action, as well as plan fiduciaries' obligations to vote proxies and exercise other shareholder rights in connection with plan investments.
Paid leave, other provisions must be improved to earn support of employer plan sponsors
WASHINGTON, DC – "The sweeping Build Back Better Act (BBBA), newly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, is both a success and a failure," American Benefits Council President James A. Klein said today. "While it effectively moves toward a number of very worthy goals, a number of provisions remain fatally flawed and need significant work as the measure moves to the Senate."
The American Benefits Council has offered its support for the bipartisan Telehealth Expansion Act (H.R. 5981), a U.S. House of Representatives companion bill to the Senate measure of the same name introduced earlier this year (S. 1704). The legislation would make permanent a temporary, pandemic-inspired provision expanding access to telehealth services.
The American Benefits Council ("the Council") is writing in response to your request for information on mental health care and substance use disorder services ("behavioral health care"). We thank you for initiating a bipartisan process to examine behavioral health care needs, assess the factors contributing to gaps in care and identify potential policy solutions.
WASHINGTON, DC – "Since the onset of the pandemic – and, in many cases, well before – employers have devoted substantial attention and resources toward expanding access to mental and behavioral health care," American Benefits Council Senior Vice President, Health Policy, Ilyse Schuman said today. "While public policy has made strides in facilitating these efforts over the past two years, great challenges still remain."
On November 10, the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee approved the Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement (RISE) Act of 2021 (H.R. 5891). The measure was introduced by chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) and ranking Republican Virginia Foxx (R-NC), along with Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee Chair Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and ranking Republican Rick Allen (R-GA).
WASHINGTON, DC – "The sweeping Build Back Better Act (BBBA), to be considered imminently by the U.S. House of Representatives, is both a success and a failure," American Benefits Council President James A. Klein said today. "While it effectively moves toward a number of very worthy goals, a number of provisions remain fatally flawed and need significant work."
