The FTC Proposes Banning Noncompete Agreements

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday proposed banning employers from requiring employees to sign noncompete agreements, which prevent workers from taking positions at competitors for a period of time after they leave a job.

This would be a big change in the business world, where the agreements are widely used. The FTC estimates that 30 million people, or one in five workers, would be impacted, and the rule could increase wages by nearly $300 billion a year.

The proposal comes more than a year after the Biden administration issued an order directing the agency to curb the use of noncompetes in order to increase competition across the economy.

Noncompetes were once used mainly to keep high-paid executives from jumping ship to rivals and taking their insider knowledge with them. But they have become more common, with even low-wage workers subject to these restrictions.

The FTC's new proposal would make it illegal for an employer to enter into a noncompete with a worker, and would require companies to rescind existing agreements.

The Ohio Council Welcomes New Affiliate Member, Fortis Lux

Fortis Lux in New York, New York - Quay Dixon, Head of Sales, can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (614) 579-3500.

Fortis Lux is a financial planning boutique firm that guides companies and individuals to make financial decisions based on what is most important to them, at any stage of corporate or personal planning. 

Click here to learn more about Fortis Lux!

Behavioral Health Parity - Pervasive Disparities in Access to In-Network Care Continue 

A landmark report issued by the nonprofit research institute RTI International, Behavioral Health Parity – Pervasive Disparities in Access to In-Network Care Continue, provides new insights about the barriers that people with mental illness encounter when trying to access mental health care. The report found that patients were forced to use out-of-network mental health providers more frequently than patients use medical and surgical treatment, and in-network office visit reimbursement was also 22% higher on average for medical and surgical clinicians than office visits with behavioral clinicians – signaling mental health benefits parity is still far from a reality. The study also found that physician assistants were reimbursed for office visits an average of 19% higher than psychiatrists and 23% higher than psychologists. Reimbursements are the “key levers” that health plans use to encourage in-network participation, the study from nonprofit RTI International said.

“This research demonstrates the profound need for employers and purchasers to demand more of their health insurance carriers to ensure they are providing truly equitable access to behavioral health care in compliance with parity requirements,” Shawn Gremminger, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, said in a statement.

Judge Temporarily Blocks Ohio Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth

A Columbus judge on Tuesday, April 16^th temporarily blocked a controversial bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth and prohibiting trans students from participating in athletics on teams that align with their identity.

Judge Michael Holbrook issued a temporary restraining order on House Bill 68, which would have prevented minors from accessing care such as hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy and some mental health services.

It would have also prohibited trans athletes from taking part in middle and high school sports. The TRO is for two weeks, but it is renewable. The law was expected to go into effect next week.

Earlier in the week, a Joint Committee on state rules declined to invalidate a rule developed by the Ohio Department of Health that would ban gender transition surgeries for youth and referrals for such interventions. 

Several other rules related developed by the departments of Health and Mental Health & Addiction Services were delayed and put into a refiled status.