Educational updates for employers and participants — not legal, tax, or individualized advice. Confirm details against primary IRS/DOL sources and your plan documents.
This week in benefits: midyear filings and the OE runway
Two practical themes for the week of July 20: finish July 31 compliance tasks without drama, and turn open-enrollment prep from a notion into a dated plan.
Open enrollment prep starts now — even if OE feels far away
Carriers and TPAs are already booking fall OE windows. A July planning outline for limits, backlog decisions, and employee education that won’t be rushed in October.
Midyear hire chaos: getting FSA/HSA/COBRA data right when teams are short-staffed
Summer hiring and vacation coverage are when enrollment files break. A short data-quality checklist for account-based plans and COBRA feeds.
July compliance pileup: Form 5500, PCORI fees, and the calendar you actually need
July 31 shows up fast for Form 5500 filings and PCORI fee payments on self-insured plans and many HRAs. A pre-holiday checklist for plan sponsors.
Substantiation isn’t busywork — it’s what keeps the tax break intact
A midyear reminder for plan sponsors: unsubstantiated FSA/HRA reimbursements aren’t a customer-service nit. They’re a plan qualification issue.
QSEHRA or ICHRA: a small-employer decision framework for 2026
Smaller groups shopping alternatives to traditional group medical often land on QSEHRA vs ICHRA. Here’s the decision frame without the brochure gloss.
The uniform coverage rule: why a January FSA claim can exceed what’s been deducted
Health FSAs must make the full annual election available on day one. That generosity is the point — and the reason midyear terminations need careful COBRA and payroll handling.
Grace period or carryover? Why health FSAs still force a fork in the road
Employers can soften the use-it-or-lose-it rule with a grace period or a carryover — not both. How to choose before you lock next year’s plan doc.
Midyear benefits checkup: five questions worth asking before summer
A practical midyear audit list for FSA claims pacing, HSA eligibility drift, COBRA vendor SLAs, and billing recon — before open enrollment planning takes over.
Employer HSA contributions: simple designs that employees actually understand
Seed money, matching, or front-loading — employer HSA contributions work best when the rules fit on one slide. Design notes ahead of midyear and OE planning.
Commuter benefits tick up to $340 a month for 2026
Qualified transit and parking benefits rise to $340 per month in 2026. A short update for employers who offer — or are considering — commuter accounts alongside medical FSAs.
ICHRA notices aren’t a December problem — start the 90-day clock
For calendar-year ICHRAs, the employee notice is generally due by October 3. May is when serious sponsors build the content and class design behind that notice.
OTC on the FSA/HSA card: eligible ≠ anything on the endcap
Allergy season fills carts — and claim queues. A refresher on OTC medical products vs. the vitamins and wellness items that still get denied.
Yes, COBRA can apply to FSAs and HRAs — with important twists
Account-based plans don’t get a free pass on COBRA. How health FSAs and HRAs differ, and why QSEHRAs aren’t in the same bucket.
Summer day camp and Dependent Care FSAs: what counts before the brochures go out
April is when parents book camps — and when Dependent Care FSA questions spike. A quick eligibility refresher under the new $7,500 limit.
Telehealth and HSAs: the temporary fix that became permanent
Pre-deductible telehealth used to be a pandemic patch for HDHPs. The OBBB made that flexibility permanent — here’s how to describe it without overselling.
Q1 FSA check-in: runout, carryover, and the claims still sitting in gloveboxes
End of March is when prior-year FSA issues resurface. How to message runout windows, carryovers, and leftover card declines without sounding like a collections agency.
Consolidated billing isn’t glamorous — it’s how benefits stay on time
When carriers, COBRA, and account-based plans invoice separately, finance chases PDFs and participants feel the delays. Why consolidated billing still earns its keep.
HRA alphabet soup: excepted-benefit, ICHRA, QSEHRA — what 2026 caps look like
Not every HRA plays by the same rules. A practical map of common HRA types and the 2026 excepted-benefit HRA cap of $2,200.
HDHP math check: deductibles, OOP maxes, and embedded family quirks
A mid-Q1 refresher on 2026 HDHP minimum deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums — including why family plans still confuse everyone.
Last call for comments on Notice 2026-5 HSA guidance
Treasury asked for feedback on the new HSA guidance around telehealth, DPC, and bronze/catastrophic coverage. The comment window around March 6 is the moment for plan sponsors to speak up.
Mid-year election changes: the IRS events that actually unlock a swap
Employees ask to “fix my FSA” every month. Here’s the cafeteria-plan change-in-status framework in everyday language — and what still isn’t allowed.
COBRA’s quiet deadline: the 90-day initial notice
Qualifying-event packets get all the attention. The COBRA general (initial) notice due within 90 days of coverage starting is the one employers still miss.
FSA debit cards and receipts: keeping substantiation boring (on purpose)
Auto-substantiation is great until it isn’t. A practical look at when FSA/HRA card transactions need receipts — and how to keep participants from treating the card like a second checking account.
Tax season HSA checklist: Form 8889 without the headaches
February is when HSA contributions, distributions, and employer reports collide on Form 8889. A short checklist for HR teams fielding employee tax questions.
Bronze and catastrophic plans can now pair with HSAs
Starting in 2026, certain bronze and catastrophic coverage can support HSA contributions even when the plan doesn’t meet the classic HDHP definition. Here’s the practical takeaway for employers and ICHRA sponsors.
HSAs and direct primary care: what Notice 2026-5 cleared up
IRS Notice 2026-5 explains when a direct primary care arrangement won’t knock someone out of HSA eligibility — and when the monthly fee limits still matter.
Dependent care FSAs jump to $7,500 — the first real raise in decades
Congress finally lifted the Dependent Care FSA cap to $7,500 for 2026. Here’s what changed, what didn’t, and how employers should talk about it with working parents.
2026 is here: the HSA and FSA numbers that actually changed
A plain-English rundown of the 2026 HSA, HDHP, and health FSA limits now in effect — and what payroll and open-enrollment materials should already reflect.