The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
July 24, 2026
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9 items · ~3 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (5) · Health & Welfare Plans (3) · General Benefits (1)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
5 items“The rule pitched Wednesday would make it easier for group health plans regulated by ERISA to share mandatory notices with their members. A DOL official called the proposal a “big step forward.” First published on DOL estimates the proposal could save insurers $3.9 billion over a decade by lowering the costs of printing and sending paper disclosures to their members. Group health plans currently print and mail up to 11 billion sheets of paper each year, regulators said. Moving to e-delivery will also more convenient and secure for beneficiaries, according to DOL, though people can still request to receive their disclosures physically if they prefer. It’s “a win for participants and beneficiar” MORE >>
Source: HR Dive
“Accordingly, for plan year 2026, Exchanges must immediately begin to update their systems to stop removing or denying advance payments of the premium tax credit for any new applicants or existing enrollees due to having failed to file and reconcile prior years’ premium tax credits,” CMS wrote. “Exchanges must continue in this manner for plan year 2027.” MORE >>
Source: aha.org
“The Treasury Department released its Agency Rule List, which contains several important retirement, health, and executive compensation initiatives for this year......” MORE >>
Source: Littler
“The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions was forced to delay its vote to advance the nomination of Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to be the long-term secretary due to a lack of attendance.” MORE >>
Source: PLANSPONSOR
“The Department of Labor failed to establish adequate safeguards over its use of common interest agreements with private plaintiffs’ attorneys, creating risks to confidential information and undermining public confidence, the department’s inspector general told lawmakers Wednesday.” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER
Health & Welfare Plans
3 items“Reports and Surveys | July 23, 2026 In late spring and summer 2026, we surveyed managed care organizations, health insurers, PBMs and TPAs about their projected 2027 trends for medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage.” MORE >>
Source: Segal
[Regulatory Action and Guidance]
No Surprises disputes continue to swell, CMS finds“Providers and payers initiated 16% more disputes in the second half of 2025 compared with the first half, according to new federal data. The controversial process set up to resolve disputes between payers and providers over out-of-network bills continues to snowball, according to new federal data. Between July and December last year, providers and payers initiated almost 1.4 million disputes through a federal portal meant to handle billing challenges under the No Surprises Act, 16% more than the first half of 2025, according to federal data released Wednesday. The NSA was passed in 2020 to protect patients from unexpected medical bills. To do so, the law created the independent dispute resol” MORE >>
Source: Healthcare Dive
“News and Press | July 23, 2026 Segal, a leading benefits and HR consulting firm, today issued the 2027 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey report.” MORE >>
Source: JD Supra
General Benefits
1 item[Health & Welfare Plans]
Women need help navigating workplace benefits and support“More than 400,000 women left the U.S. workforce between January and August 2025, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 working adults by Catalyst, a global nonprofit focused on advancing women in the workplace. The exodus may not be driven solely by a lack of support, but also by the difficulty of understanding and accessing the resources available to them — underscoring the need for employers to rethink how they support women through the benefits and life challenges that can push them out of work.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News