The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Health & Welfare Plans
October 22, 2026
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8 items · ~2 min read
Top of the Brief
Voluntary Benefits Litigation: How Plaintiff Firms Turned Broker Compensation Into an ERISA Class Action Playbook“On December 23, 2025, the Schlichter Bogard law firm filed four novel class action complaints against employers and their voluntary benefits programs, with their benefits brokers named as co-defendants in each. All four lawsuits alleged the voluntary benefits programs are subject to ERISA because the employers allegedly failed to comply with the voluntary benefits safe harbor established by the U.S. Department of Labor under 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-1(j),5 and that the employers and their brokers violated ERISA’s fiduciary standards and engaged in prohibited transactions.”
In this issue
Health & Welfare Plans (3) · Litigation (2) · Regulatory Action and Guidance (1) · General Benefits (2)
Health & Welfare Plans
3 items“Workers are paying on average $7,471 annually toward the premiums for employer-sponsored family health benefits this year, which is up 9%, or $621, from 2025, per KFF’s annual benchmark health benefits survey of large and small employers.” MORE >>
Source: KFF
“In a global survey of 2,000 employees who are in or have used therapy, 51% said they sought external professional support like therapy and coaching for work-related stress, rather than speak to their manager or HR. While 88% of all respondents said therapy met their needs, 60% said their therapy experience was more intense than necessary, and 51% of those going for workplace stress said all or most of it could have been solved with “better management, clearer communication, reasonable workloads, or better leadership.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News
“On December 23, 2025, the Schlichter Bogard law firm filed four novel class action complaints against employers and their voluntary benefits programs, with their benefits brokers named as co-defendants in each. All four lawsuits alleged the voluntary benefits programs are subject to ERISA because the employers allegedly failed to comply with the voluntary benefits safe harbor established by the U.S. Department of Labor under 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-1(j),5 and that the employers and their brokers violated ERISA’s fiduciary standards and engaged in prohibited transactions.” MORE >>
Source: Encore Fiduciary
Litigation
2 items“66 Franklin Street, Suite 300 Oakland, CA 94607 In Doolittle v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, No. 1:25-cv-00148 (BKS/CBF), 2026 WL 3135297 (N.D.N.Y. Oct. 20, 2026), Chief U.” MORE >>
Source: Roberts Disability Law
“66 Franklin Street, Suite 300 Oakland, CA 94607 In Collier v. Lincoln Life Assurance Company of Boston, No. 8:20-cv-00839-JVS-KESx, 2026 WL 3126569 (C.D. Cal. Oct.” MORE >>
Source: Roberts Disability Law
Regulatory Action and Guidance
1 item"Recently, regulators issued a final rule updating the Transparency in Coverage requirements for non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers. The final rule requires several changes to machine-readable files (MRFs) that are intended to make healthcare pricing information more reliable, accessible, and meaningful. It also introduces a new MRF attestation and requires plans provide personalized cost-sharing disclosures by phone." MORE >>
Source: Alliant
General Benefits
2 items[Health & Welfare Plans]
The $2,500 Question: What Employers Need to Know About Contributing to Trump Accounts“Key Takeaways Trump accounts are not just a matter for families; they also give employers a new tax-advantaged benefit to offer to employees.” MORE >>
Source: Foley & Lardner
[Health & Welfare Plans]
2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey“News Release: Workers Now Pay $7,471 on Average Annually for Family Health Coverage, Up 9% or $621 from 2025, Benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey Finds This is the 28th annual Employer Health Benefits Survey.” MORE >>
Source: KFF