A webinar series presented by Thompson Hine LLP
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET (This session will be one full hour)
Location: Virtual
Contact: Diane Weber at Diane.Weber@ThompsonHine.com
Please note that the date of this webinar topic has been rescheduled from an earlier date (Oct. 13).
Join us for the next session in our 2026 Brown Bag Benefits webinar series — quick and concise lunchtime programs designed to deliver timely updates on employee benefits matters without taking up too much space on your calendar. Each 30-minute session provides practical insights on emerging legal developments and regulatory trends impacting plan sponsors and benefit professionals.
Mental Health Parity: DOL’s New Enforcement Priorities and What Plan Sponsors Need to Know
On September 8, the Department of Labor issued new guidance clarifying its enforcement approach under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Although the Departments are not currently enforcing certain portions of the 2024 MHPAEA final rule, the statutory requirements governing nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs), including the requirement to prepare comparative analyses, remain in effect. The DOL has now identified three areas as particular enforcement priorities: separate treatment limitations and exclusions; medical necessity standards and review processes; and network adequacy, including provider admission standards and reimbursement methodologies.
Join Thompson Hine lawyers Beth Mandel and Kristin Koenecke for a practical discussion of what DOL’s revised enforcement approach means for group health plan sponsors and administrators. We will review the new guidance, highlight the compliance “red flags” DOL says it will look for, and discuss practical steps employers can take to evaluate their plans, work with carriers and third-party administrators, and prepare for potential DOL scrutiny.