How leaders can prevent 2 of the worst open enrollment mistakes

By Paola Peralta – The standard open enrollment period lasts three months on average, leaving lots of room for employees to make very big, very costly mistakes. The average employee spends only 30 to 60 minutes selecting their benefits during open enrollment, according to a 2024 study from financial service firm Equitable. As a result, more than half of employees regret their benefit choices. Awareness and quick intervention by benefit leaders can prevent mistakes and help them find the right solution. Read Full Article... ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Lack of Benefits Understanding Reduces Utilization and ROI: A significant number of employees miss out on effectively using their benefits due to poor understanding. According to Equitable, 25% of employees who regretted their benefits decisions said they failed to adjust their plans to match life changes, 20% forgot to make changes before the deadline, and 19% didn’t understand the options available. This knowledge gap reduces the return on investment for employers who offer comprehensive benefits, as employees are less likely to use what’s available. As Guy Benjamin, CEO of Healthee, points out, even the best benefit packages are ineffective if they aren’t made accessible and understandable to the workforce.

2. Common Enrollment Mistakes Lead to Mismatched or Costly Coverage: During open enrollment, many employees make two avoidable mistakes: defaulting to the previous year’s plan and overinsuring themselves. Around 90% of employees stick with the same plan year over year, according to Lively, even though life circumstances like aging, having children, or caring for aging parents often require plan adjustments. Additionally, over 60% of U.S. workers are overinsured, based on KFF data, which leads them to pay high premiums for coverage they may not use. Alarmingly, over half of those in high-deductible plans don’t have enough funds to cover their deductible, meaning they pay more upfront while potentially delaying care due to costs—creating risks for long-term health and higher claims.

3. Education and Decision-Support Tools Help Avoid Costly Errors: Better employee education during open enrollment can mitigate many of these common mistakes. Tools like AI chatbots (e.g., Healthee’s "Zoey") can assist employees in understanding complex benefit terminology and navigating changes in their personal situations. For organizations not ready to adopt AI solutions, offering accessible educational resources or engaging in one-on-one guidance can still have a big impact. Guy Benjamin emphasizes that helping employees clearly understand their options not only leads to healthier and more satisfied workers but also improves retention and reduces unnecessary benefit-related costs.

ACA subsidy extension left out of 7-week stopgap funding bill 

By Andrew Cass and Elizabeth Casolo – House Republicans have proposed a stopgap funding bill that would keep federal agencies operating through Nov. 21, but the proposal does not extend ACA enhanced premium tax credits. The bill, if passed, would avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1. Republican leaders plan to call a floor vote on the measure later this week, according to Politico. Read Full Article...

HVBA Article Summary

1. ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Set to Expire in 2025: The enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which help lower health insurance costs for millions of Americans, are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. Lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have acknowledged the deadline and stated that Congress has until December to determine how to address the issue, though no immediate plan has been finalized.

2. Partisan Disagreement Over Immediate Action: Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, have criticized the current stopgap funding bill for failing to address what they call a looming healthcare crisis. They maintain that any legislation must include an extension of the ACA subsidies. Meanwhile, Republican leaders, such as Sen. John Thune, have expressed openness to discussing the matter but prefer to delay negotiations until after essential government funding bills are passed, emphasizing the need to avoid controversial policy riders for now.

3. Growing External Pressure to Act Swiftly: External stakeholders — including 18 Democratic governors and healthcare industry representatives — are urging Congress to act promptly to extend the ACA subsidies. They argue that delay will result in higher insurance premiums for 2026, as insurers are already setting rates. Their concern centers on the financial impact for vulnerable groups such as working families, small business owners, and rural communities, who may face significant affordability challenges without an extension.

Global drugmakers rush to boost US presence as tariff threat looms

By Reuters – Global drugmakers are scrambling to shore up their U.S. manufacturing capacity and domestic inventory as the Trump administration weighs hefty tariffs on pharmaceutical imports into the country. Companies with more exposure to the UK, the EU, South Korea, and Japan are likely in a better position, as these countries have secured favorable agreements that cap tariffs at around 15%. Read Full Article...

