On January 16, 2025, the US Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration released two proposed regulations related to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). One regulation aims to clarify the valuation process for non-publicly traded employer stock, while the other would provide a safe harbor for transactions involving newly established ESOPs.
However, on January 20, 2025, the Trump administration froze all pending proposals, including the DOL’s ESOP regulations. If finalized, these regulations would dramatically change the landscape for fiduciaries responsible for valuing stock in privately held corporations during transactions with ESOPs.
Partners in our Employment and Government Contracts Groups recently presented a webinar on President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) eliminating all affirmative action obligations under EO 11246. Following the webinar, we prepared FAQs to further assist employers and federal contractors in navigating the current landscape.
On January 20 and 22, 2025, President Donald Trump issued executive orders (EOs) rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and accessibility initiatives and advancing his immigration agenda.
In this webinar, members of McDermott’s Employment and Government Contracts Groups provided an explanation of these Trump administration EOs. They unpacked the implications of these orders on the future of DEI initiatives and immigration law compliance to help your organization navigate these changes effectively.
Gender-affirming care has become a central topic in US political discussions, significantly affecting employer-sponsored group health plans. Depending on whether they purchase insurance or self-fund their health benefits, group health plan sponsors face different challenges in covering gender-affirming care. In this PlanSponsor article, Alden Bianchi, Sarah Raaii, and Scott Kenkel explore these challenges and share best practices for group health plans to navigate this complex issue.
The No Surprises Act, a law that ended the practice of “balance billing” by certain out-of-network providers, was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 on December 27, 2020. While the law was passed during President Trump’s first term in office, the Biden administration has been fully responsible for its implementation to date.
In this insight, McDermott+’s Jeffrey Davis and Kristen O’Brien highlight four major areas of No Surprises Act implementation that the Trump administration could decide to focus on in the months following the inauguration.
The 2024 election results will create significant tailwinds for Republican legislative and regulatory priorities in US Congress, federal agencies, and state houses across the country. This client alert considers the outlook for pharmacy regulation under the second incoming Trump administration and a unified Republican Congress, as well as state-level pharmacy policies that may advance as Republican public policy momentum builds.
In this recently recorded webinar, McDermott+’s Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock discuss the outcomes of the 2024 election, potential healthcare policy changes under the new administration and Congress, and the implications of election outcomes on healthcare policy heading into the lame duck session and in 2025.
Will President-elect Donald Trump seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act once more, or will his administration opt for smaller-scale changes to the law? In this article, Alden Bianchi shares his predictions on the actions the incoming administration and Republicans may consider as they take control of the White House and Congress.
On October 11, 2022, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to undo the Trump administration’s 2021 independent contractor regulations and revert to the six-factor economic realities test. While the test factors remain the same (for the most part), the DOL’s NPRM advances interpretations of the various factors that support employment status at every turn.
A Trump administration-era Medicare program is under increased scrutiny from progressive Democrats. According to this Politico article, the program is a “direct contracting model” that allows private companies to participate in Medicare. Some Democrats, however, say the program is opening up a lane for Medicare privatization.
“There’s a dynamic with the left that [the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation] [has] to deal with for sure,” said McDermott+Consulting’s Mara McDermott.
Subscribe
