Happy spring from your friends at the Bar! The recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children has employers taking a second look at their family building benefits. Kerri and JD break down the ripple effects of this unanticipated change. And in Last Call, JD highlights the importance of staying in good shape over the holidays ..read more

Welcome back, the Bar is open! This month, JD and Kerri discuss how two cases before the Supreme Court, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, may spell the end of Chevron deference, which would have a massive impact on how healthcare policy is administered. And in Last Call, J.D. eulogizes a fellow Fordham alum, Charles Osgood ..read more

Happy Holidays from your friends at the Bar! Forget wrapping up 2023, we’re on to 2024! J.D. and Kerri look into the crystal ball to see what we’re likely to be talking about next year, including the Supreme Court taking up a mifepristone case, pharmacy benefit manager reform and price transparency in Congress, and fiduciary litigation for healthcare plans. And in Last Call, J.D. and Kerri name The Bar’s Person of the Year ..read more

The Bar on Healthcare – November 2023: The ACA and Employer Sponsored Plans Welcome back to the Bar! This month, J.D. and Kerri widen the lens to take a look at how healthcare coverage purchased through the ACA exchanges has affected employer sponsored plans. We also discuss changes to the Medicare trust fund. And in Last Call, J.D. eschews sports references for a story about a library book that was due during Prohibition ..read more

Happy Halloween from the Bar! This month, J.D. and Kerri bring you a different perspective on the proposed mental health parity regulations. Employers are weighing in, and they’ve got questions, including what qualifies as an NQTL, telehealth, and when these regulations might take effect. And in Last Call, J.D. is looking forward to the World Series ..read more

The Bar takes one last summer road trip, this time visiting the nation’s capital to discuss the new mental health parity regulations. What do the new proposed regulations mean for employer group health plans, what are the compliance requirements, and what should plan sponsors expect in the coming months? We also discuss state pharmacy benefit manager reform, and the dreaded ERISA pre-emption. Finally, in Last Call, J.D. is ready for some football ..read more

The Bar on Healthcare –August 2023: Mental Health Parity We’re in the dog days of summer (sorry, service animals only allowed in the Bar). This month, J.D. and Kerri go deep on the new mental health parity regulations, plus an update on the mifepristone case and an update on ERISA pre-emption. And during last call, J.D. conjures the power of the Netflix algorithm to recommend the unexpected hit of the summer ..read more

The heat wave hasn’t slowed us down at The Bar—this month, J.D. and Kerri discuss the new regulations hot off the presses from Treasury, Labor and HHS! How “short” and “limited” is short term limited duration insurance? How will the IRS tax payments from employer-paid fixed indemnity policies? And what’s up with the new Mental Health Parity rules? And in Last Call, J.D. and Kerri channel their inner Siskel & Ebert and tout the return of the summer blockbusters ..read more

The City of Brotherly Love welcomes you to the Bar! This month, J.D. and Kerri give an update on a handful of topics affecting employer group health plans, including an update on what’s going both in the states and federally with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the Washington state long term care mandate, and updates on some important litigation working its way through the courts. And in Last Call, J.D. salutes Philadelphia and probably jinxes their basketball team ..read more

Welcome back to the Bar! We’re still writing 2022 on our bar tabs, but with the new year comes the possibility that the Public Health Emergency (PHE) from HHS and the COVID emergency declaration from the President might soon be ending! What are the implications for employers and their group health plans? And in Last Call, with all the talk of PHEs and HHS, J.D. explores the world of congressional acronyms ..read more