cmonfils | January 3, 2012

Employer’s Guide to Self-Insuring Health Benefits     December 2011 | Vol. 19, No.3

 The U.S. Supreme Court definitively announced on Nov. 14 it will decide the question of whether Congress exceeded its powers to regulate commerce when it decided to require people to buy health insurance (that is, whether the individual mandate is allowed under the U.S. Constitution). The court will hear National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius; and Florida v. HHS. The High Court will hear oral arguments in February and March 2012; it said it will issue a ruling in June 2012. It will also cover the question of “severability;” that is, the issue of whether the entire law must fall in the event that the individual mandate is stricken. The National Federation of Independent Business expressed hope that the Court would overturn the law, saying that it was putting a damper on business growth and job creation.  (more…)

Category: 11th, 4th, Health Care Legislation, HHS, PPACA, Supreme Court, Washington D.C. | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | August 12, 2010

CCH® BENEFITS, www.hr.cch.com

California

The California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) has approved an average increase of more than 9% in health premiums next year for state and local government workers. CalPERS blamed the rate increase on rising costs for hospital care, doctor visits, and prescriptions. The increase will mean higher premiums for public agencies and their 1.3 million employees, dependents, and retirees. For more information, visit http://www.calpers.ca.gov/. (more…)

Category: California, Connecticut, Health Care Legislation, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Utah, Washington D.C., Wisconsin | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | June 24, 2009

by John H. Eggertsen, Esq. and Michael Friedman, Esq. of SIIA, www.siia.org

I. District of Columbia’s Efforts to Regulate PBMs Preempted by ERISA
In their efforts to combat the ongoing initiatives on the part of several states to regulate the business activities of pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”), the PBMs recently won a skirmish. In Pharmaceutical Care Management Association v. District of Columbia, et al. 2009 WL 711771 (D.C.D.C.), a Federal District Court for the District of Columbia held that by regulating the relationship between PBMs and ERISA plans, the District of Columbia’s Access Rx Act of 2004 (the “Act”) “impermissibly intrudes upon a field exclusively reserved for federal regulation,” and thus, is preempted under ERISA. (more…)

Category: 1st, ERISA, Maine, Preemption, Washington D.C. | No Comments »
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