Employee Benefits Report – August 2026
The 2026 Healthcare Cost Surge: Mid-Year Strategies Employers Can Still Deploy
Healthcare costs are rising faster in 2026 than most employers expected. Mid-year projections from national carriers show medical trend running between 6.5% and 10%, driven by higher inpatient costs, increased specialty-drug use, and a sharp rise in GLP-1 prescriptions. Read on for details.
Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs): The Fastest-Growing Benefit of 2026
Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are becoming one of the fastest-growing benefits of 2026. Employers are adopting LSAs because they solve a problem traditional benefits have struggled with for years: personalization. Employees want benefits that fit their lives, not one-size-fits-all programs. LSAs give them that flexibility.
Read on for details.
ICHRAs Gain Momentum: Why Employers Are Reconsidering Defined-Contribution Health Benefits
Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) are gaining real traction in 2026 as employers look for predictable costs and more employee choice. For many organizations, traditional group health plans have become too expensive, too complex, and too difficult to manage across multiple states. Read on for details.
Preventive Care Incentives: Small Changes That Reduce Big Claims
Preventive care has become one of the most reliable ways for employers to reduce long-term medical claims, yet participation rates remain stubbornly low across many organizations. The challenge isn’t employee resistance—it’s lack of structure. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Fall 2026
How to Use Preventive Care to Cut Your Health Costs All Year
Most families think about their health insurance only when they need care — a child comes down with a fever, someone twists an ankle, or a doctor orders a test they weren’t expecting. But one of the most effective ways to control your healthcare spending is to use the preventive care benefits built into your plan. Read on for details.
The Hidden Value of Disability Insurance: Why Every Worker Needs It
Most people protect their homes, cars, and health — but overlook the one thing that makes everything else possible: their income. Disability insurance is designed to protect your paycheck if an illness or injury keeps you from working. Yet millions of workers don’t have it, and many don’t realize how important it is until they need it. Read on for details.
How to Protect Your Family from Surprise Medical Bills
Even with today’s consumer protection laws, surprise medical bills still happen. A visit to an out of network specialist, a lab test you didn’t know wasn’t covered, or an emergency room trip that involves multiple providers can leave families facing unexpected charges. Read on for details.
Critical Illness Insurance: Why More Families Are Buying It
A serious illness can change a family’s life overnight — not just emotionally, but financially. Even with good health insurance, the costs of cancer, heart disease, or stroke can add up quickly. That’s why more families are turning to critical illness insurance, a simple policy that pays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a covered condition.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – July 2026
The 2026 Compliance Crunch: What Employers Must Do Before Fall
Employee benefits managers are facing one of the busiest compliance years in more than a
decade. Several major federal requirements are converging at the same time, and most of them carry real penalties for employers that miss deadlines or fail to document their efforts. The result is a mid-year “compliance crunch” that is catching many organizations off guard. Read on for details.
Paid Family Leave Expands Again: What Employers Must Update Before 2027
Paid family leave (PFL) continues to expand across the country, and 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year. Several states have launched new programs, others are increasing benefit levels, and more legislatures are considering mandatory paid leave for the first time. Read on for details.
Financial Wellness 2.0: Emergency Savings, Student Loan Repayment, and New Options Under SECURE 2.0
Financial stress continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing today’s workforce. Employees are dealing with rising living costs, higher interest rates, and lingering debt from the past decade. Read on for details.
Financial Wellness Quick Wins
Financial wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Many employers assume they need a full suite of tools and long-term planning resources before they can offer meaningful support. But in reality, some of the most effective improvements are simple, low-cost steps that help employees feel more stable right away. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – June 2026
Pharmacy Costs Are Surging Again — What Employers Can Actually Do in 2026
Pharmacy spending is once again the fastest growing component of employer health plans. Specialty drugs now account for more than half of total pharmacy spend, and GLP 1 medications for diabetes and weight management are reshaping budgets. Employers are feeling the pressure: rising premiums, unpredictable claims, and employee expectations for access to high cost therapies. Read on for details.
