---
title: ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee)
type: entity
entity_type: organization
domain: health
status: active
---

# ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee)

## Overview
ERIC represents the nation's largest employers on employee benefits policy, particularly ERISA-governed health plans. The organization advocates for employer interests in healthcare regulation and has been a key opponent of expanded mental health parity enforcement.

## Timeline
- **2024** — Filed lawsuit challenging the 2024 MHPAEA Final Rule, arguing it exceeded statutory authority
- **2025-05-09** — DOL filed Motion for Abeyance in ERIC's lawsuit, signaling intent to pause enforcement rather than defend the rule
- **2025-05-15** — Tri-Agencies announced non-enforcement of 2024 MHPAEA Final Rule pending litigation outcome plus 18 months

## Significance
ERIC's lawsuit against the 2024 MHPAEA Final Rule represents large employer resistance to outcome-data enforcement requirements that would have revealed reimbursement discrimination. The Trump administration's decision to pause enforcement rather than defend the rule effectively sided with ERIC's position, removing the regulatory tool most capable of addressing the mental health reimbursement gap.

## Political Economy Context
ERIC represents the same large employers increasingly adding GLP-1 behavioral mandates for cost management, creating a tension where employers push back on mental health parity enforcement while simultaneously expanding behavioral health requirements tied to pharmaceutical cost control.