Seven Steps to a Successful Open Enrollment
If you view annual open enrollment as a simple box-checking exercise, you're likely missing out on helping your staff get the most out of the benefits you provide. Instead, if you approach open enrollment as a chance to strengthen employee engagement,
Feds Won’t Enforce Short-Term Health Insurance Limits
The Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services announced that they will no longer enforce a 2024 rule limiting short-term health insurance to three months. The decision leaves the door open for insurers to once again issue these policies
New Study Predicts Higher Group Benefits Inflation
Employers are preparing for what could be the steepest annual increase in health care costs in more than a decade, and many are considering plan design changes, including cost-shifting, to buffer the impact, according to a new report. The "2026 Employer
Open Enrollment Prep: Survey Your Staff to Fine-Tune Your Benefits
As the year-end open enrollment period approaches, now is the time to fine-tune your benefits, and that starts with surveying your employees about their views of your current offerings. There should be more to this effort than checking boxes. It's important
Group Health Plan Affordability Levels Up, Giving Employers a Break
The IRS has significantly increased the group health plan affordability threshold, which is used to determine if an employer's lowest-premium health plan complies with Affordable Care Act rules, for plan years starting in 2026. The threshold for next year has been
The Importance of Evaluating Your Benefits Annually
While traditional benefits like group health insurance and 401(k) plans remain foundational, employers who limit themselves to the same offerings year after year may find themselves outpaced in the competition for talent. Regularly evaluating your benefits package ensures it stays relevant,
New Law Makes Permanent Telehealth Coverage in HDHP
The sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes permanent the ability of HDHP to offer pre-deductible coverage for telehealth.
More Employers Plan to Shift Costs in 2026, Study Finds
As the cost of providing health benefits continues to rise, more employers intend to change or reduce their 2026 offerings to control spending, according to a new survey. In a survey of more than 700 U.S. employers by Mercer — including
The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Expands on HSAs
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, a sweeping tax and spending measure that includes implications for health savings accounts and employer-sponsored benefits. While an early version of the bill passed by the House
Critical Illness Insurance Provides Vital Protection to Employees
The typical family's income slips by more than $12,000 in the year after a breadwinner suffers a critical illness such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer, according to a study by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. This reduction of income isn't