The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
September 3, 2026
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7 items · ~3 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (2) · Health & Welfare Plans (1) · Litigation (2) · General Benefits (2)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
2 items“Thus, until further guidance or regulations are issued, the Departments will not take enforcement action against a plan or issuer that provides the reward only prospectively—that is, from the point at which the participant satisfies the RAS—so long as the plan otherwise satisfies the applicable wellness program requirements and provides sufficient time for participants to complete the alternative standard and receive a reward. The FAQs emphasize that this enforcement relief does not affect other requirements, including the requirement that a program must be reasonably designed to promote health or prevent disease and not operate as a subterfuge for discrimination based on a health factor.” MORE >>
Source: tax.thomsonreuters.com
“Registration for Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (“FAMLI”) program is officially open, and Governor Wes Moore is encouraging employers to register as soon as possible. Employers with at least one Maryland-based employee are required to register. Employers can register through the Maryland Department of Labor’s FAMLI portal. Employers will also need to inform the State whether they will participate in the State Plan or an approved private plan. Payroll deductions and State Plan contributions begin January 1, 2027, with the first quarterly contribution payment due April 30, 2027. FAMLI benefits will become available in January 2028.” MORE >>
Source: National Law Review
Health & Welfare Plans
1 item“If the overpayment is less than $250, no correction is required. A notice is not required to be provided to the participant and no adjustments need to be made. Although no formal correction is required, the overpayment distribution should be documented along with reference to this section of the revenue procedure as part of the correction.” MORE >>
Source: Milliman
Litigation
2 items“In Andersen, the named plaintiff resided in Council Bluffs, Iowa, next to Omaha, Nebraska, and brought a putative class action alleging breach of the fiduciary duty of prudence and failure to monitor fiduciaries in connection with the administration of Medical Solutions’ 401(k) plan. Medical Solutions is headquartered in Omaha, administers the plan there, and its two financial advisors are located there. The company maintained an office in San Diego, which supplied the plaintiff’s basis for filing in the Southern District of California. Judge Huie applied 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) and the Ninth Circuit’s Jones v. GNC Franchising factors.” MORE >>
Source: Roberts Disability Law
“66 Franklin Street, Suite 300 Oakland, CA 94607 In Metropolitan Life Insurance Company v. Williams, No. 4:24-cv-00357-CLM, 2026 WL 2569485 (N.D. Ala. Aug. 31, 2026), an ERISA interpleader case over a General Motors life insurance policy, District Judge Corey L.” MORE >>
Source: Troutman Pepper Locke
General Benefits
2 items“Just 38% of employees say they feel confident navigating open enrollment, according to a new study, highlighting an opportunity for benefit leaders to use AI-enabled decision-support tools to make those choices easier.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News
“Pay growth and long-term incentives matter most to employees at the moment as well as spot bonuses with increased frequency, Gartner said. Workers want more benefits focused on financial security and stability and less on career growth and work-life balance, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Gartner. Gartner surveyed more than 10,000 employees in May. Per those results, employees seek protection against “unanticipated costs,” particularly medical costs, survey results showed, and consider paid time off and work-life balance less important than in the past. Pay growth and long-term incentives matter most to employees at the moment as well as spot bonuses with increased frequency,” MORE >>
Source: HR Dive