Recent Posts
News•Feb 17, 2026
The Fall of Personalization and Rise of Anticipatory Benefits
Benefit leaders are moving beyond personalization toward anticipatory benefits, as Businessolver unveils an AI‑driven platform called Sophia that predicts employee needs before they arise. The solution mines chatbot transcripts, service calls, and activity data to deliver proactive nudges and alerts, aiming to curb costly claims and streamline HR workflows. While 65% of workers still desire personalized options, the new model emphasizes early intervention, such as ergonomic advice for high‑risk roles, rather than reactive support after injuries. Businessolver argues this shift will redefine success metrics from mere engagement to tangible health and cost outcomes.
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 16, 2026
A Welcomed Turning Point for Earned Wage Access
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a December 2025 advisory opinion clarifying that employer‑integrated earned wage access (EWA) is not a loan under the Truth in Lending Act. This guidance removes a major regulatory uncertainty that has limited EWA adoption....
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 12, 2026
$1 Trillion Lost as Workers Delay Mental Health Care
A nationwide Renaissance Recovery survey found U.S. employees lost more than $1 trillion in earnings over the past five years due to untreated mental‑health and substance‑use disorders. Forty‑one percent said these conditions impaired their ability to work, cutting average income by...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 12, 2026
Rethinking Employer Coverage for High-Cost Medications
Employers face a projected 9% rise in health‑benefit costs for 2026, driven largely by soaring prescription drug expenses. GLP‑1 receptor agonists, originally diabetes treatments now popular for weight loss, have become the fastest‑growing cost component, with 79% of employers reporting...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 11, 2026
A New Addition to PTO: Heartbreak Leave
A recent Zety survey finds that one in three employees believes companies should offer dedicated “heartbreak leave” and many have already taken time off after a breakup. Younger workers, especially Gen Z and millennials, are most eager for the benefit, with...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 11, 2026
Rising Health Costs Outpace Social Security for Retirees
Health inflation is projected at 5.8% annually, more than double the 2.4% Social Security cost‑of‑living adjustment. Medicare Part B and Advantage premiums jumped 9.7% for 2026, while Part D drug premiums have risen 50% since the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The widening...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 11, 2026
Why Now Is the Best Time to Re-Engage Employers
The post‑open enrollment window is a critical period for benefits brokers to re‑engage employer clients and translate enrollment insights into actionable strategy for 2026. Employers are pressuring brokers to control rising healthcare costs while employees face mounting financial stress from...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 10, 2026
How Employees Can Use LSAs to Pay for Groceries and Other Basic Needs
Employers are turning to Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) to let staff use benefit funds for everyday needs like groceries, childcare and health services. Data from benefits platform Compt shows 64% of partner firms now use LSAs as their primary benefit,...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 10, 2026
New Leadership at Target, Walmart and Bridgestone West Focus on Employee Connection
New CEOs at Walmart (John Furner) and Target (Michael Fiddelke) and Bridgestone West’s chief people officer (Michele Herlein) are launching people‑first campaigns that prioritize frontline listening and direct employee engagement. Furner began with a company‑wide memo and store visits, while...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 10, 2026
Health Savings Accounts Gain Popularity as Investment Vehicles
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are increasingly being used as investment vehicles, with 4 million accounts – about 10% of all HSAs – holding invested assets, a 23% year‑over‑year rise. Total HSA assets grew 16% to $159 billion, and investment‑linked assets now represent...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 10, 2026
Why Your Organization's Greatest Asset Is Its Own Collective Wisdom
The article argues that organizations waste resources on external consultants while the real source of transformation lies in their own collective wisdom. It critiques the reliance on imported best‑practice frameworks in a BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) world. By treating...
By Employee Benefit News
News•Feb 9, 2026
Included Health's New Plan Design Improves Employees' Access to Quality Care
Included Health unveiled an alternative health‑plan design that blends guided care, AI tools, and a copay‑first pricing model to give employees faster, more affordable access to primary care. The plan replaces traditional PPO/HMO choices with a hybrid that offers broader...
By Employee Benefit News