Self Funding for Small and Mid Sized Employers: Why 2026 Is the Breakout Year
Self funding is no longer just for large employers. In 2026, small and mid sized businesses are embracing level funded and partially self funded plans at record rates. Rising premiums, greater access to stop loss coverage, and improved data analytics are making self funding a viable option for groups as small as 25–50 employees.
Read on for details.
The Mental Health Access Crisis: How Employers Can Expand Support Without Breaking the Budget
Mental health needs have surged across the workforce, but access to care has not kept pace. Long wait times, provider shortages, and rising claims are creating frustration for employees and cost pressure for employers. Benefits managers are searching for solutions that improve access without dramatically increasing premiums.
Read on for details.
Lifestyle Spending Accounts: The Most Flexible Benefit Employers Are Adding in 2026
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions remain one of the top cost drivers in employer health plans, and 2026 is shaping up to be another challenging year. Rising rates of chronic back pain, joint issues, and repetitive-strain injuries — combined with increased surgical utilization — are pushing MSK spending higher across all industries. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – May 2026
The New Wave of AI-Driven Benefits Administration: What Employers Need to Know in 2026
Artificial intelligence has been creeping into benefits administration for years, but 2026 marks the moment it becomes a defining force. Employers are adopting AI-powered tools not just to streamline enrollment or answer routine questions, but to reshape how employees navigate care, how plans are managed, and how compliance risks are monitored. Read on for details.
Chronic Condition Management 2.0: GLP-1 Alternatives and New Digital Therapeutics
Chronic conditions have long been the pri¬mary driver of employer healthcare spend¬ing, but 2026 marks a turning point in how organizations are approaching prevention, treat¬ment, and long-term management. With GLP-1 medications dominating headlines — and bud¬gets — employers are urgently exploring comple¬mentary or alternative strategies that can improve outcomes without unsustainable cost growth. Read on for details.
The Return-to-Office Reset: How Benefits Are Being Re-Engineered in 2026
After several years of experimentation, many employers are tightening hybrid schedules or requiring more in-office days. This “return-to-office reset” is reshaping benefits strategies as organizations look for ways to support commuting employees, improve onsite experience, and maintain flexibility. Read on for details.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) Costs Surge Again: What Employers Can Do
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions remain one of the top cost drivers in employer health plans, and 2026 is shaping up to be another challenging year. Rising rates of chronic back pain, joint issues, and repetitive-strain injuries — combined with increased surgical utilization — are pushing MSK spending higher across all industries. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Summer 2026
Health Insurance in 2026: Rising Premiums, Bigger Deductibles, and How to Stay Protected
If you buy your own health insurance—through the ACA Marketplace or directly from an insurer—you’ve likely noticed that 2026 is shaping up to be another year of rising costs. Premiums in the individual market continue to climb, and many plans are shifting more of the upfront expense to consumers through higher deductibles and cost sharing.Read on for details.
Life Insurance Rates Are Still Attractive—But They’re Changing
Life insurance continues to offer strong value, especially for individuals who buy coverage earlier in life. But behind the scenes, insurers are adjusting rates in response to updated mortality tables, new age band structures, and expanded use of health data.Read on for details.
Long Term Care in 2026: What Today’s Families Need to Know About Their Options
If you’ve been thinking about how to prepare for future care needs—whether for yourself, a spouse, or an aging parent—2026 is an important year to take a fresh look at long term care (LTC) planning. Traditional standalone LTC insurance has become harder to find, but new hybrid life/LTC products are expanding quickly, offering families more flexibility and more ways to protect their savings. Read on for details.
Long Term Care Planning Shifts as Hybrid Policies Surge
If you’ve been thinking about how to prepare for future care needs—whether for yourself, a spouse, or an aging parent—2026 is an important year to take a fresh look at long term care (LTC) planning. Traditional standalone LTC insurance has become harder to find, but new hybrid life/LTC products are expanding quickly, offering families more flexibility and more ways to protect their savings.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – April 2026
The 2026 Specialty Drug Surge Part 2: How Employers Are Rewriting Their Pharmacy Strategies
Specialty drugs have been a major cost driver for years, but 2026 marks a turning point in both scale and urgency. … specialty medications are projected to account for more than 60% of total pharmacy spending this year. Read on for details.
