News Archive

"Since September 30, 2025, the CPI has increased by about 3.2%. Projecting monthly increases of 0.25% through September 2026 results in an annual increase of about 4.2% for our 8-month actual/4-month forecast projection."  MORE >>

"About the only positive aspect of these rules is that they treat the leased employee’s benefits under the leasing organization’s plan(s) as if they were provided by the recipient organization. Under the right circumstances, this aspect of the rule can help the recipient organization avoid adverse income tax consequences under its plans where it does not cover the leased employees."  MORE >>

"The DOL proposed rule (if finalized) and CAA 2026 encourage transparency and accountability between plan sponsors/fiduciaries and PBMs. With detailed initial and semiannual disclosures, drug-level pricing transparency, and enforceable audit rights, plan sponsors and fiduciaries can: [1] Compare PBM models and evaluate which approach delivers the best value. [2] Identify spread pricing exposure at the individual drug level. [3] Attempt to negotiate transparent pass-through compensation arrangements."  MORE >>

"This checklist helps employers understand their obligations and opportunities when an employee notifies them of a new dependent in their family. Questions often arise regarding possible election changes, beneficiary rights and organizational policies. This checklist captures common compliance issues and offers helpful suggestions to avoid complications down the road."  MORE >>

"[The authors] estimate that eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits would reduce the system's funded status from the Trustees' 2026 estimate of 75.6% to about 71%. It would also hasten the projected trust fund exhaustion date.... 71% is still an overstated figure because it is based on SSA assumptions (which still may be optimistic) and the flawed 75‑year projection period ... Social Security's funded status -- measured using a flawed and possibly optimistic long‑term metric -- remains in the 70%-75% range and is deteriorating each year due to Valuation Date Creep."  MORE >>

"While the reality check shows no evidence of 'runaway retirement benefits,' that finding does not mean that benefits are optimally designed. The U.S. has a wide range in earnings, and workers' earnings are strongly correlated with life expectancy. A situation where low earners die early and high earners live much longer undermines many of the progressive aspects of the benefit design. The challenge in putting together a solvency package for Social Security is to correct a structure that increasingly benefits higher earners."  MORE >>

"In an amicus brief ... the ERISA Industry Committee and the American Benefits Council backed Compass Group's bid to appeal a Missouri federal judge's decision to grant class certification in a lawsuit challenging tobacco-use surcharges imposed through the company's health plan." [Mehlberg v. Compass Group USA, Inc., No. 24-4179 (W.D. Mo. Apr. 15, 2025; on appeal to 8th Cir. No. 26-8007)]  MORE >>

"Consumers and small businesses could face a substantial financial burden in 2027, as major health insurance providers officially submit rate requests seeking steep premium increases of up to 30%. Soaring medical service costs and the expiration of pandemic-era federal premium subsidies are driving the steep rate hike requests. Some state officials are pushing back on the rate hike proposals."  MORE >>

"Until the proposed regulations are issued, the Notice provides interim guidance on the expansion of Section 4960's definition of 'covered employee' under the OBBBA. The Notice clarifies that, following the enactment of the OBBBA, Section 4960's definition of covered employee now includes: [1] Any employee of an ATEO who was one of the five highest-compensated employees for a tax year beginning after December 31, 2016, and before January 1, 2026, and [2] All current and former employees of an ATEO for each tax year beginning after December 31, 2025."  MORE >>

"The Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act ... would grant federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid family leave each year to attend to a serious health condition or to care for a spouse, child or parent. The measure would also cover absences needed to help a family member who is the survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, as well as to attend to a family member's deployment into active duty military service."  MORE >>

"HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD [announced that] more than 500 hospitals have not complied with changes to price transparency requirements that took effect Jan. 1, with enforcement beginning April [1] The hospitals have received warning letters and, in some cases, requests for corrective action plans (CAPs) and have not heeded that communication, according to the announcement. The two leaders ... indicated there will be no additional grace period."  MORE >>

"Each of the first two ASG rules requires some degree of overlapping ownership and at least one of the organizations must be involved principally in the performance of services. Generally, an organization will not be considered a service organization if capital is a material income-producing factor (e.g., a substantial portion of the gross income of the business is attributable to investment in inventories, plant, machinery, or other equipment)."  MORE >>

"Backdoor Roth IRA conversions offer three main tax advantages, including income tax free growth, income tax free withdrawals in retirement, and no required minimum distributions (RMDs). ... IRS reporting requirements apply, including filing Form 8606 for nondeductible IRA contributions."  MORE >>