HVBA Article Summary

1. Massive Investment in U.S. Pharmaceutical Infrastructure: Drugmakers from around the world—including GSK, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Sanofi, and others—are collectively committing hundreds of billions of dollars to expand manufacturing, R&D, and supply chain operations in the U.S. This trend includes building new plants, expanding existing facilities, and creating thousands of jobs across multiple states, with most investments planned through 2030.

2. Strategic Shift to U.S.-Based Operations to Mitigate Tariff Risks: In response to ongoing trade uncertainties and potential tariffs, pharmaceutical companies are proactively relocating production and inventory to the U.S. Companies such as Pfizer, Merck, Gilead, and Novo Nordisk emphasize preparedness through robust domestic manufacturing footprints and inventory strategies, aiming to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities and maintain business continuity.

3. Investor Reassurance Through Long-Term Commitments and Risk Management: Executives across several firms (e.g., AstraZeneca, Roche, AbbVie) have publicly emphasized that any potential tariff impact is expected to be short-lived or minimal. Their reassurances are backed by significant financial commitments and logistics planning, signaling long-term confidence in the U.S. market and a desire to maintain investor trust amid geopolitical trade fluctuations.

Healthcare Leadership Strategies to Prevent Workplace Violence

By Andrea Greco – In healthcare, safety often focuses on the patient, ensuring they are well cared for, comfortable, protected, and that their information is kept private. But for many healthcare professionals, “Will I be harmed at work today?” is a question that they’re frequently left asking. Violence in healthcare has become a crisis — one that leadership can’t afford to ignore. In fact, in 2022, nearly 17,000 hospital workers experienced nonfatal injuries or illnesses related to workplace violence that were serious enough to require time off, according to the American Hospital Association. Read Full Article...

HVBA Article Summary

1. Healthcare Workers Face Disproportionate Violence: Workplace violence is a growing crisis in the healthcare sector, with hospital workers experiencing nonfatal injuries at rates far higher than other industries. In 2022, nearly 17,000 such incidents were serious enough to require time off. Surveys from the American College of Emergency Physicians and National Nurses United reveal that an overwhelming majority of emergency physicians and nurses have been threatened or attacked within the past year. However, these numbers likely underrepresent the true scale due to widespread underreporting, which is often driven by fear of retaliation, stigma, or a culture that normalizes such incidents.

2. Leadership Must Take a Proactive, Strategic Role: The article stresses that tackling workplace violence in healthcare requires more than isolated fixes — it demands leadership-level commitment and systemic change. Executives and administrators must treat staff safety with the same importance as financial performance and patient satisfaction. This involves acknowledging the severity of the issue, setting clear goals, involving staff in solution-building, and ensuring that transparent, supportive reporting systems are in place. A strategic reset is necessary to break the cycle of fragmented, reactive responses and demonstrate to staff that their safety is a priority.

3. Layered, Tailored Safety Solutions Are Critical: No single solution can address the complex nature of workplace violence in healthcare settings. Instead, the article advocates for a multi-faceted, integrated approach. This includes environmental changes (like secure entryways and better lighting), regular hands-on training in de-escalation techniques, clear and consistently enforced safety policies, and the deployment of real-time safety tools such as wearable panic buttons. Equally important is the ongoing use of data and feedback to assess what’s working and to adjust strategies accordingly, creating a safer and more resilient workplace for healthcare professionals.

Compliance tops employer concerns as disability, leave benefits grow more complex

By Alan Goforth – Disability and leave strategies are becoming more complex, more expensive and more critical as employers seek to recruit and retain talented workers in today’s economy. “As the legal and regulatory environment changes and employee expectations shift, employers face pressure to meet compliance requirements while offering competitive benefits,” according to the latest Disability and Leave Benchmarking Report from the Marsh McLennan Agency. The report identified three broad takeaway messages. Read Full Article... ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Compliance Remains the Top Concern: Employers continue to face significant challenges in navigating the complex and evolving landscape of state and local leave laws. For the third consecutive year, maintaining compliance has been ranked as the top concern, with the percentage of employers identifying it as their primary issue rising from 39% in 2024 to 45% in 2025. This trend underscores the increasing regulatory pressure and the need for robust internal compliance strategies.

