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Showing 28 posts in Employment.

The Workers' Compensation Issues Raised by Coronavirus Pandemic and Michigan's Newly Promulgated Emergency Rules for "First Response Employees"

AmbulanceThe Current Context

The novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”), now classified as a full blown pandemic by the World Health Organization, is projected to continue spreading across Michigan and the United States over the next few months. In less than a month, the global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has tripled from about 75,000 cases on February 20, 2020, to more than a quarter million cases as of Friday, March 20.  Read More ›

Categories: Employment, Health Care Reform, Labor Relations, Workers' Compensation

U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Rules Concerning Association Health Plans

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued final regulations that expanded the availability of association health plans ("AHPs"). Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits, Employment, Health Insurance Exchange

Obamacare Repeal and Replacement Plan- What does it mean for Employers?

Legislation introduced to repeal portions of the Affordable Care ActLate in the afternoon on March 6, two committees of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation that would replace and repeal significant portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA or Obamacare. The new legislation, titled the American Health Care Act, addresses a number of key complaints that have been raised by employers since the ACA's implementation. Several provisions of the new legislation that are of particular interest to employers are described briefly below. Read More ›

Categories: Employment, Health Care Reform, Providers

Proposed Bill Would Require Michigan Employers to Provide Information on Reproductive Health Coverage

Michigan legislators Gretchen Whitmer (D- East Lansing) and Gretchen Driskell (D-Saline) plan to introduce a bill in the Senate and House this week entitled the "Reproductive Health Coverage Information Act," which would require employers to provide both prospective and current employees with information about health insurance coverage relating to reproductive health. Read More ›

Categories: Employment

Health Facilities and Agencies Face Liability for Terminating or Dismissing Employees Who Report Malpractice

dismissing employees who report malpracticeA recent decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals holds that a health facility or agency can be sued for taking or threatening disciplinary action against an employee for reporting or intending to report malpractice by a health professional. Employers should carefully review existing policies and practices, or if necessary, adopt appropriate policies, to protect against potential wrongful termination lawsuits. Read More ›

Categories: Compliance, Employment, Providers

Is it the end of the Michigan Marriage Amendment?

Is it the end of the Michigan Marriage Amendment?

In the court case Deboer v Snyder, a federal court judge ruled that the voter-approved Michigan Marriage Amendment prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying in Michigan was unconstitutional. However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the federal trial court ruling in Deboer v Snyder as the State of Michigan prepares to appeal the decision.

So what does this mean for health care insurers? This means that the Michigan Marriage Amendment banning same-sex marriage remains the law in Michigan until the Sixth Circuit decides the State of Michigan's appeal of the Deboer ruling.  However, insurers will want to keep an eye on this case to determine if they should offer same-sex health insurance benefits or change their definitions of spouse under their plans.

For information on what this ruling would mean for employers, see  this article by Foster Swift. 

Categories: Employee Benefits, Employment, Insurance

Pivotal Question for 2014: Are you a Large Employer?

large employerWhile originally scheduled to start in 2014, now beginning in 2015, "large employers" will be required to provide adequate health care coverage to their full time employees or pay a penalty. This requirement is known as health care reform’s Employer Mandate. In order to assess whether your company is subject to the Employer Mandate, you must first determine whether your company is a "large employer." Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits, Employment, Health Care Reform

Large Employers Rejoice! PPACA’s Employer Mandate Delayed until 2015

employer mandate delayedOn July 2, 2013, the Obama administration declared that it was delaying the effective date of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Employer Mandate until January 1, 2015. The Employer Mandate, which was scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2014, required all large employers to offer health care coverage to their full-time employees or pay a penalty. Most importantly, this delay means that the penalties to large employers for failure to provide health insurance coverage will not be enforced for another year. You may read the full statement issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury here. Read more about his announcement ›

Categories: Employment, Health Care Reform, Insurance

Bills Call For Nurse Staffing Quotas in Michigan Hospitals

Nurse filling out chartCalifornia is the only state in the country that has mandated nurse-to-patient ratio requirements for hospitals. If the Michigan Nurses Association and Democratic lawmakers are successful in their current legislative efforts, Michigan will be the second.

House Bill 4311 and Senate Bill 228 are identical bills recently introduced in each chamber by Representative Jon Switalski and Senator Rebekah Warren, respectively. The proposed legislation would require hospitals, including state-owned hospitals and state-owned facilities, to develop staffing plans that provide “sufficient, appropriately qualified nursing staff…in order to meet the individualized needs” of patients.

Significant provisions of the legislation include the following: Read More ›

Categories: Employment, Hospitals, Licensing, Regulatory

Avoiding Michigan’s Right to Work Legislation

Michigan’s Right to Work legislation (“Legislation”) was signed into law by Governor Synder on December 12, 2012.  The Legislation will become effective on the 91st day following the final adjournment of the 2012 regular session of the Michigan legislature (December 27, 2012). Unions are attempting to either renew or extend current collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”) prior to the Legislation becoming effective, in an effort to avoid impact that the Legislation would have on union dues and participation. Read More ›

Categories: Employee Benefits, Employment, Regulatory

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Best Lawyers® 2021

Congratulations to the attorneys of the Health Care practice group at Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC for their inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2021 edition. Firm-wide, 44 lawyers were listed. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation and as lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Health Care practice group members listed in Best Lawyers are as follows:

To see the full list of Foster Swift attorneys listed in Best Lawyers 2021, click here.