• Webinar Recording Available: Access to Health: Will it be there when we need it? - Watch now
• Sun Life Compliance News – First Quarter 2023 - Download here
• Important PFML reminders - Find out more
• Upcoming Webinar on the 2023 Edition of the Sun Life High-Cost claims and injectable drug trends analysis - Register now
• ADP Workforce Now EOI API launch - Learn more 
• Self Care from AbleTo – support your employees’ mental health - Learn more
• Clinical interventions: Supporting members beyond their benefits
• 2023 DMEC Leave Management Survey - Begin survey

Webinar Recording Available: Access to health: Will it be there when we need it?

On April 6, Sun Life hosted an important webinar talking about the fact that a person’s ability to access healthcare and coverage is a growing concern nationally. Wait times and provider shortages have gotten worse since the pandemic began. This can impact employee health and engagement at work.

Watch the replay to see Sun Life's leadership team discuss healthcare access trends in the U.S. and the implications and opportunities for employers in an increasingly challenged healthcare environment.

Sun Life Compliance News - First Quarter 2023

Download Sun Life’s First Quarter 2023 Compliance News authored by Sun Life Assistant Vice President & Senior Counsel, Marjory Robertson, JD, and Senior Counsel, Abigail O’Connell, JD.

Included in the First Quarter 2023 Newsletter:

• New US Dept of Labor FMLA-Related Guidance
• U.S. Department of Labor Opinion Letter on use of FMLA to limit workday
• U.S. Department of Labor Field Assistance Bulletin on Telework
• New and Amended Unpaid Leave Laws
• The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PFWA)
• California Passes Bereavement Leave law
• California Family Rights Act (CFRA) Amendments
• Illinois Bereavement Leave expanded
• Virginia Passes an Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave Bill
• Developments in Paid Leave Law - AK, CO, CT, OR, NY, RI, TN

Important PFML reminders

MA PFML

• Employers must renew their Sun Life self-insured and fully insured private plan exemptions through MassTaxConnect every 12 months or as otherwise directed by the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML). Employers who fail to renew their private plan with the Commonwealth will be put back into the state plan for MA PFML administration and the Commonwealth may assess historical premium fees or penalties. Contact your Sun Life representative for the appropriate confirmation form(s).

CT PFML

• As a reminder, the Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority is required by law to annually collect and report data on the participation and usage of the program, including coverage provided by employers’ private plans. The report must be submitted to the state no later than May 15, 2023, even if a company did not have any paid CT PFML claims last year. Sun Life clients obtain their company’s aggregate CT PFML claim information in the state’s required template format via a downloadable report on the Sun Life Connect portal.
• Effective June 1, 2023: the maximum weekly benefit will increase from $840 to $900.

CO PFML

• Employers planning to offer a private plan (including self-insured or administration-services-only models) are not exempt from paying FAMLI premiums until the FAMLI Division has reviewed and approved the private plan or self-insurance documentation in accordance with the Division’s private plan regulations. All employers must register with the Division and will be required to pay premiums until they receive approval from the Division. Employers will be able to request a refund for premiums paid in 2023, if their private plan has an effective date on or before January 1, 2024, and they submit an application for private plan approval on or before October 31, 2023. Employers using self-insured private plans can apply for approval now by submitting an application in My FAMLI+ Employer. The fully insured private plan process will be announced shortly.

OR PFML

• Employers without an approved declaration of intent or approved Equivalent Plan should plan to submit 1st quarter premium by April 30, 2023. Deadline for filing an Equivalent Plan application for policies effective September 3, 2023, is May 31, 2023. Contact your Sun Life representative with any questions.

Behind every high-cost claim is a person facing a health challenge

As a leader in health and risk solutions, we are focused on the importance of managing risk and the overall well-being of people to deliver better health outcomes. For example, early diagnosis and access to quality care can prevent, delay or even sometimes reverse progression of some conditions like chronic kidney disease (CKD), and improve health outcomes for at-risk populations. Click here to read more about how we are helping our members better manage costs for a high-cost condition such as CKD.

Register now for our upcoming webinar, Wednesday, May 17th at 2:00 ET, on the 2023 Edition of the Sun Life High-cost claims and injectable drug trends analysis. Look for the release of the full report in May!

ADP Workforce Now EOI API launch

ADP Workforce Now Evidence of Insurability (EOI) API is now available! Through Sun Life Link, EOI decisions are made quickly and communicated with benefit administrators and employees automatically for a fast and easy EOI experience with ADP Workforce Now.

Self Care from AbleTo - support your employees' mental health

We’ve expanded our Life insurance portfolio to include Self Care from AbleTo as a value-added service. Self Care is a digital wellness program designed to help employees and their families build everyday resilience and support their mental health. It provides 24/7 access to tools like meditations, mood and habit trackers, blogs and guided journals.

Self Care is available to Clients renewing or adding our Life insurance to their benefits portfolio.

Clinical interventions: Supporting members beyond their benefits

We’re focused on helping your employees access health care that can provide a path to better outcomes. Learn about our new partnerships that allow us to offer clinical interventions to help members cope with or manage their diagnosis.

• NEW! Whole-person care and coaching from Goodpath provides integrative, holistic care to eligible Sun Life members receiving short-term disability benefits starting on or after April 1, 2023, for back or neck MSK conditions (provided their employer also has Sun Life LTD) or receiving LTD for long COVID symptoms. Outreach to eligible members has begun! Learn more about the program.
• Virtual behavioral health therapy and coaching from AbleTo provides mental health support to eligible Sun Life members receiving short-term disability benefits for cancer (provided their employer also has Sun Life LTD) or receiving critical illness cancer benefit. Learn more about the program.

2023 DMEC Leave Management Survey

Share your insights in DMEC’s 2023 leave management survey. This year's survey features questions around leave types required by law (e.g., the FMLA), other company-specific leaves (e.g., bereavement leave), and paid leaves (e.g., paid sick leave, paid parental leave) and explores coordination with other types of employee time away from work.

Your input is greatly appreciated as the information gathered will provide insight into how employers are effectively managing employee leaves and will shape a white paper that will be distributed in early 2024.  In return for your participation, you will receive full survey results, and your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of the following prizes:     

• One of two $50 Amazon gift cards
• One free Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS) online course and exam registration or a free registration for a DMEC microcredential course

This survey closes Thursday, August 31. 2023.

 Making care and benefits easier