The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
October 23, 2026
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11 items · ~3 min read
Top of the Brief
A Nuanced Reading Of DOL's Mental Health Parity Guidance“On Sept. 8, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration released two pieces of guidance on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that, when read together, send a more nuanced message than either does on its own.”
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (4) · Health & Welfare Plans (3) · Litigation (2) · General Benefits (2)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
4 items“On Sept. 8, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration released two pieces of guidance on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that, when read together, send a more nuanced message than either does on its own.” MORE >>
Source: Milliman
“The Department of Labor has proposed a new electronic disclosure safe harbor for group health plans that, if finalized, ... The proposal represents a significant step toward modernizing participant communications and” MORE >>
Source: seyfarth.com
“Find Your Next Job ! The California Civil Rights Council has released proposed regulations addressing pregnancy-related leave, workplace accommodations, and temporary transfers, as well as child bonding leave.” MORE >>
Source: National Law Review
“Since its inception in 1992, the 340B Drug Pricing Program has grown from a relatively small initiative into a central feature of the U.S. healthcare system that heavily impacts drug pricing and hospital financials.” MORE >>
Source: National Law Review
Health & Welfare Plans
3 items“On October 20, 2026, the Allegheny County Council passed one of the first county-mandated paid parental leave policies in the U.S. County Executive Sara Innamorato signed the amendment into law on October 22, 2026. Specifically, the Council amended Article XXIV of the Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations, renaming the regulation “Paid Sick and Parental Leave” and substantially reworking it. This amendment will: Make existing paid sick leave requirements more generous; Create a new, employer-funded paid parental leave benefit of up to 12 weeks; and Increase penalties and add new notice, certification, and private-lawsuit provisions.” MORE >>
Source: Pierson Ferdinand
“https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/leading-employers-expand-electronic-prio… Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases Sign Up Receive latest updates RSS Reporters writing for a media outlet may contact HHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health by email.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“Workers forfeited an average of $404 in 2024, with younger employees particularly likely to lose unused health care dollars About 40% of flexible spending account (FSA) holders forfeited unused funds in 2024, according to new research released today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
Litigation
2 items“On October 21, 2026, Groom attorney Kara Petteway Wheatly spoke at the American Benefits Council‘s “Benefits Briefing Webinar: Health Plan Litigation: New Risks and Emerging Trends”. The webinar examined recent developments in health plan litigation and their implications for employers and plan sponsors. The discussion focused on emerging litigation risks, including challenges involving prescription drug benefits, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) arrangements, and health plan fees and expenses.” MORE >>
Source: Groom Law Group
“The defendant’s motion stressed that broad allegations that similar services could be defective were not sufficient to meet that burden. Notably, in Huertas v. Bayer US LLC, 120 F.4th 1169, 1178 (3d Cir. 2024), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that allegations that a product was recalled were too general to sustain the complaint, because there was nothing to connect the product’s contamination to the specific lot numbers of the products the plaintiffs purchased.” MORE >>
Source: Frost Brown Todd
General Benefits
2 items“Investment risk is one of the largest and most critical issues for pension plan sponsors. To reduce that risk, pension plan sponsors should consider evaluating whether to implement a de-risking strategy that takes advantage of today’s relatively high interest rates. Over the past few years of high interest rates, some sponsors have successfully de-risked their pension plans.” MORE >>
Source: Segal
“The acquisition is set to give Integris access to extra capital and technology at a time when many health systems are being hit by rising expenses. California nonprofit giant Kaiser launched Risant in 2024, billing the venture as an effort to increase access to value-based care across the U.S. while stabilizing the finances of smaller nonprofits. Risant, which snapped up Pennsylvania-based health system Geisinger in 2024 and North Carolina-based Cone Health in 2025, has also boosted Kaiser’s bottom line: the companies, which report finances together, brought in combined net income of $7.3 billion in the first half of the year, up from $5.3 billion last year.” MORE >>
Source: Healthcare Dive