Author - Benefits Weekly
Week 22: When Formularies Change
Week 21: It’s Employer Reporting Season!
Week 20: Why Health Insurance is an Underrated Career (and Side...
Why FSAs End When You Leave a Job (But Insurance Doesn’t)
Leaving a job raises a lot of benefit questions, but one of the most confusing is why insurance...
Week 19: One Size Does NOT Fit All
Week 18: Looking Ahead to 2026 – What to Expect and How to...
Week 14: Why Are Small Group Health Insurance Rates Going Up So...
Week 13: 10 Common Questions We’re Asked (from our blog)
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As we head into the holiday, we want to say how truly thankful we are...
Gag Clause Attestation: What It Is, Who Must File, and What...
A newer federal requirement under the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) has created confusion...
State Continuation: Is Self-Administration a Bad Idea?
Most agents (and many employers) know COBRA backwards and forwards — the timelines, the notices...
Do Employers Have to Keep Paying Their Share of Health Insurance...
When an employee goes out on FMLA leave, one of the first questions employers ask is: “Do we still...
Texas State Continuation – text from Texas Insurance Code
If you’re looking for information about Texas State Continuation requirements, a good place...
Week 12: What Exactly Are Section 213(d) Expenses?
Most people in employee benefits talk about “Section 213(d) expenses,” but few have ever seen the...
Can (and Should) a Company Offer Coverage to 1099 Employees?
One of the questions brokers hear all the time is whether a business can add its 1099 contractors...
Week 11: FSAs – a popular benefit that pays for itself
Few employee benefits deliver a better return than the Flexible Spending Account. FSAs save...
How Long Can You Make New Hires Wait for Coverage?
Understanding Waiting Periods, Orientation Periods, and the 1,200-Hour Rule One of the most common...
Week 10: Dependent Care Accounts Just Got A LOT Better
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act just gave working parents a major win. Starting in 2026, the annual...
2026 Employer Shared Responsibility Estimator (for 2027...
Week 9: QSEHRA vs ICHRA – which one’s better for...
The Qualified Small Employer HRA (QSEHRA) and Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA) both let employers...
John Oliver
UN-Enhanced FPL Chart and Caps for Benchmark Plan 2026
Week 8: Medicare Premium Reimbursement Arrangements
Section 125 vs. Section 105(h): How Nondiscrimination Testing...
Section 125 and Section 105(h) nondiscrimination rules cover different ground—§125 tests cafeteria...
Projected 2026 Medicare IRMAA Brackets and Premium Surcharges
Medicare premiums for higher-income individuals include an extra charge called IRMAA. This chart...
Week 7: All the New Numbers for 2026
This week: We’ve rounded up all the updated benefits numbers for 2026. We’ll cover the new...
How long does COBRA last? That depends on the Qualifying Event.
How long COBRA lasts depends on the qualifying event: termination or reduction in hours usually...
Possible future newsletter topic
Open enrollment: the new equity strategy
Week X: When Coverage Isn’t Enough – the Hidden Costs of...
Even with good insurance, many Americans face a second, quieter battle: getting their prescribed...
Week 6: ACA Market Turbulence – Subsidy Fights &...
The Affordable Care Act’s individual market has doubled in size since 2021—thanks largely to...
When Medicare Becomes Secondary: Understanding the 20-Employee...
Medicare’s rules about who pays first — Medicare or a group health plan — are not just confusing;...
Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage – What’s the Difference?
Medicare beneficiaries often face a big choice: Medigap or Medicare Advantage? Both options help...
Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Calculator
Week 4: Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage and the $2,000 OOP...
Week X: Is Consumer-Directed Health Care Still a Thing?
Understanding the ACA’s Common Ownership Rules
Under the ACA’s common ownership rules, even a company with fewer than 50 employees may be treated...
Federal Tax Brackets for 2026
The ACA’s Employer Mandate and a Surprising Loophole for Home...
When the ACA’s employer mandate took effect, many industries worried about how they would manage...
Week 1: BCBSTX Ends COBRA and State Continuation Administration
This week: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) is ending COBRA and Texas State Continuation...
Reminder: Don’t Encourage Employees to Commit Tax or Insurance...
Cutting corners on tax or insurance rules might seem harmless, but the consequences can be severe...
A Weird HSA Loophole for Adult Children
A little-known quirk in the HSA rules means adult children under 26 can sometimes open their own...
Employers Face New Fiduciary Risks: A Must-Read from Fierce...
Fierce Healthcare just published an article that every employer and benefits consultant should...
The Return of the Subsidy Cliff — What It Means for Individual...
President Biden’s COVID-era enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025...
The Basics of Dental Insurance: A Quick Guide for Brokers and...
Dental insurance is one of the most valued employee benefits, but it can also be one of the most...
Prior Authorization: Why Everyone Hates It (And What’s Changing)
Pre-authorization is supposed to control costs, but for many patients and providers it feels like a...
What’s in the Rest of the ACA?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is best known for Title I, which created exchanges, subsidies, and...
Employer Mandate Safe Harbors: A Practical Guide for ALEs
The ACA’s affordability test is based on household income — but since employers rarely know that...
The 6-Month “Retroactive Part A” Trap for HSAs
Many people keep working past 65, stay on an HSA-qualified plan, and delay Medicare to keep...
Missed ACA Reporting? What an ALE Should Do When the IRS Comes...
Got an IRS Letter 5699 asking “Where are your Forms 1094-C/1095-C?” It’s a fixable situation—call...
How the ACA Look-Back Method Works for Variable-Hour Employees
The ACA’s look-back method lets employers average hours over time and “lock in” full-time status...
Social Security at 65 Means Medicare Part A — and the End of HSA...
If you claim Social Security at age 65, you’re automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A — whether...
Dependent Care Accounts Just Got Even Better
A Dependent Care Account (DCA) is a type of Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that lets employees set...