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HUB International's Ambitious Vision for the Retirement Market

"Linking health care and wealth management; maximizing practice efficiency and cross-selling opportunities; addressing individuals' insurance and financial wellness needs -- HUB's new retirement plan specialist advisers hope to do all of this and more."

2026 International Trend Study (PDF)

"HUB's National Actuarial Team recommends the following trend projections for 2026 budget planning: [1] Rx Only: 10%-12%; [2] Medical & Rx Combined: 8%-10%; [3] Medical Only: 7%-9%; [4] Dental: 4%-5%; [5] Vision: 2%-3%."

ACA Compliance Issues When a Summer Intern Becomes a Regular Employee

"What happens if your intern does so well that you want to hire him or her? The answer depends on how you treated the intern when they were hired."

2026 Benefits Cost Trends Report (PDF)

"HUB's National Actuarial Team recommends the following trend projections for 2026 budget planning: [1] Rx only: 10%-12%; [2] Medical & Rx combined: 8%-10%; [3] Medical only: 7%-9%; [4] Dental: 4%-5%; [5] Vision: 2%-3%."

IRS Guidance Expands HSA Rules for Telehealth & Direct Primary Care

"The guidance addresses telehealth services, direct primary care arrangements and individual market coverage. [Notice 2026-5] does not break much new ground, but a few provisions are worth noting. [1] Telehealth safe harbor made permanent ... [2] Direct primary care service arrangements ... [3] Bronze and catastrophic plans."

Dependent Care Assistance Programs: Fixing Nondiscrimination Issues

"One approach is to offer the DCAP benefit only to non-HCEs.... Providing employer contributions to DCAPs can significantly boost participation among non-HCEs.... Reducing or eliminating minimum contribution requirements makes the plan more accessible to lower-paid employees who may have budget constraints.... Many employees who could benefit from a DCAP do not participate simply because they do not understand the program or its value."

Plan Sponsor Year-End Compliance To-Do List

"[K]ey considerations and action items plan sponsors should address prior to the end of this year or at least prioritize in early 2026: [1] Telehealth coverage -- to charge or not to charge ... [2] Dependent care contribution limits -- should you increase the limit? ... [3] Direct Primary Care Arrangements -- some arrangements can be paired with an HSA.... [4] Remember gag clause attestations.... [5] Revisit last year's ACA reporting 'present'.... [6] Update HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.... [7] Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) NQTL compliance still required.... [8] Routine year-end housekeeping."

Cafeteria Plans & Subsidy Changes: Employer Guidance for 2025

"As subsidies shrink or disappear, many people are seeing their exchange premiums increase dramatically ... The cafeteria plan rules do allow for election changes if an employee (or spouse or eligible dependent) who is currently enrolled in employer sponsored coverage seeks to change their election in order to enroll in exchange coverage. This, however, is a one-way street ... It does not allow individuals to move from exchange coverage onto group plans."

DOL Provides Enhanced Cybersecurity Guidance for ERISA Plans (PDF)

"Health and welfare plan sponsors will find that many vendors already emphasize cybersecurity.... [T]he DOL's guidance serves as a valuable checklist for sponsors to evaluate their service providers through a fiduciary lens.... [S]ponsors should assess their internal cybersecurity measures, especially if they retain sensitive plan-related data. ERISA's 'prudence' requirement hinges on adopting a sound process -- a hallmark of effective fiduciary responsibility."

Direct Primary Care Explained: A Guide for HR and Benefits Leaders (PDF)

"While DPC offers compelling advantages, it isn't universally available. HR leaders should evaluate three key fit factors: [1] Geography and access ... [2] Workforce health goals ... [3] Plan structure and funding."