"[T]he Seventh Circuit confirmed that employers can and should act decisively on documented misconduct, even when timing appears suspicious ... The case reminds employers they need not tolerate an employee's misconduct simply because an employee recently engaged in protected activity, provided the corrective action is based on legitimate, documented business reasons unrelated to the protected activity." [Shirk v. Trustees of Indiana Univ., No. 22-3212 (7th Cir. Feb. 12, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Like the other three district courts, the Southern District of New York ... ruled that the plaintiffs' claim of harm in the form of higher premiums was too speculative to confer standing.... However, it was the plaintiffs' alleged harm in the form of higher cost-sharing requirements -- i.e., copays, coinsurance, and deductibles -- where the district court distinguished this case from the others. Unlike other cases, the district court here noted the plaintiffs' allegations of higher cost-sharing were based on 'specific overpayments, made on specific dates, at specific markups.' " [Stern v. JPMorgan Chase & Co., No. 25-2097 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Healthcare costs remain top of mind for many Americans ... Premiums have increased across commercial and individual marketplaces ... The public and private sectors are looking for solutions as U.S. spending on prescription drugs continues to increase ... Price transparency for healthcare prices has momentum ... Federal and state policymakers show interest in addressing the impacts of healthcare consolidation."  MORE >>

"Corporate wellness perks are on the chopping block. Spending on them dropped 19% per employee between 2023 and 2025, from $1,366 to $1,103 ... A 2025 Wellhub survey found that only about 29% of employees were satisfied with wellness programs, down from 41% in 2024, suggesting that many perks are underused or hard to access. Similarly, a 2023 Deloitte study showed that nearly 70% of workers didn't use the full value of their company's well-being resources, because they were too confusing or time-consuming."  MORE >>

"Employers are gravitating toward the plans based on promises of consistent monthly payments, possible refunds, and fewer administrative responsibilities.... [L]evel-funded health plans pose risks to employers that they may not realize exist ... [including] unexpected administrative expenses, fiduciary responsibilities, financial liabilities, penalties for regulatory noncompliance, and the requirement to advance all claims payments."  MORE >>

"Coupled with the OIG's recent addition of health care payer-focused projects to its latest compliance plan, ... these prosecutions and settlements should warn health care payers to tighten their controls and other compliance while signaling the advisability of tighter scrutiny of payer vendors by employer and other private health program sponsors and fiduciaries."  MORE >>

Video of March 18 hearing, with testimony by [1] Richard Pollack, American Hospital Association; [2] David H. Aizuss, MD, American Medical Association; [3] R. Shawn Martin, American Academy of Family Physicians; [4] Elizabeth Mitchell, Purchaser Business Group on Health; [5] Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA, University of California San Francisco Health; [6] Barbara Merrill, American Network of Community Options and Resources.  MORE >>

"AI tools are increasingly used in benefits administration.... While these tools can improve efficiency, they also introduce new cybersecurity risks that fiduciaries must evaluate.... Based on the DOL's guidance and emerging best practices, fiduciaries should consider implementing the following measures: [1] Vendor due diligence.... [2] Contractual protections.... [3] Participant education.... [4] Employee education.... [5] Documentation."  MORE >>

"Nearly two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, making it critical that benefits communication doesn't treat health and financial wellness as separate conversations. This article outlines how employers can build year-round communication strategies—beyond annual enrollment—that connect daily spending, debt, HSA contributions, and long-term savings into a coherent picture."  MORE >>

"Medicare Part B premiums, which cover doctors and hospital outpatient services, will rise to about $5,000 a year by 2035, up from about $2,440, according to a recent report by the Senate Joint Economic Committee.... Part of the expected increase in Medicare Part B premiums -- or about $450 a year of the projected $5,000 a year premium -- would be due to overpayments made by the government to Medicare Advantage plans, the report said."  MORE >>

"For [employee benefit plans] and labor organizations, aligning internal controls with risk is essential to effective governance. Applying a structured framework and adapting controls to the nature of the risks, helps strengthen governance, protect assets, and build trust with stakeholders."  MORE >>