Skip to main content

Insights & Resources

Benefits intelligence for Florida employers

Practical guides, compliance updates, and cost-strategy thinking from our advisory team — written to help you run a smarter, more competitive benefits program.

Looking for tools & resources? Visit Resources

The 2027 Renewal Is Going to Sting. Here Is What I Am Telling Our Clients.

Industry Trends

Nov 2, 20266 min read

The 2027 Renewal Is Going to Sting. Here Is What I Am Telling Our Clients.

Employers are looking at the steepest cost increase in more than twenty years. Doug Foreman on what is driving it, what is not worth fighting, and the three conversations to have before you sign anything.

ACA Affordability Crosses 10% for 2027. Here Is What That Does to Your Contribution Strategy.

Oct 26, 20265 min read

ACA Affordability Crosses 10% for 2027. Here Is What That Does to Your Contribution Strategy.

The affordability threshold moves to 10.22% in 2027, the first time it has crossed 10%. Andrew Smith walks through the new safe harbor numbers, the higher penalties, and the mistake that gets employers in trouble every year.

2027 HSA Limits Are Up Again. The Hard Part Is Getting Employees to Use Them.

Employee Experience

Oct 19, 20265 min read

2027 HSA Limits Are Up Again. The Hard Part Is Getting Employees to Use Them.

The IRS raised HSA limits to $4,500 and $9,000 for 2027. Steven Hinton on the new numbers, the dependent care FSA change most families missed, and why the account only works if someone explains it in plain English.

GLP-1s in 2027: The Decision Every Employer Is Being Forced to Make

Oct 12, 20266 min read

GLP-1s in 2027: The Decision Every Employer Is Being Forced to Make

Employer coverage of weight-loss GLP-1s fell from 72% to 60% in a year, and more are dropping it for 2027. Doug Foreman on the real cost per employee, the options between cover-everything and cover-nothing, and how to talk to your people about it.

The 2027 Out-of-Pocket Maximum Jumped 13%. Do Not Let Your Plan Design Quietly Follow It.

Oct 5, 20265 min read

The 2027 Out-of-Pocket Maximum Jumped 13%. Do Not Let Your Plan Design Quietly Follow It.

The ACA cost-sharing cap moves to $12,000 self-only and $24,000 family in 2027, the largest one-year increase in the program. Andrew Smith on why the cap rose, the embedded-limit rule, and the difference between what is legal and what is wise.

Open Enrollment for 2027: What Your Employees Are Actually Asking Us

Employee Experience

Sep 28, 20265 min read

Open Enrollment for 2027: What Your Employees Are Actually Asking Us

Steven Hinton on the questions coming up in 2027 enrollment meetings, from GLP-1 coverage changes to higher out-of-pocket caps, and the handful of communication habits that turn a tense season into a calm one.

Mental Health Parity Did Not Go Away. The DOL Just Told Us Where It Is Looking.

Sep 14, 20265 min read

Mental Health Parity Did Not Go Away. The DOL Just Told Us Where It Is Looking.

The 2024 parity rule is being rewritten, but the statute and the comparative analysis requirement are still in force, and a new Labor Department bulletin lists three enforcement priorities. Doug Foreman on what a plan sponsor should have on file.

Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage: The 72% Test Is About to Be Mandatory

Aug 10, 20265 min read

Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage: The 72% Test Is About to Be Mandatory

The Part D out-of-pocket cap moved to $2,100 for 2026, and the test for whether your plan counts as creditable got stricter. Steven Hinton on what to confirm before the October 15 notices go out, and why your employees over 65 will care.

PCORI and Form 5500 Are Both Due July 31. Here Is Who Owes What.

Jul 6, 20264 min read

PCORI and Form 5500 Are Both Due July 31. Here Is Who Owes What.

Two filings, one deadline, and a lot of confusion about which employers actually have to do them. Andrew Smith on the $3.84 PCORI fee, the 5500 threshold, and the one extension that exists.

Trump Accounts Open July 4. Should Your Company Contribute?

Employee Experience

Jun 22, 20264 min read

Trump Accounts Open July 4. Should Your Company Contribute?

Employers can put up to $2,500 a year, tax-free, into a new savings account for an employee's child. Steven Hinton on what the accounts are, what is still unclear, and a sensible way to answer the question when an employee asks.

Your PBM Contract Is Now a Fiduciary Question

Jun 8, 20266 min read

Your PBM Contract Is Now a Fiduciary Question

A federal court allowed a pharmacy benefit lawsuit against a large employer to proceed this spring, and state financial officers are writing letters. Doug Foreman on what self-funded employers should be able to prove about their drug spend, and when.

RxDC Is Due June 1. If Your Carrier Sent a Request, Answer It.

May 4, 20264 min read

RxDC Is Due June 1. If Your Carrier Sent a Request, Answer It.

The prescription drug data collection report is one of the few filings where a fully insured employer can still be the reason it is late. Steven Hinton on what the carrier is asking for and why the email is not spam.

Tobacco Surcharge Lawsuits Are Piling Up. Check Your Wellness Program Now.

Apr 13, 20265 min read

Tobacco Surcharge Lawsuits Are Piling Up. Check Your Wellness Program Now.

Dozens of ERISA class actions are targeting one thing: tobacco surcharges that did not offer a real alternative or did not refund the surcharge once the employee completed it. Andrew Smith on the five-minute audit every employer with a surcharge should run.

What the One Big Beautiful Bill Actually Changed for Employer Benefits

Industry Trends

Mar 16, 20267 min read

What the One Big Beautiful Bill Actually Changed for Employer Benefits

Telehealth, direct primary care, student loans, child care, and a new kind of savings account for kids. Doug Foreman separates the provisions that matter to a mid-sized employer from the ones that make headlines.

The Dependent Care FSA Finally Went Up. Tell Your Working Parents.

Employee Experience

Feb 23, 20264 min read

The Dependent Care FSA Finally Went Up. Tell Your Working Parents.

The dependent care FSA limit moved from $5,000 to $7,500 for 2026, the first permanent increase since 1986. Steven Hinton on why most employees still do not know, and how to fix that before they miss it.

You May Not Have to Mail 1095-Cs Anymore. Here Is the Catch.

Feb 9, 20265 min read

You May Not Have to Mail 1095-Cs Anymore. Here Is the Catch.

The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act lets employers post a notice instead of mailing every 1095-C. Andrew Smith walks through exactly what the notice has to say, when it has to be up, and why the IRS filing has not gone anywhere.

The Enhanced ACA Subsidies Just Expired. Expect More People on Your Plan.

Industry Trends

Jan 26, 20265 min read

The Enhanced ACA Subsidies Just Expired. Expect More People on Your Plan.

Benchmark marketplace premiums jumped roughly 26% when the enhanced premium tax credits lapsed. Doug Foreman on why that is showing up in your HR inbox, your COBRA elections, and your mid-year enrollment numbers.

The 2026 Benefits Compliance Calendar, Deadline by Deadline

Jan 12, 20266 min read

The 2026 Benefits Compliance Calendar, Deadline by Deadline

Eleven dates that matter for a calendar-year health plan in 2026, who actually files each one, and the two that trip up well-run HR teams every single year.