2. “Primary” vs. “Secondary” Caregiver Policies Carry Legal Risk: A growing number of employers are expressing concern about the legal risks of maintaining separate bonding leave policies for “primary” and “secondary” caregivers. Although these distinctions are intended to be gender-neutral, they often reflect traditional gender roles in practice, which can lead to potential discrimination claims. The report advises employers to consider alternatives, such as leveraging pregnancy disability benefits or adopting more inclusive leave structures that avoid caregiver labels altogether.

3. Caregiver Leave Is Slowly Expanding but Remains Limited: While there is increasing awareness of employee caregiving needs, most organizations still only offer caregiver leave that meets the minimum required by law. In 2025, only 35% of employers provided leave for immediate family caregivers, and a mere 16% extended this support to other loved ones. However, the data shows a positive trend: employers who do offer caregiver leave are more likely to gradually broaden eligibility, indicating slow but steady progress in recognizing diverse caregiving responsibilities.

Novo Nordisk’s non-GLP-1 drug cuts body weight by over 11% in trial

By Alexandra Murphy – Novo Nordisk reported results from its phase 3 clinical trial for its experimental obesity drug cagrilintide which showed significant weight loss among participants. The research, presented at the 2025 European Association for the Study of Diabetes congress in Vienna, found that participants receiving once-weekly monotherapy injections of 2.4 mg cagrilintide, an amylin analogue, lost an average of 11.8% of body weight over 68 weeks, compared to 2.3% in the placebo group. Read Full Article...

HVBA Article Summary

1. Efficacy of the Drug: In the reported clinical trial results, approximately 31.6% of participants who were administered the drug achieved a weight loss of at least 15% of their body weight. This is in stark contrast to just 4.7% of participants in the placebo group, suggesting the drug may be significantly more effective than no active treatment in producing meaningful weight reduction in individuals.

2. Common Side Effects: The most frequently observed side effects among those taking the drug were related to gastrointestinal discomfort. These included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. While these side effects were commonly reported, their severity or duration was not detailed in the release, indicating a need for further evaluation of the drug's tolerability.

3. Next Steps in Research: Novo Nordisk, the drug’s manufacturer, has announced plans to initiate a new phase 3 clinical program later this year. This upcoming phase will focus on studying the drug more comprehensively in individuals with obesity, aiming to gather additional data on its long-term safety, effectiveness, and overall benefit-risk profile.

Many employers could face 20% stop-loss increases in 2026

By Allison Bell – Self-insured employers with average or poor claims experience may see stop-loss renewal quotes for 2026 well over 10%. Analysts at Aegis Risk, a stop-loss consulting firm, put that warning in a new report on an employer survey sponsored by the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists. Read Full Article... ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Significant Stop-Loss Premium Increases Projected: Analysts at Aegis forecast that stop-loss premiums for employers offering self-insured health plans are expected to rise by an average of 11.5% in 2026. However, actual increases could be considerably higher—up to 20% or more—particularly for employers that do not adjust their deductible levels. This highlights a growing concern over rising healthcare costs and the need for strategic risk management in plan design.

2. High-Cost Medical Claims Are Driving Premium Hikes: Aegis analysts identify a combination of large cancer-related claims, costly inpatient hospital stays, and the arrival of new, high-cost gene therapies as key contributors to rising stop-loss premiums. This trend is supported by survey findings showing that 92% of plan sponsors now rank cancer treatment costs among their top concerns, a notable increase from 83% in 2024, signaling intensifying financial pressure on employer-sponsored plans.

3. Deductible Levels Impact Premiums and Rate Increases: There is a clear correlation between higher deductibles and lower monthly stop-loss premiums. For example, a policy with a $100,000 individual deductible averages $229.40 per month, while a $1 million deductible brings that figure down to just $17.69 per month. However, higher-deductible plans have experienced steeper average renewal increases, with 2025 hikes ranging from 8.8% for lower deductibles to 10.4% for those at the $750,000 level, underscoring the trade-offs involved in managing risk and cost.