The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
July 13, 2026
— § —
4 items · ~2 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (1) · General Benefits (3)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
1 item“In May, 2026, the Departments released "Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Operations; Final Rules (PDF)," to improve the functioning of the Federal IDR process by streamlining communication between payers, providers, and certified IDR entities and clarifying timelines and processes. ... Providers, facilities and air ambulance providers will be required to meet deadlines, attest to no conflicts of interest, choose a certified IDR entity, submit a payment offer and provide additional information if needed.” MORE >>
Source: cms.gov
General Benefits
3 items[Regulatory Action and Guidance]
Benefits Counselor — July 2026 Monthly Round-Up (No Surprises Act IDR Final Rule, ACA §1557 Vacatur, HIPAA OCR Settlement, Trump Accounts ERISA Guidance)“On June 18, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published Technical Release 2026-02, confirming that Trump Accounts generally will not constitute "employee pension benefit plans" and not be subject to Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Provided specific conditions are met, the guidance also permits a safe harbor for employer contributions to Trump Accounts if the minor beneficiary is an employee. As a result, Trump Accounts will not be subject to the same reporting obligations and fiduciary duties applicable to ERISA-governed plans.” MORE >>
Source: mondaq.com
“The Eleventh Circuit rejected the defendants' position, holding that ERISA's requirement that a JSA be the "actuarial equivalent" of an SLA requires the use of assumptions a reasonable actuary would employ. ... plans must use reasonable mortality and interest rate assumptions at the time benefits are calculated, while still retaining flexibility within a range of reasonable choices. Applying that framework, the court held that the plaintiffs' allegations regarding outdated mortality tables and resulting reductions in annuity value were sufficient to state a claim under ERISA § 1055.” MORE >>
Source: Miller & Chevalier
[Health & Welfare Plans]
New York City Releases Final Rule Interpreting Amendments to the NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act“On June 23, 2026, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) quietly adopted its final rule regulating the amended NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act ... The final rule takes effect on July 23, 2026. ... the City adopted significant amendments to the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act that added, among other things, a requirement that employers provide all employees with 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick leave at the time of hire and annually, and added new covered uses for safe and sick time.” MORE >>
Source: Littler
Also of Note
- 2026 Unified Regulatory Plan and Agenda Released — DOL, HHS, and Treasury Items of Note for Health Plans — “On July 3, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs published the 2026 Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.” (leadingage.org)