Big U.S. employers expect median health care costs to rise 9% in 2026, according to new survey data from the Business Group on Health. That’s up from an 8% employer increase forecast for 2025, and it appears to be the biggest annual increase forecast that the employers have provided since 2010, when the Business Group on […]
Open enrollment is only a few months away, and benefit leaders may face new and unprecedented challenges — and it’s all to do with President Trump’s new act. In July, the Trump administration signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which focuses primarily on tax cuts and spending reform and affected funding to many public […]
With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Congress has made permanent the safe harbor allowing high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to cover telehealth and other remote services before the deductible is met. It may seem like a small technical change in a bill with other large implications for healthcare in the country, but it creates […]
Friction has always existed between employers and employees, but trust and contention are more pronounced now than ever. With return-to-office mandates being implemented while employees are asking for continued work-life balance and flexibility, HR often finds themselves caught in the middle. Needing to balance business priorities while advocating for employees, HR’s unique position can help address this contention. […]
Whether someone is a recent college graduate or funding their or a relative’s future learning, there are education-based employer offerings that can improve their financial and professional wellness. Upcoming changes to employer student-loan assistance and 529 education savings accounts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) could give benefit leaders the opportunity to make their current plans […]
Employers should expect to see hikes to their healthcare costs as a result of upcoming cuts to Medicaid outlined in the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill, passed into law at the start of July. Preparing for the ripple effects now can help benefit leaders reduce the connected negative impact on their workforce. The law plans to cut $500 […]
The Trump administration has claimed that the recently passed tax and spending bill “delivers on President Trump’s promise of no tax on Social Security.” Experts say it’s not that simple. The provision, part of the nearly 900-page One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law on July 4, creates a new tax deduction for seniors age 65 […]
The onboarding process is an employees’ first introduction to their new workplace, and while making a good first impression on them is important, making a lasting impression is critical. Only 12% of employees think their employers are doing a good job at onboarding new talent, according to a recent survey from workplace consulting and research […]
Health savings accounts are a small but mighty tool when it comes to saving and investing money for retirement. Yet a vast majority of savers do not invest their HSA funds, according to a report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The research, looking at more than 14.5 million HSA accounts, found that 85% of account holders do […]
President Donald Trump’s executive order on May 12 instituting most-favored-nation (MFN) pricing of prescription drugs sought to ensure that Americans would pay no more than the lowest price charged in similar countries. Using an MFN model to set U.S. drug prices would have a considerable positive effect on American consumers, employers and governments. As pointed out in […]
