Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

July 25, 2017

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Labor Secretary Aims at Professional Licensing Deregulation

Speaking in Denver about apprenticeships, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta pointed to licensing requirements as a barrier to employment that need to be streamlined. He noted that only one in 20 professions in the 1950s required licensing, but today it's one in four. Appearing at the American Legislative Executive Council's annual confab, Acosta noted that “the growth of occupational licensing ...

July 25, 2017

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DOL to Seek Public Input on Creating a New Overtime Rule

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced it will publish a Request for Information (RFI) for the overtime rule on Wednesday, July 26, 2017. The RFI is an opportunity for the public to provide information that will aid the department in formulating a proposal to revise these regulations that define and delimit exemptions from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime requirements f...

July 24, 2017

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Labor Secretary Forming an Apprenticeship Task Force

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta is inviting interested persons to submit nominations for individuals to serve on the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. The creation of the task force is a key step in implementing President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to expand apprenticeships, according to a Department of Labor (DOL) news release. “Apprenticeships are a cornerstone of President ...

July 24, 2017

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CMS Seeks More Control Over Medicare Advantage Plans

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comment before it submits a proposal for more review power over Medicare Advantage plans in order “to provide adequate access to covered services to meet the needs of the population served.” The CMS says it will submit the broader review plan to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Aug. 18 for approval. Currently, ...

July 18, 2017

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Senate Republicans' Repeal-Only Effort Collapses on the Heels of 'Repeal and Replace'

Less than a day after more Republican defections doomed the Senate's "repeal and replace" health care legislation, the option of "repeal now and replace later" went down in flames as well. Three GOP Senators immediately said they couldn't vote for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) without a replacement. Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Shelley Moore Capito, (W.V.) and Lisa Mu...

July 18, 2017

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Senate Republicans Give Up on 'Repeal and Replace'

With the defection of two more Senate Republicans from the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 has been withdrawn from a vote. On Monday, Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) and Jerry Moran (Kan.) issued statements declaring they would not vote for the revamped measure. They thus joined Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan Collins (Maine) in opposing the measure, le...

July 17, 2017

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OSHA to Launch Electronic Injury and Illness Reporting Tool Aug. 1

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Aug. 1 will launch its new Injury Tracking Application (ITA). The Web-based form allows employers to electronically submit required injury and illness data from their completed 2016 OSHA Form 300A. The application will be accessible from the ITA webpage. Last month, OSHA published a notice of proposed rulemaking to extend the deadline...

July 17, 2017

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OSHA Announces Training Grants to Prevent Workplace Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced the availability of $10.5 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to fund training and education for workers and employers to help them identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards. The grants are available for nonprofit organizations including community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, lab...

July 16, 2017

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Percentage of Uninsured Rises in First Two Quarters

The percentage of uninsured adults has risen in the first two quarters of 2017, according to a new Gallup poll. Standing at 10.9 percent in the third and fourth quarters of 2016, the percent of adults without health insurance rose to 11.3 in the first quarter and to 11.9 in the second quarter of this year. The biggest jump in uninsured, according to the survey, was found in the young adult pop...

July 15, 2017

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HHS Reports Largest Health Care Fraud in History

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), along with state and federal law enforcement partners, participated in the largest health care fraud takedown in history in July 2017. More than 400 defendants in 41 federal districts were charged with participating in fraud schemes involving about $1.3 billion in false billings to Medicare and Medicaid. OIG a...

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