Mental Health Parity Enforcement Part 2: A New Compliance Reality for Employers
Mental health parity has been a compliance requirement for more than a decade, but 2026 marks a decisive shift in how aggressively federal agencies are enforcing it…regulators expect detailed documentation, transparent processes, and clear evidence that mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits are administered on equal terms with medical and surgical benefits. Read on for details.
Financial Wellness and Household Stability: Why Employers Are Making It a 2026 Priority
For years, employers focused their wellbeing strategies on physical and mental health. But in 2026, a different force is reshaping workforce stability: financial stress. Read on for details.
Rising Healthcare Costs and Affordability Pressures
Healthcare costs are rising at their fastest pace in more than a decade, and employers are feeling the strain. After an 8% jump in 2025, medical plan costs are projected to climb another 9–10% in 2026, driven by higher hospital prices, specialty drug spending, and increased demand for behavioral health services. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – March 2026
The 2026 Specialty Drug Surge: What Employers Need to Prepare For
Specialty drugs have been a major cost driver for years, but 2026 marks a significant shift in both scale and urgency. With GLP 1 medications expanding into new indications, gene therapies entering the market at record pace, and oncology drugs continuing to rise in both cost and utilization, specialty medications are projected to account for more than 60% of total pharmacy spending this year. Read on for details.
The New Era of Mental Health Parity Enforcement in 2026
Regulators Are Increasing Scrutiny
Federal agencies have made mental health parity enforcement a top priority in 2026, and employers sponsoring group health plans are feeling the impact. Regulators are no longer satisfied with high level assurances that plans comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Read on for details.
The Return of Onsite and Near Site Clinics in 2026
A Shift Back Toward Local Care
After several years of virtual first care, onsite and near site clinics are making a strong comeback in 2026. Employers are rediscovering the value of providing convenient, high quality care directly to employees — and in many cases, their families.
Read on for details.
Voluntary Benefits in 2026: Expanding Choice Without Raising Costs
Voluntary benefits continue to gain momentum in 2026 as employers look for ways to expand support without increasing core medical plan costs. Employees are seeking more personalized options, and voluntary benefits offer a flexible way to meet diverse needs Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – February 2026
2026 Compliance Update: More on Last Month’s Key Regulatory Changes
In our January issue, we outlined the major compliance themes shaping 2026. This month, we build on that foundation with a deeper look at the annual updates, effective dates, and action steps employers need as the new year begins. Read on for details.
How Employers Are Responding to Rising Employee Expectations in 2026
Over the past two months, several major surveys — including the 2025 SHRM Employee Benefits Survey, the ADP TotalSource Employee Benefits Survey, and the 2025 National Benefits Survey — have painted a clear picture: employees are demanding more meaningful, more personalized, and more supportive benefits than ever before. Employers, facing a tight labor market and rising competition for talent, are responding by reshaping their benefits strategies around five core themes. Read on for details.
Telehealth in 2026: How Virtual Care Is Transforming Access, Quality, and Cost
Telehealth has moved far beyond the video visit boom of the pandemic. In 2026, virtual care is becoming a core component of the U.S. healthcare system — improving access, reducing administrative burden, and lowering costs for employers and employees alike. New technologies, expanded reimbursement, and AI driven tools are reshaping how care is delivered across specialties. Read on for details.
What the Latest Surveys Reveal About Employee Expectations
Recent national surveys offer a clear, numbers driven picture of what employees value most — and where employers are investing to stay competitive. Here are the most significant findings, grouped by survey. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Spring 2026
Medicare in 2026: Big Changes Ahead for Coverage, Costs, and Your Options
If you’re enrolled in Medicare—or helping a parent or spouse manage their coverage—2026 is shaping up to be a year of significant change. From shifting Medicare Advantage benefits to rising Medigap premiums, many of the updates taking effect this year could influence how much you pay, which doctors you can see, and how well your plan fits your needs. Read on for details.
