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Things you should know


NCCI published a large set of changes to the Basic Manual

While many of the changes are minor, such as replacing "insured" with "employer," here are some you should know:

  1. Stores and day care services operated by the employer for employee use are now a general inclusion. Previously, they were a general exclusion. They must be separately rated if they also operate for the general public.
  2. The "automatic" exclusion for expense reimbursements when traveling overnight increased from $30 to $75 per day. Texas has their own exception to this and you can exclude up to the maximum IRS allowable per-diem, which is currently $189.
  3. 7228 and 7229 (Short and Long-Haul Trucking) are being retired in favor of 7219. This change has already happened in many states, with many more following along over the next year. Check with your agent for more information.



EEOC provides timeline for revising wellness regulations

In a court ruling in August, the American Association of Retired Persons, Inc. (AARP) challenged the EEOC regulations on the basis of the "voluntariness" of the 30 percent incentive limitation and the court held that the EEOC did not provide a reasonable explanation as to why the incentive limit of 30 percent of the cost of coverage rendered an employee health program voluntary rather than involuntary.

According to a status report issued in September, the EEOC intends to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking by August 2018 and issue a final rule by October 2019. Notably, the EEOC indicates in a footnote that, in order to give employers time to come into compliance with a new rule, any substantively amended rule on wellness programs would likely not be applicable until the beginning of 2021.



Adult obesity rate climbs to 40 percent

Obesity continues to present a problem to both the adult and younger population of the United States, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).About 40 percent of U.S. adults are considered obese, and the rate grew 20 percent for 12 to 19 year olds, the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicated.



NIOSH center to focus on 'safe integration of robots' in the workplace

Citing a "knowledge gap related to robotics and worker safety and health," NIOSH has launched the Center for Occupational Robotics Research in an effort to evaluate the possible advantages and hazards of robot workers, as well as foster safe robot-human interactions.



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