The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
September 9, 2026
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7 items · ~3 min read
Top of the Brief
Guidance on IDR Gateway Accounts and New Batching Rules | Segal“Compliance News | September 8, 2026 The Federal IDR Team, which includes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury, continue to work to implement the IDR operations final rule.”
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (3) · Health & Welfare Plans (2) · Litigation (1) · General Benefits (1)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
3 items“Compliance News | September 8, 2026 The Federal IDR Team, which includes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury, continue to work to implement the IDR operations final rule.” MORE >>
Source: IRS
“In FAQ Part 74, the Tri-Agencies acknowledge the language that implied rewards or surcharges be applied or removed retroactively appeared only in the preamble, not in the regulatory text. Accordingly, the Tri-Agencies announced they will not take enforcement action against a plan or issuer that does not provide a reward retroactive to the start of the plan year, so long as the plan provides the reward for the period after the participant satisfies the reasonable alternative standard and otherwise complies with the wellness program regulations.” MORE >>
Source: mondaq.com
“In the FAQs, the Departments confirmed that sponsors of group health plans have considerable flexibility in crafting wellness programs and should not be penalized for declining to pay a wellness program reward retroactively to the first day of the plan year when a participant satisfies a reasonable alternative standard mid-year. They announced immediate enforcement relief for that approach until further guidance or regulations are issued. Although the Departments’ pronouncement may seem dry and technical on its face, this guidance may have implications for the several dozen group health plan fiduciaries currently mired in ERISA class action litigation about tobacco premium surcharges.” MORE >>
Source: Proskauer (ERISA Practice Center)
Health & Welfare Plans
2 items“Find Your Next Job ! New York City has amended its Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (the Law) to provide new forms of leave and update existing leave requirements. Legislative changes to the Law took effect in February 2026, and the City issued rules on July 23, 2026, clarifying the new provisions.” MORE >>
Source: National Law Review
“Employers are searching for solutions to manage soaring health insurance costs for their employee benefits. According to Aon data, businesses are paying an estimated 9.5% more for coverage this year. Nearly two-thirds of surveyed executives say an 8% to 10% increase is the threshold for making major changes to benefits.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News
Litigation
1 item“Equitable’s termination relied on an Employability Analysis Report that used a computerized job-matching system and identified two occupations that were a “fair” match and twenty-two that were a “potential” match for Plaintiff, each requiring some additional training on tools and materials. Plaintiff argued that because the identified occupations required training, he was not “qualified” for them and therefore satisfied the “Any Occupation” standard. The court rejected that reading. It found the reasoning of Jackson v. Hartford Life & Accident Insurance Co., 2024 WL 3218236 (S.D. Ohio June 28, 2024), compelling, emphasizing that the Policy’s definition, qualification “by education, training ” MORE >>
Source: Roberts Disability Law
General Benefits
1 item“From emergency savings to retirement and AI-powered advice, employers are rethinking financial wellness as workers struggle to keep up with rising costs. U.S. workers say retirement is getting harder to afford, raising questions about how organizations can help workers save, understand their benefits, and plan ahead. Incorporating technology into the benefits selection process frees up time and energy better spent on human-centric areas of support. Jeri Doris explains how open communication, kindness and curiosity create a resilient people team that thrives in today’s evolving workplace.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News