A federal court judge in Tennessee granted judgment in favor of AutoZone and its investment committee in an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) case involving investment choices in its company 401(k) plan. After a bench trial, the judge ruled that plan participants failed to show that AutoZone improperly managed 401(k) plan investment options. The case is Iannone et al. v. AutoZone Inc., case number Read More
California Court Finds Atlanta Falcons Exempt from Workers’ Compensation Law in Wayne Gandy Case
A California appellate court has found that the Atlanta Falcons are exempt from the state’s workers’ compensation law. As a result, the Falcons are not responsible for former NFL player Wayne Gandy’s workers’ compensation claim. Several years after his 2009 retirement Gandy, a 15-year NFL veteran, filed a workers’ compensation claim against the Falcons, the Los Angeles Rams, the St. Louis Rams, the Pittsburgh Read More
Judge Allows Anthem $12.9 Million ERISA Settlement to Move Forward
A federal magistrate has given preliminary approval to a settlement of nearly $12.9 million in a case filed against health insurance giant Anthem under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). In the suit, plan participants and beneficiaries alleged that Anthem inappropriately denied coverage for individuals receiving residential behavioral health treatment for mental health conditions or substance use Read More
Senate Confirms EEOC Commissioner Nominee to Reestablish Quorum
The U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Brittany Panuccio as a commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is highly significant because it restores the quorum needed for many EEOC actions. The EEOC requires a simple majority vote to approve actions, but for most of the year, EEOC actions have been hobbled by only two sitting commissioners. With the addition of Panuccio, that number rises to Read More
Federal Agency FAQs Clarify How Insurance Plans May Offer Fertility Treatment as Excepted Benefits
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part 72. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14216, “Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization,” is likely the reason these FAQs were issued. The purpose of these FAQs is to clarify how employer-sponsored health insurance plans may provide Read More
EEOC Filed A Record 10-Year Low Number of Suits in FY 2025
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has hit a 10-year low in the number of suits filed during FY2025. The EEOC filed 93 suits in FY2025, one of the lowest numbers in the past 30 years. In contrast, the EEOC filed 71 suits in just one month of FY2023. Following the typical pattern, the EEOC’s FY2025 suits were primarily filed under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Read More
Cigna to Join TrumpRx Fertility Drug Expansion Program
President Trump recently announced that it would offer Gonal-F, a drug used by women undergoing in vitro fertilization, for a highly discounted price through TrumpRx.gov, a pharmacy website open to the public. TrumpRx.gov is expected to begin operations in January 2026. Its purpose is to offer discounted medications directly to U.S. consumers. The Trump administration launched the project after reaching a deal with Read More
Colorado First State to Place Price Cap on Prescription Drug
The state of Colorado has made history as its Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board has placed a price limit on the prescription drug Embrel from Immunex Corp. Embrel is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative estimates that the price cap could save consumers $32 million in drug spending. About 60% of the 2,500 individuals in Colorado who Read More
ICHRA Legislation Reboot May Attract Bipartisan Support Amidst Government Shutdown
Although lawmakers of both parties failed to include a law concerning Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), efforts are underway to “reboot” ICHRA through a stand-alone bill. Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate have both introduced versions of a new ICHRA bill. Supporters of ICHRAs praise them for expanding access to more affordable and Read More
Trump to Impose 100% Tariff on Some Imported Prescription Drugs
President Donald Trump recently posted on Truth Social that he intends to impose a 100% tariff on some imported prescription drugs, effective October 1, 2025. The 100% tariff has not been widely implemented as of October 30, 2025, but its threat remains an active tool for pressuring pharmaceutical companies. The new tariff would affect both brand-name prescription medications and patented medical products. The only Read More
