The Benefits Brief · Week of August 10, 2026

THE ISSUE

Employers face critical decisions on employee benefits as renewal season heats up

By Andrew Dalton · Week of August 10, 2026 · 30 stories
This week's standings

Football is finally back. Preseason games are on, college kickoff is a couple of weeks out, and my fantasy drafts have taken over every free evening in the house. Renewals are landing on my desk at the same time — rates coming back, budgets getting real, open enrollment right around the corner. It is the wildest stretch of the year, and honestly my favorite one. Seasons get won in August, in the prep, not in Week 1 — renewals are no different.

As I examine the world of employee benefits, I'm reminded that it's not just about numbers and budgets, but about people and their wellbeing. Employers have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on their employees' lives, and it starts with understanding their needs and concerns.

From frontline employee experiences to the growing importance of mental health support, there's a lot to consider this renewal season. I'll break down the key factors to help employers make smart choices about their benefits packages.

Mind

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  • Employee Wellness — A recent incident of a news anchor falling asleep on air highlighted the issue of sleep deprivation in the workplace. Brain health professional Candy Calderon noted that women are more impacted by sleep deprivation than men. This disparity can have significant effects on employee wellbeing and productivity. As you consider the impact of sleep deprivation on your workforce, you should also be looking at how to address the underlying causes of this disparity, such as unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities and workplace flexibility, to better support your female employees' overall wellbeing and productivity.
  • Employee Wellness — Employers are encouraged to look beyond healthcare claims to understand the full value of employee health and well-being benefits, which can influence employee productivity, engagement, retention, and overall organizational performance. Comprehensive support, including healthcare navigation, clinical guidance, and behavioral health resources, can help employees thrive and strengthen business outcomes. By investing in whole-person support, employers can create a healthier, more engaged workforce and manage healthcare costs.

Body

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  • Employee Wellness — Shape Up US, a 501(c)3 non-profit, partners with organizations to set up corporate wellness programs, including fun and functional events like Pickleball, to promote employee health and wellbeing. These programs aim to increase productivity and improve bottom-line results by enhancing cognitive function, boosting energy levels, and improving concentration and focus. Shape Up US offers its services for free through grants, sponsorships, and vendor booths.
  • Employee Wellness — Employers can offer employee wellness programs that include corporate produce box programs, pop-up farmers markets, and Lunch & Learns. These programs aim to bring fresh local food to the workforce. The goal is to promote employee wellness through healthy eating options.

Money

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  • HR Executive — A survey of over 300 HR professionals by InComm Benefits found that employee experience is the primary factor in evaluating spending account providers, with many employees unsure how to use their benefits. HR teams are managing broad responsibilities beyond benefits and are looking for providers that can deliver responsive support and employee education. The survey highlights a gap between what employees need from Health Savings Accounts and the support HR teams receive from providers. You should be evaluating your HSA vendors not just on their administrative capabilities, but also on their ability to provide employee-centric support and education, recognizing that a positive employee experience is crucial to maximizing the value of these benefits and reducing the administrative burden on your HR team.
  • Employee Benefits RFP — Payroll is often underutilized as a retention tool, but it can be a platform to communicate employee value and drive retention. According to Payroll Integrations' Employee Financial Wellness Report, 58% of employees stay in their current role due to benefits, but many are unaware of the full value of their compensation. By using payroll as a communication touchpoint and integrating payroll systems with benefits providers, employers can reduce operational risk and improve employee retention.

Workforce

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  • Employee Benefit Trends — At least 500,000 employees are being offered cash-for-coverage plans by their employers, according to recent trends. This approach allows employees to opt out of traditional group health coverage in exchange for a cash payment. The specifics of these plans vary by employer, but they are becoming increasingly common. As cash-for-coverage plans become more prevalent, you will need to carefully consider the potential long-term implications of these arrangements on your employees' health and financial wellbeing, as well as the potential impact on your own benefits strategy and budget.
  • Employee Benefit Trends — A survey by CVS Caremark and Employee Benefit News found that employers rely on their pharmacy benefit managers to manage rising drug prices and maintain access to quality care, with key opportunities including managing GLP-1s and encouraging biosimilar substitution. The survey also showed that only 49% of employers are encouraging biosimilar substitution, despite its potential to reduce drug costs. CVS Caremark has been promoting biosimilar adoption, resulting in over $3.3 billion in gross savings for its clients and members since April 2024.

Nebraska & Incentives

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  • Nebraska Examiner — The cost of childcare in the US averages $13,184 annually per child, with many families finding it unaffordable and providers underpaid. Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer and Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson are leading bipartisan legislation to change how childcare subsidies are calculated, potentially increasing the supply and quality of providers. The current system has not accounted for economic changes since 2014, using the same formula to calculate subsidies, according to the First Five Years Fund. You should be paying close attention to developments in childcare policy and considering how you can support your employees' childcare needs through benefits like dependent care FSAs, backup care services, or on-site childcare, recognizing that affordable and accessible childcare is essential to supporting the productivity and retention of working parents.
  • Employee Benefit Trends — The US Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service released proposed regulations for employer-sponsored Trump Account programs, allowing employers to contribute up to $2,500 per employee's dependent tax-free and employees to defer pretax dollars into a dependent's account. The proposed rules aim to make setup easier for employers, including a safe harbor for matching the $1,000 federal pilot contribution. Employers must weigh the costs and benefits of implementing a Trump Accounts program, considering factors such as employee demand and nondiscrimination testing.

The Bottom Line

I am here to help, guiding employers through the complex process of renewal season, just as I navigate my own fantasy football drafts and the excitement of the upcoming football season.

Upcoming from USI

Employer Solutions Webinar · Compliance
Employer Solutions Webinar Series

The Frightful Four: Top Four Compliance Issues for Health and Welfare Employee Benefits

Some compliance issues matter more than others. We've compiled the top four concerns for the average employer.

  1. The troubling words of plan documents
  2. The daunting nature of ACA eligibility
  3. The distressing identification of qualifying events
  4. The formidable application of COBRA
DateAugust 20
Time10 AM – 12 PM CT
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Special Celebration Event · Omaha

A Night to Celebrate HR

Held during HR Nebraska, right after the Wednesday sessions. Roll out the red carpet — an evening honoring the HR professionals who keep our workplaces running, with recognition, connection, and celebration alongside your peers and the USI team. Co-hosted with Paylocity & The McKenny Group.

DateAugust 26
Time5:30 – 7:30 PM · Houston's Lounge
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Live Webinar · with ParetoHealth

Group Medical Captives: A Smarter Approach to Managing Healthcare Costs

Join USI and ParetoHealth for an educational webinar exploring how group medical captives can help organizations gain greater control over healthcare costs, improve financial predictability, and access innovative cost-management strategies.

DateAugust 27
Time12 PM ET
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Employee Benefits Webinar

Captives 101: Transform Your Benefits Strategy

Discover how Captives can reduce costs and strengthen your benefits program. We'll walk through the types and structures of Captives, the financial considerations, and the overall value proposition.

  1. Types & structures of Captives
  2. Financial considerations
  3. Building an efficient benefits program
DateSeptember 2
Time10 AM CT
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Employer Solutions Webinar · FMLA
Employer Solutions Webinar Series

Forgive My Last Absence — Complying with the FMLA

The FMLA provides an absolute leave right that doesn't consider employer hardship — yet many employers miscount FMLA time, document leaves improperly, and stumble on returning employees to work.

  1. Leave scenarios covered by the FMLA
  2. Properly documenting covered leaves
  3. Dealing with intermittent leaves
  4. Insurance, PTO & STD issues
DateSeptember 8
Time10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
CostComplimentary
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This Week's Reading — Every Link

Mind 8
Body 4
Money 8
Workforce 5
Nebraska & Incentives 5
  • Trump Accounts: What employers need to know about the new guidance - HRD AmericaAlert: Employee Benefit Trends slow to load (~20s)
    Read the full review here
    Treasury's new proposed rules give employers a clearer path to contribute, but plenty of questions remain The federal government spent months building excitement around Trump Accounts, the new tax-advantaged savings vehicle for children under 18. What it hadn't done, until this week, was tell employers exactly how to offer them as a workplace benefit. That changed on Aug. 11, when the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released proposed regulations covering employer-sponsored Trump Account programs, including rules letting employees defer pretax dollars from their paychecks into a dependent's account. That's a meaningful shift for companies that have been sitting on the sidelines, according to Jim Earle, a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke in Charlotte, North Carolina, who leads the firm's tax and benefits practice group. There was a fair bit of hesitancy from employers because of uncertainty around the rules, Earle said. I think a lot of employers were sitting on their hands. This at least moves things forward on those issues, at least on a proposed rule basis. The proposed rule lays out two distinct paths for funding a child's Trump Account. Employers can contribute up to $2,500 per employee's dependent, tax-free, directly. Separately, employees can now defer their own pretax dollars through payroll into that same account. Earle pointed to two design features in the proposed rules meant to make setup easi
  • First West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes of the season found in Nebraska PanhandleAlert: Nebraska Legislature slow to load (~20s)
    Read the full review here
    NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - Mosquitoes collected from Panhandle trap sites in Scotts Bluff and Morrill counties have tested positive for West Nile virus, health officials announced Thursday. These are the first confirmed positive mosquito pools of the season in the region. The positive tests help the Panhandle Public Health District and other local health departments identify where the virus is active and where residents are most likely to encounter infected mosquitoes. “Prevention is the best way to avoid getting diseases from mosquitoes,” said Megan Barhafer, community health planner for the Panhandle Public Health District. Mosquito surveillance sites across Nebraska routinely trap and test mosquitoes throughout the summer. State health officials also monitor human cases as part of their surveillance. Currently, fewer than five human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Nebraska this season. Exact figures are suppressed due to the low case count. West Nile virus is contracted through the bite of an infected mosquito. While eight out of 10 people infected do not develop symptoms, the virus can begin with flu-like symptoms, including a slight fever and headache. Severe cases can lead to encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can cause disorientation, convulsions, and paralysis. People with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible to severe illness. Health officials encourage all Nebraska residents to take the following precautions: Dead
  • Nebraska community colleges will see delayed implementation of Gov. Pillen’s 5% spending cutNebraska Examiner slow to load (~20s)
    Read the full review here
    Community college presidents say reduction will likely have largest impact on staffing Mid-Plains Community College in McCook. (Photo courtesy of the Nebraska Community College Association) LINCOLN — The effects of Gov. Jim Pillen’s 5% spending reduction across all state agencies aren’t likely to hit Nebraska’s community colleges until mid-2027. Michael Baumgartner, executive director of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, said the 5% cut won’t impact the state’s Community College Future Fund — the largest share of state aid to such institutions, currently $285 million for fiscal year 2026-27. The fund was created as a replacement for property tax revenues and contributed to a $6 million reduction in property taxes assessed in 2024, which totaled $5.3 billion. Community colleges are also aided through a separate funding formula, which Baumgartner said will be affected by the 5% cut. He estimated that it would reduce the overall allotment by about $5.7 million of the $114 million total for 2026-27. State law dictates that aid from the formula is distributed across Nebraska’s six community colleges and two tribal colleges in 10 monthly installments, skipping July and August. Because the actual appropriation has not changed, Baumgartner said, the 5% reduction won’t be incorporated into the installments unless the state Legislature approves it during the 2027 session. Nebraska education commissioner says 5% spending cut won’t apply to school f
  • Childcare is too expensive and too hard to find. A Nebraska lawmaker is working to change thatNebraska Examiner slow to load (~20s)
    Read the full review here
    Liz Arnold interacts with two children (names withheld for privacy) at Just Like Mine Daycare in Lincoln, Nebraska, on July 22, 2026. She’s certified to care for up to 10 children in her home, but this summer she is taking care of six. (Daniel Wheaton / The Midwest Newsroom) One July morning, Liz Arnold’s workday started with a knock at the door from someone less than 3 feet tall. She was the first of two toddlers, both clad in strawberry-patterned T-shirts. The younger sibling was still in his mother’s arms as the pair were entrusted to Arnold for the day. This is the usual rhythm for Arnold, a licensed childcare provider who has operated Just Like Mine Daycare in Lincoln, Nebraska, since 2020. This summer she’s taking care of six toddlers from four families in her home daycare center. Two of those families who arrived that morning are using federal subsidies distributed by the state to pay for some of the costs of Just Like Mine Daycare. On average, private-pay clients are charged $1,080 a month. While the subsidy helps, it has drawbacks. “We’re not getting paid the cost of care,” Arnold said. Childcare providers who take the subsidy as payment must comply with additional rules and paperwork, as well as inspections from the state to monitor for fraud. “I make more money when I have private-pay clients, but it is important to me that I support my subsidy families because that was the family that I was when my kids were growing up,” Arnold said. While subsidies do hel
  • How the state budget could be influenced by COVID-19 | Top Stories - West Point NewsAlert: Nebraska Legislature