October 2025 Employee Benefits | Rethinking Health Plan Costs Workplace Culture | Making AI Adoption Part of Your Culture Dear HR Manager | Helping Your Team Thrive

Key Takeaways 1. Gain practical insight into common compliance challenges faced by employers, such as navigating healthcare regulations, understanding reporting requirements, managing benefits administration, and complying with ERISA, HIPAA, the ACA, and COBRA. 2. Learn how to avoid compliance pitfalls and strengthen your understanding of employee benefit compliance through real-world examples. 3. Understand what employers consider to be their day-to-day challenges in managing a compliant employee benefit group health plan.

October 5, 2025 September saw employers preparing for the distribution of potential MLR rebates, while New York City readies for an expansion to its Earned Safe and Sick Leave Act. Applicable employers prepare to comply with the Gag Clause Attestation due in December. Sponsors of dependent care FSAs considered how the higher limit in 2026 may impact the ability to pass non-discrimination testing. California group health plans lock in the federal preventive care and vaccine recommendations that were in effect as of January 1, 2025.

July 8, 2025 President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act (the "OBBB" or the "Act") was passed by Congress on July 3, 2025. The OBBB is not generally considered a benefits bill, but it does contain a few helpful provisions for employers and other plan sponsors. Earlier versions of the OBBB contained more expansive provisions related to Individual Coverage HRAs (ICHRAs). However, employers and plan sponsors will want to pay attention to the changes that made it into the final Act, addressing health savings accounts (HSAs), dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), student loan repayment assistance, and newly created "Trump Accounts."