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Employee Benefit News for School, City and County Employers

What's Driving the Surge in Health Care Costs for 2025?

2 minute read

Health care and employee benefit costs are rising rapidly. Projections for 2025 indicate a 7% to 8% increase, leading to higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments for employees. Here...

Major PBM to Pass 100% of Rebates to Consumers

1.5 minute read

Optum Rx, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, plans to pass all rebate drug discounts to consumers by 2028. This move aims to enhance transparency...

2025 Federal Poverty Levels Released, Affecting Pay-or-Play Rules

1 minute read

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) annually updates federal poverty levels (FPLs) to determine program eligibility. For 2025, the FPL is $15,650 for individuals in...

CMS Maintains Creditable Coverage for 2025, New Method for 2026

2 minute read

In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled the Final Part D Redesign Program Instructions for calendar year 2025, followed by the Draft Instructions...

Enhancing Employee Financial Wellness

x min read

Rising inflation and interest rates are stretching employees' dollars, prompting them to seek employer guidance on financial wellness, including debt reduction, budgeting, and emergency...

Opinion Letter Issued Regarding FMLA and State PFML Programs

1.5 minute read

In Opinion Letter FMLA 2025-01-A, the U.S. Department of Labor clarified that state and local paid family and medical leave (PFML) is treated like paid disability and workers'...

FAQs Provide New Guidance on Gag Clause Attestation Requirement

2 minute readThe Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury (Departments) recently issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the implementation of several federal...

New and Improved NISBenefits.com

1 minute read

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our newly designed website.

Balancing the Costs of Premium and Out of Pocket Costs

5 min read

As healthcare costs rise, employee premiums may also increase. Both employers and employees feel the pressure, making voluntary benefits more popular as a way to reduce out-of-pocket...

2025 Civil Penalties Increased

1 minute read

The Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its 2025 inflation-adjusted penalties for employer violations of federal laws including: