LinkedIn

article Tools + Intel

Beyond The Core Plan: Where Value Can Show Up All Year

Core medical coverage may anchor the strategy, but it is often the issues surrounding the plan that create the most day-to-day friction. Compliance questions, administrative strain, and employee confusion can make a solid program feel harder to manage than it should. Broader support in the right areas can create stronger touchpoints, and make value easier to see throughout the year.

Read Moreabout Beyond The Core Plan: Where Value Can Show Up All Year

article Tools + Intel

Where AI Fits and Where Experience Still Matters in Underwriting

Underwriting hasn’t been replaced by technology, but the process is changing. AI can review large data sets quickly, accelerating decisions for straightforward cases while complex situations still require experienced human review. Understanding how carriers combine automation with traditional underwriting helps brokers set expectations early, position cases more effectively, and reduce surprises.

Read Moreabout Where AI Fits and Where Experience Still Matters in Underwriting

article Tools + Intel

The Self-Funded Shift: Smart Strategies for a Cost-Heavy 2026

Rising medical utilization, specialty drug spending, and stop-loss pressure are pushing many employers to reconsider how their health plans are structured. Self-funding is gaining attention because it gives employers greater visibility into costs and more control over how risk is managed.

Read Moreabout The Self-Funded Shift: Smart Strategies for a Cost-Heavy 2026

article Tools + Intel

Why Required Notices Break Down and How to Fix the Gap

Required notices are often delivered correctly but rarely absorbed. As benefits programs grow more complex and employees make faster decisions through digital platforms, notices can feel disconnected from the moments when they actually matter.

Read Moreabout Why Required Notices Break Down and How to Fix the Gap

article Tools + Intel

ICHRA Deserves a Serious Look Right Now

As cost volatility continues, employers are looking for ways to bring more discipline to benefits spending without limiting employee choice. ICHRA is gaining traction because it offers budget clarity, flexibility for modern workforces, and a more predictable planning framework. When structured and supported well, it creates alignment between employer intent and employee experience.

Read Moreabout ICHRA Deserves a Serious Look Right Now

article Tools + Intel

What the Marijuana Executive Order Means for Employer Policies

Cannabis policy remains uneven across states, creating uncertainty for employers with evolving workforces. The real risk is not the law itself, but policies that are outdated or applied inconsistently. Clear, well-aligned policies help reduce confusion, support fair decision-making, and prevent issues from surfacing later during claims, disputes, or renewal conversations.

Read Moreabout What the Marijuana Executive Order Means for Employer Policies

article Tools + Intel

Why DEI Rollbacks Are Raising New EPL Concerns

A lot of employers are making quiet changes to DEI programs right now. Some are scaling back. Some are keeping things in place and hoping they hold. This article looks at why either path can create EPL exposure, how enforcement and litigation are starting to show up, and what brokers should be paying attention to before a claim forces the conversation.

Read Moreabout Why DEI Rollbacks Are Raising New EPL Concerns

article Tools + Intel

How to Lead the PEO Conversation Without Losing Control of the Client

PEO conversations are happening earlier and more often, sometimes without the broker in the room. We lay out how brokers can stay in control by introducing PEO proactively, setting clear evaluation triggers, and leading the process with confidence. The focus is not selling PEO, but guiding the decision so the broker remains the constant, regardless of the outcome.

Read Moreabout How to Lead the PEO Conversation Without Losing Control of the Client

article Tools + Intel

Legislative Uncertainty Isn’t New. The Right Questions Are.

Uncertainty is nothing new in benefits. What’s different heading into 2026 is the pace of change and the pressure on employers to act before guidance is fully settled. Dive in as we reframe uncertainty as a moment for stronger process, clearer roles, and better documentation. We outline the questions brokers should ask now to help clients stay defensible, consistent, and confident.

Read Moreabout Legislative Uncertainty Isn’t New. The Right Questions Are.

article Tools + Intel

Back in Session: What the Government Reopening Means for Healthcare Compliance

Long-term disability coverage can quietly fall short when taxes take a bite out of benefits. A simple gross-up adjustment (taxing premiums upfront) turns taxable payouts into tax-free income when it matters most. It’s a smarter structure that keeps the promised 60% intact and offers stronger protection without added cost.

Read Moreabout Back in Session: What the Government Reopening Means for Healthcare Compliance

article Tools + Intel

Making Sense of Taxability in Long-Term Disability Plans

Long-term disability coverage can quietly fall short when taxes take a bite out of benefits. A simple gross-up adjustment (taxing premiums upfront) turns taxable payouts into tax-free income when it matters most. It’s a smarter structure that keeps the promised 60% intact and offers stronger protection without added cost.

Read Moreabout Making Sense of Taxability in Long-Term Disability Plans

article Tools + Intel

The Compliance Gray Areas That Keep Showing Up

The biggest compliance missteps often start with small assumptions—like calling a plan “voluntary” or tweaking classes without testing for discrimination. Gray zones around ERISA, 105(h), and plan documentation can quietly turn into audits or penalties. Staying aligned means reviewing, documenting, and asking the right questions before every change

Read Moreabout The Compliance Gray Areas That Keep Showing Up

article Tools + Intel

Level-Funded Plans in 2026: Compliance Responsibilities Employers Must Manage

Level-funded plans are gaining ground as costs climb, but they come with hidden compliance work. From ACA filings to COBRA rates and HIPAA safeguards, Misty Baker highlights what employers must manage and how brokers can help them avoid last-minute penalties

Read Moreabout Level-Funded Plans in 2026: Compliance Responsibilities Employers Must Manage

article Tools + Intel

GLP-1s in 2026: What Brokers Need to Know

GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic are now linked to heart health, not just weight loss, and that shift is changing benefit strategy. Learn how 2026 renewals will test plan design, compliance, and cost control—and what conversations to start with clients before coverage questions hit

Read Moreabout GLP-1s in 2026: What Brokers Need to Know

article Tools + Intel

Stop Losing Clients to PEO: Why Brokers Must Act Now

Employers are frustrated with renewals that never change the story. PEO partnerships can reset the conversation by simplifying HR, payroll, and benefits while keeping brokers at the center. Explore how to spot the right clients, address hesitation, and strengthen relationships before competitors step in

Read Moreabout Stop Losing Clients to PEO: Why Brokers Must Act Now

Tools + Intel

Blog listing

Beyond The Core Plan: Where Value Can Show Up All Year

Where AI Fits and Where Experience Still Matters in Underwriting

The Self-Funded Shift: Smart Strategies for a Cost-Heavy 2026

Why Required Notices Break Down and How to Fix the Gap

ICHRA Deserves a Serious Look Right Now

What the Marijuana Executive Order Means for Employer Policies

Why DEI Rollbacks Are Raising New EPL Concerns

How to Lead the PEO Conversation Without Losing Control of the Client

Legislative Uncertainty Isn’t New. The Right Questions Are.

Back in Session: What the Government Reopening Means for Healthcare Compliance

Making Sense of Taxability in Long-Term Disability Plans

The Compliance Gray Areas That Keep Showing Up

Level-Funded Plans in 2026: Compliance Responsibilities Employers Must Manage

GLP-1s in 2026: What Brokers Need to Know

Stop Losing Clients to PEO: Why Brokers Must Act Now