The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
September 14, 2026
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7 items · ~2 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (4) · Health & Welfare Plans (1) · Litigation (1) · General Benefits (1)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
4 items“On September 8, 2026, the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03 (the “FAB”), outlining a new set of guiding principles for enforcing the nonquantitative treatment limitation (“NQTL”) requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”), as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CAA, 2021”). As described below, the FAB states that EBSA will narrow the focus of its NQTL comparative analysis enforcement efforts to three priority categories: (1) separate treatment limitations, including blanket exclusions of mental health/substance use disorder (“MH/SUD”) benefits; (2) medic” MORE >>
Source: Proskauer (ERISA Practice Center)
“On September 8, 2026, the US Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03 (the “Bulletin”), which provides “guiding principles” for the DOL’s enforcement of the nonquantitative treatment limitation (“NQTL”) requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”).” MORE >>
Source: Mayer Brown
“The DOL has published a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) that gives an overview of its current approach to enforcing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The DOL is prioritizing enforcement around areas where it views participants and beneficiaries are at the greatest risk of significant harm. Along with the FAB, the DOL issued an enforcement guidance tool to help plans comply with its updated approach to MHPAEA enforcement.” MORE >>
Source: Segal
“On September 8, 2026, the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03 (the “FAB”), outlining a new set of guiding principles for enforcing the nonquantitative treatment limitation (“NQTL”) requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”), as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CAA, 2021”). As described below, the FAB states that EBSA will narrow the focus of its NQTL comparative analysis enforcement efforts to three priority categories: (1) separate treatment limitations, including blanket exclusions of mental health/substance use disorder (“MH/SUD”) benefits; (2) medic” MORE >>
Source: natlawreview.com
Health & Welfare Plans
1 item“Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review. Lee joined the EBN team in 2022, and covers areas including caregiving, employee health and wellness, healthcare innovation, and company culture.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News
Litigation
1 item“In J.W. v. Quantum Health, Inc., 2026 WL 2654147 (S.D. Ohio Sept. 9, 2026), United States Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Jolson confronted a question that ERISA claimants pursuing mental health benefits increasingly face: whether they can litigate a denied claim without exposing sensitive psychiatric history to the public docket. The court granted in part and denied in part the plaintiffs’ motion to proceed under pseudonym, permitting them to sue under their first names and last initials rather than either full anonymity or full disclosure.” MORE >>
Source: Roberts Disability Law
General Benefits
1 item[Litigation]
Edward Jones Fights Back in Challenge to Diversity Program“The company characterizes this allegation as an “irreconcilable” conflict. The Edward Jones proposed class action lawsuit is only one of several so-called “reverse discrimination” lawsuits. In recent months, plaintiffs have sued companies such as 3M, Accenture, Clorox, IBM, Paramount, and Warner Bros., typically targeting company diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.” MORE >>
Source: Hall Benefits Law