The ERISA Industry Committee

Now is the time to address America’s mental health crisis and increase access to quality, affordable care. Learn more about ERIC’s campaign to stop the dangerous proposed rule change to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) that would instead significantly reduce standards and build roadblocks to mental health support. Visit our campaign page here: bit.ly/3vTcVgb.

Today, ERIC released the following statement on the 2024 presidential election. The statement is attributable to ERIC President & CEO, James Gelfand. “Elections are about everyday Americans demonstrating support for the priorities they want to see addressed by their elected officials. Similarly, ERIC works every day to advance the priorities of large employers responding to the needs of working families. And our member companies have made those desires clear. They want improved access to affordable healthcare options, including prescription drugs. They want clarity and flexibility so employers can design and offer the types of retirement and other benefits that workers want and need. As elections conclude and we prepare for 2025, ERIC stands ready to work with policymakers in both parties, and on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, to ensure plan sponsors and employees have a voice in their health and financial futures. We look forward to being a resource to all elected officials, and providing the policy expertise they need, when they need it.”

Join us for an important webinar on the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) on December 4 at 1 p.m. ET, hosted by The Leapfrog Group and The ERISA Industry Committee. Hear from policy and legal experts as they dive into the significant regulatory changes introduced by the CAA, discuss how the November elections may reshape requirements for employers, and provide best practices for navigating compliance issues. This is a valuable opportunity to prepare your organization for the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2025 and beyond. Secure your spot today: https://lnkd.in/gzKT6E5u

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently released a legislative framework addressing site-neutral Medicare payment reform. ERIC strongly supports these efforts to help lower health care costs for Medicare patients.   Read more about the policy framework below.  

Check out the Alliance for Fair Health Pricing’s (AFFHP) new report, “The Price Isn’t Right: Policy Options to Strengthen Health Care Price Transparency,” highlighting the urgent need to strengthen price transparency and federal policy recommendations to address inflating health care costs.  As a member of AFFHP, we are proud to work alongside coalition partners to improve health care affordability for American families and employers. Read the report here: bit.ly/48x9yKY

For the second year in a row, ERIC's President & CEO James Gelfand has been named one of the top 100 lobbyists in the U.S. by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE), an organization representing lobbying, public policy, and government affairs professionals. His accomplishments this year included working on a range of critical health benefits issues aimed at boosting affordability of prescription drugs and enhancing transparency across the health care system.     Congratulations, James! Click here for the NILE announcement: bit.ly/4fo8gnz   Click here for ERIC's press release: bit.ly/4fjDbBo

Today, ERIC’s Senior Vice President of Health Policy, Melissa Bartlett, participated in Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness' Health and Wellness Advancing Behavioral Health and Policy Summit, where she spoke on a panel discussing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act final rule and the future of federal mental health policy.

Check out the recent findings from Employee Benefit Research Institute's 2024 Workplace Wellness Survey, highlighting downward trends in concerns about mental well-being and continued trends in concerns surrounding debt and work-life balance. Read more from the report below.

Did you know plan sponsors provide pension and health benefits to more than 150 million participants and beneficiaries in over 6 million employee benefit plans covered by ERISA? ERIC is committed to protecting and enhancing today’s retirement programs, while planning for the needs of tomorrow’s workforce during #NationalRetriementSecurityMonth and beyond. We believe in preserving tax-preferred retirement savings vehicles so more Americans can retire securely.   Learn more below. 

Last week, ERIC’s Director of State Advocacy and Litigation Dillon Clair participated in the American Bar Association – Health and Welfare Benefit Plans National Institute 2024 with McDermott Will & Emery in Washington, DC to discuss the current rise of expansive state PBM policies threatening ERISA preemption alongside ERISA experts and panelists Alden Bianchi, JOANNE ROSKEY, and Sarah Hogarth. ERIC is a proud advocate of ERISA preemption of health plans across all 50 states as we recognize and celebrate #ERISA50.