Health

The Massachusetts Health Connector announced 2026 dollar limits on deductibles and other cost sharing for minimum creditable coverage.

The Global Legislative Update for March provides insights about key legal developments around the globe affecting benefit and human resource programs.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a permanent feature of the workplace and poses challenges/considerations as it reshapes work. This roundup provides general information about AI.

Since Jan. 1, 2024, Minnesota employers have had to provide eligible employees with up to 48 hours of earned sick and safe time per year — accrued at one hour for every 30 hours worked. This deck provides an overview of the law’s requirements, including changes made by the state legislature in 2024.

State health-related legislation and regulations in Q4 2024 tackled paid family and medical leave, prescription drugs, telehealth and more.

More than one-third of all states have some form of accrued paid leave requirement; 18 states (including three with laws that take effect in 2025) and Washington, DC, require paid sick leave, with three other states requiring accrued paid time off that can be used for any reason.

Mercer projects 2026 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts, high-deductible health plans and excepted-benefit health reimbursement arrangements will increase from 2025 levels.

The Global Legislative Update for February provides insights about key legal developments around the globe affecting benefit and human resource programs.

This deck recaps 2024 state and local laws that require paid leave for an employee’s serious health condition and usually for certain family reasons.

Mandates requiring paid leave for an employee’s own health condition exist in many states —along with Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. Several other states will start similar programs in the next few years.

Updated guidelines set the 2025 federal poverty level at $15,650 for employers using the mainland US FPL, $19,550 for employers using the Alaska FPL, and $17,990 for employers using the Hawaii FPL.

Each year, the IRS, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Puerto Rico's Treasury Department announce cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement, health and fringe benefit plans, as well as Medicare, Social Security and Supplemental Security income. Mercer's Law and Policy Group summarizes the adjusted amounts in two annual publications:

Mercer’s 2025 quick benefit facts guide shows important retirement plan limits on one side, with key health, fringe benefit and Affordable Care Act figures on the other. Official values are shown for 2023–2025.

New York has posted its 2025 regional covered-lives assessment rates and percentage surcharges for graduate medical education under the state’s Health Care Reform Act.

Employers violating Department of Labor rules risk stiffer penalties in 2025, thanks to a 2.598% inflation increase. The higher charges took effect for penalties assessed after Jan. 15