A Smarter Way to Plan for Care: The Rise of Hybrid Life + Long Term Care Policies
If our story “Aging Alone” last time struck a chord, you’re not alone. More Americans are realizing that long term care planning isn’t just about protecting assets—it’s about protecting independence, dignity, and peace of mind. But traditional long term care (LTC) insurance has its challenges: rising premiums, strict underwriting, and the fear of paying for coverage you may never use.Read on for details.
The Rising Cost of Care: Why Supplemental Health Insurance Is Becoming Essential
If you’ve noticed your health insurance deductible creeping higher each year, you’re not imagining it. Across the country, individuals and families are facing rising out of pocket costs—even when they have solid health coverage. That’s why more consumers are turning to supplemental health insurance as a practical way to protect their finances from unexpected medical bills. Read on for details.
How to Save on Prescription Drugs in 2026
Prescription drug costs continue to rise, and many families are feeling the strain. The good news? There are several practical ways to save money—whether you have insurance, Medicare, or a high deductible plan. Here’s a quick guide to the most effective strategies. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – January 2026
Compliance Updates for 2026
As 2025 closes, several pressing compliance issues will shape your responsibilities in 2026. Updated PCORI fees, Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting obligations, state-level mandates, and new federal requirements such as gag clause attestations are all on the horizon. Read on for details.
AI Powered Benefits Solutions: Navigating Rising Costs in 2026
Health benefit costs are projected to rise nearly 9% in 2026, putting significant pressure on employers to balance affordability with employee satisfaction. Against this backdrop, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a transformative tool in the benefits space. By personalizing offerings and automating administration, AI promises to reduce costs while enhancing the employee experience. Read on for details.
Health & Welfare Benefits Year End Roundup: 2025 Regulatory Highlights
As 2025 draws to a close, employers and benefits professionals face a shifting regulatory landscape that will shape health and welfare programs in 2026 and beyond. This year’s developments underscore the government’s dual priorities: expanding access, modernizing benefit delivery, and balancing compliance with practical flexibility. Below is a roundup of the most significant regulatory highlights. Read on for details.
Judicial and Legislative Developments in Employee Benefits: Year End 2025
As 2025 closes, employers face not only regulatory updates but also judicial decisions and legislative shifts that will influence benefit plan design in 2026. Mayer Brown’s year end advisory highlights several developments that deserve attention from plan sponsors and fiduciaries. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – December 2025
Personalization Now a Baseline Expectation in Employee Benefits
In 2025, personalization has moved from “nice to have” to “non-negotiable.” Employees expect benefits that reflect their individual needs, values, and life stages. Static, one-size-fits-all plans are being replaced by flexible, modular offerings that empower employees to choose what matters most. Read on for details.
Fertility, Family Planning, and Parental Leave Are Front and Center
In 2025, family-building support has emerged as a defining priority in employee benefits strategy. Fertility coverage, inclusive parental leave, and caregiving support are no longer niche offerings — they’re central to how employees evaluate workplace value. As life paths diversify and caregiving responsibilities expand, benefits managers are rethinking what it means to support the whole employee. Read on for details.
Retirement Confidence Is Low — and Plan Design Matters
In 2025, retirement readiness remains one of the most quietly urgent concerns among employees. While many workers feel confident about covering short-term expenses, long-term financial security is far less certain. The gap between confidence and clarity is widening — and benefits managers are being called to bridge it. Read on for details.
Wellness Programs Must Prove Their Value
In 2025, wellness programs are under the microscope. Once celebrated as feel-good perks, they’re now expected to deliver measurable impact — not just participation rates. Employers want to know: Are these initiatives improving health outcomes, reducing absenteeism, and lowering healthcare costs? Read on for details.