DOJ Makes Good on Promise To Prosecute Wage Fixing as Criminal Violation of Antitrust Laws

A recent criminal wage fixing indictment – the first of its kind – emphasizes the U.S. Department of Justice's focus on anticompetitive conduct that affects employees. While companies may be looking for ways to maintain profits in the wake of COVID-19, they need to be mindful that doing so by agreeing to lower wages, exchanging competitively sensitive information or taking actions that prevent employees from moving companies may result in antitrust liability. Read more.

The Vaccine Mandate: What Healthcare Employers Need to Know About Mandating the COVID-19 Vaccine

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to permit the use of the first vaccine in the fight against COVID-19. And yesterday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance that addressed employer and employee rights related to the vaccine. Read more.

EEOC Releases Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccines and the interaction with disability and EEO laws. EEOC acknowledges that employers may mandate vaccinations, but they must ensure their policies and procedures do not implicate the Americans with Disabilities Act or Title VII. Learn more about the specific issues addressed by the EEOC's guidance. Read more. 

Congress Passes Stopgap Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown; Coronavirus Relief Deal Reached

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday evening said lawmakers have reached a long-awaited coronavirus relief bill that is expected to be voted on later Monday. Lawmakers also passed a one-day stopgap spending bill to prevent a government shutdown at midnight Sunday. Read more.

Highmark | Important Update to Health Savings Accounts

On March 13, 2021, WealthCare Saver will become the custodian of Highmark HSAs. Currently, the custodian is PNC Bank. Alegeus will remain the spending account vendor and has received approval to act as a custodian, under the name of WealthCare Saver. They will help Highmark continue to maximize health savings potential for members and deliver the strongest HSA experience in the market. Read more.

Highmark | Living Health Dynamic Platform Announcement

This morning at 9:30 a.m. a press release is being issued to announce a significant collaboration that advances Highmark Health’s Living Health model. We have signed a six-year agreement with Google Cloud (a division of Alphabet) which will transform the health experience. It will enrich the relationship between patients and their clinicians, delivering more personalized, coordinated, and comprehensive care that’s enabled by technology. This will lead to improved health outcomes and lower costs. The announcement will include a link to our new Living Health landing page. Read more.

Highmark | Highmark to Offer New Pharmacy Program - Copay Armor, Effective January 1, 2021

As a producer partner, we want to continue to arm you with the tools and resources you need to support your clients. We hope that you find the presentation to be informative and helpful as we launch this exciting new program into the market. Please find below the links to the webinar recording and slide deck. Read more.

Pennie News & Updates

Find out what's new with Pennie on our resources page, including downloads, links, and events. See more.