"This is the first of two notices planned for the coming months informing the public of the availability of the complete lists of all geographic areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, dental health, and mental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). This notice includes the lists of HPSAs in a designated status as of April 28, 2023.... HRSA is extending the transition time communicated in the notice published on July 7, 2022, for jurisdictions and facilities to prepare for potential loss of HPSA designation."   MORE >>

"Have you been pitched a FICA-reduction program recently? If so, it's a run-don't-walk situation. An employer sponsoring a FICA-reduction arrangement is exposed to under-reporting, under-withholding, and interest penalties, as well as incorrect W-2 penalties. Employers may also be responsible for any employee FICA taxes they cannot collect."   MORE >>

"Plan sponsors can employ a number of strategies to help ensure use of GLP-1s, whether for type 2 diabetes or weight management, is clinically appropriate and in accordance with FDA-approved indications.... Smart logic can be put in place to bypass the prior authorization requirement for individuals whose records include a diabetes diagnosis or previous fill for type 2 diabetes medications over the last two years."   MORE >>

"Parent companies that own both health plans and related health care businesses can evade the MLR regime by altering transfer prices, the prices that MA plans pay to related health care businesses owned by the same parent company. Specifically, by charging higher transfer prices, a vertically integrated MA plan can move profits from the MA plan to the related business. This increases the MA plan's MLR without reducing the parent company's profits, weakening the MLR constraint."   MORE >>