"[T]he New York Secure Choice Savings Program requires certain employers to enroll employees in the State-sponsored retirement savings program. Importantly, employers that already sponsor or participate in a tax-qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan, are exempt from participation in the Program but must certify their exemption through the State's online portal."  MORE >>

"Nearly 45,000 comments poured into the [DOL] in response to its proposed rule on fiduciary duties in selecting qualified designated investment alternatives for 401(k) and other defined contribution retirement plans. They revealed a sharp divide about how far plan fiduciaries should be allowed to go when considering alternative investments ranging from private equity and private credit to digital assets."  MORE >>

"Employers and their advisors should be aware that HHS will not take action based on the gender identity provisions of the 2024 regulations while the vacatur remains in effect, but the remainder of the 2024 regulations continues to apply, and other federal nondiscrimination laws -- including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court -- may independently address gender identity discrimination in certain contexts"  MORE >>

"Starting June 11, 2026, the fee for IDR disputes will be lowered from $115 to $15, making the process more accessible for smaller disputes but potentially increasing the system backlog. Health plans and insurers must register in a new IDR registry to help providers correctly identify payors, potentially reducing ineligible or misdirected disputes. The open negotiation period will be managed through the federal IDR portal using standardized forms, with a fifteen-business-day response window, aiming to reduce disputes that are ineligible for IDR."  MORE >>

"This article explains how pension funds can access best-in-class, high-growth, late-stage private technology companies at significant discounts to public market valuations through a small-ticket secondaries manager -- and why a disciplined underwriting framework makes this strategy particularly well-suited to pension funds' long-term, capital-preservation mandates."  MORE >>

"Only 45% of retirees say a workplace retirement plan is an income source, compared with 83% of workers who expect one to be. The median Vanguard 401(k)-style balance for Americans 65 and older is about $95,000, or roughly $3,800 a year using the 4% rule. Many 401(k)s get rolled into IRAs by retirement, so retirees may still be using old workplace savings but under a different label."  MORE >>

"According to the Departments, the final rules are designed to improve how the IDR process functions through better communication and streamlining the processes. However, the final rules do not address many of the existing issues with the current IDR process that have been identified as increasing costs for employer group health plan (plan) sponsors.  The final rules also impose additional registration obligations for plans and may make it easier for more claims to be submitted to the IDR process."  MORE >>

"The plaintiffs allege that the 2027 Payment Notice Final Rule is contrary to the goals of the ACA, will cause millions of Americans to lose coverage on the ACA's Exchanges and will increase premiums and out-of-pocket costs for the remaining enrollees, causing irreparable harm. The plaintiffs allege that many of the provisions of the 2027 Payment Notice Final Rule are in direct conflict with federal law and that HHS failed to adequately consider public comments or provide adequate reasoning for many final policies." [City of Columbus v. Kennedy, No. 26-2215 (D. Md. complaint filed Jun. 3, 2026)]  MORE >>

Video of June 10 hearing, with testimony from [1] Carol Skenes, Turquoise Health; [2] Shawn Gremminger, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions; [3] Benedic Ippolito, Ph.D., American Enterprise Institute; [4] Christopher Whaley, Ph.D., Brown University School of Public Health; and [5] Sophia Tripoli, MPH, Families USA.  MORE >>

"[A] report from Cerulli Associates expects the merger and acquisition (M&A) market to move $4 trillion over the next decade. The number of advisors retiring is increasing daily, with over 26,000 expected to exit the workforce over the next decade ... Over half (54%) of RIAs in Cerulli's data are pursuing an acquisition, with hybrid RIAs being the most acquisitive independent channel."  MORE >>

"Payers' perception of value in unbundled PBM service arrangements increased year-over-year, and over half say they would pursue a partially or fully unbundled model if they were to conduct a procurement today ... Affordability continues to be a major concern for coverage of GLP-1s for obesity ... 1 in 10 payers have a cost-plus arrangement or PMPM pricing guarantee, and the primary factors influencing decisions about these alternative pricing models are impact on total net pharmacy cost and member affordability and experience."  MORE >>

"Industry audits regularly reveal that 70% to 90% of benefits carrier invoices contain at least one discrepancy. These errors can include billing for employees who have already left the company, incorrect coverage levels, dependents who should have been removed from plans, outdated premium rates, or duplicate enrollments. Individually, these mistakes may appear small. Collectively, they represent one of the most significant hidden financial leaks in corporate America."  MORE >>