The sizes of large jury verdicts have exploded in recent years, putting a strain on businesses not only for what they have to pay out of pocket, but also the size of the premium they pay for their liability coverage. These damages juries are awarding have gotten so large that they’ve been given a new…
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more employers are allowing their staff to work remotely on a permanent basis, often allowing them to never have to set foot in the office again. This newfound freedom for American workers has allowed many of them to leave the cities they were living in for small towns or even more…
Fed-OSHA has proposed new regulations that would require personal protective equipment for construction workers to be properly fitting. OSHA’s main concern is that the current standard PPE doesn’t clearly state that the equipment must fit each construction worker properly, which the general industry and maritime standards already require. The lack of access to properly fitting…
While drugmakers have been assailed for years for increasing their prices and driving the cost of medications higher and higher, there is another player in the health care space that is receiving increased scrutiny: pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs are intermediaries, acting as go-betweens for insurance companies, self-insured employers, drug manufacturers and pharmacies. They can handle…
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court will make it more difficult for employers to deny employees’ requests for religious accommodations in the workplace. The unanimous decision by the court in the case of Groff vs. DeJoy basically upends a standard for accommodating religious beliefs that has been in place since 1977. The case concerns…
With mental health in the forefront as patients demand greater access to psychologists and psychiatrists, the Biden administration in July 2023 proposed new regulations aimed at requiring health insurers to expand their mental health coverage. The proposal aims to bring insurers into compliance with existing law requiring that they cover mental health benefits in parity…
If you are running a business, you need to get an early start on preparations for your small group health plan open enrollment, particularly now as so much confusion abounds about the state of health insurance in the country. With recent new regulations, options have changed for employers and you need to stay focused on…
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued an order that cuts the average advisory workers’ compensation benchmark rate across all classes by 2.6%, starting Sept. 1. After holding a public hearing in June, Lara rejected the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s recommendation that the benchmark rate increase 0.3%. The difference between the WCIRB-proposed rate and…
After two years of massive rate increases, cyber insurance market pricing has been softening and transitioning into a buyers’ market, according to a new report by Aon Plc. In 2021 and 2022, 100% rate increases for cyber liability insurers were common, but a number of factors are finally starting to drive rates lower. Experts recommend…
The Americans with Disabilities Act, now more than 30 years old, requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. Many employers may be concerned about the cost of making those accommodations. However, a recent government study shows that the costs are typically minimal or non-existent. The report, from an office of the U.S. Department…