Insights

Written by Megan Nail, SVP, Total Rewards Practice. If you're looking to make some adjustments to your total rewards strategies to mitigate potential talent challenges, please contact Talent Solutions. Are you thinking about salaries? Are you wondering if you should adjust your salary structure annually to keep pace with the market? Are budgetary pressures, economic concerns and tight job markets forcing you to reconsider everything? If you have a swirling storm of factors to consider relative

Mergers and acquisitions are often driven by growth ambitions and the belief that broader scale, reach and expertise create greater opportunity. When organizations come together, however, realizing the full value of the deal depends not only on strategy and operations, but also on how effectively the people side of the transition is managed. These outcomes rarely hinge on the announcement itself. More often, they take shape in the months that follow as integration progresses, expectations settl

On February 11, 2026, the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking (DSIB) released an Updated Religious Accommodation Bulletin, which addresses the expansion of certain health coverage requirements and the process for employers with religious objections to those requirements to request accommodations. According to the bulletin, employers with religious objections to the coverage of required covered health services such as contraception, sterilization, fertility and infertility trea

The short answer is probably not. Employers often cannot automatically cancel medical benefits just because the employee changes to a part-time position. The long answer, which we will explore, depends on factors such as employer size, the measurement method being used, and employee tenure. Employer Size As a refresher, the ACA’s employer mandate applies to employers with 50 or more employees (including part-time employees or full-time equivalent employees) in the previous calendar year. If the

On March 9, 2026, in Stern v. JPMorgan Chase & Co., a New York federal district court allowed an ERISA class action to proceed in part, finding participants plausibly alleged prohibited transactions arising from JPMorgan’s PBM contracting and related payments. As a result, the case will move forward to the next phase, which means increased costs for JP Morgan as litigation, and potentially discovery, proceed. The decision highlights increased litigation risk for plan sponsors around PBM sel

On March 6, 2026, in Navarro v. Wells Fargo & Co., a Minnesota district court dismissed an ERISA fiduciary breach case filed against defendant Wells Fargo for allegedly mismanaging its group prescription drug benefits. The court found that the plaintiffs had, once again, failed to show they had suffered a concrete injury caused by the defendant’s actions to establish the legal “standing” necessary to proceed with the case. Background The Wells Fargo case is one of several recent high-profil

On February 23, 2026, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report on trends in HSA usage. The report presented key findings on HSA utilization, enrollment, and contributions based on recent data and surveys. HSAs were established as a tax-advantaged financial instrument that allows individuals to accumulate and utilize funds for unreimbursed medical expenses, such as deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and services not covered by insurance. Eligibility for HSA contributions is

From regulatory actions to market innovations in the pharmacy benefits landscape, here’s a recap of key events from late 2025 and their implications for the year ahead.

Medical and pharmacy cost containment leads 2026 benefits trends as rising GLP-1 demand reshapes talent expectations. Employers are leveraging data, third-party solutions and AI governance to manage costs, improve communication, close benefits gaps.