"The most notable difference between the prior and the new guidance is not in what was added, but what was removed -- namely, the discussion of the importance of 'qualifying payment amounts' (QPA). Interestingly, CMS did not remove or revise the guidance document's direction to arbitrators to more heavily weight QPA in deciding payment disputes between payers and out-of-network providers of air ambulance services."   MORE >>

"The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has issued a series of updates concerning Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MAPFML).... In light of the updated guidance, employers should consider their obligations to comply with PFML whether they participate in the state fund or establish a private plan, their process for granting and tracking PFML leave and related benefits, the integration with their Company-provided paid time off benefits ... and how to best inform their employees of their rights under MAPFML."   MORE >>

"The Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (OPFMLI) program is one of the most expansive programs in the country. Even employers with a single employee in the state must participate. Funded through payroll taxes, both employers and employees will contribute, and private plans are an option as well.... Payroll contributions begin Jan. 1, 2023, and benefit payments start Sept. 3, 2023."   MORE >>

"Under state law, all Colorado employers must provide this leave if there is a federal, state or local declaration of emergency. On April 16, the federal declaration of emergency was extended another 90 days. As a result, the obligation to provide PHE leave in Colorado is still currently in place. What do employers need to know about this extension -- and what should you be doing to comply?"   MORE >>

"[The authors] review and synthesize papers estimating drug R&D costs incurred by industry. [They] find a substantial range of per-drug costs, from $113 million to just over $6 billion in 2018 dollars. This range includes estimates covering all new drugs, new molecular entities, and drugs in specific therapeutic classes. The range is narrower -- $318 million to $2.8 billion -- for estimates of the per-drug cost for new molecular entities."   MORE >>