On May 18, 2021, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service released guidance—Notice 2021-31—for employers, plan administrators, and insurers concerning the ARPA COBRA subsidy.
On April 7, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) released answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the ARPA COBRA subsidy and published model notices for use with the ARPA COBRA subsidy.
A federal court in New Jersey recently applied the arbitrary and capricious standard of review for a denial of benefits claim despite the enactment of an anti-discretionary statute in Minnesota, which governed the benefit plan policy.
A primary goal of this Report is to highlight the myriad and overlapping labor and employment issues that arise as the workplace transforms, and the imperative that successful solutions will require significant cross-disciplinary collaboration.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The law contains various provisions that impact employers, including a new COBRA subsidy.
On March 10, 2021, the DOL announced that it will not enforce or otherwise pursue enforcement actions with respect to two recently issued final rules amending the “investment duties” regulation under Title I of ERISA.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021.