Partnership Press

New Year Employer Checklist

Feel free to copy and paste some of these great post-AE reminders with your clients to help them stay on track after their enrollment window has ended.

Complete these tasks within the first month or two of the new year 📆

▢ Audit your self-billed or list-billed invoices for the first two months of the new year. Verify enrollment and rates match your submitted information, and promptly correct any errors to prevent recurrence.

▢ Create a communications plan that emphasizes not just choosing benefits, but using them effectively to save money. Include decision support tools to guide both choices and usage.

▢ If this was your first online enrollment, test your life event functionality now. Don’t wait for an actual event to discover glitches in your system.

December Compliance Updates

IRS issues draft of Publication 503 – Child and Dependent Care Expenses

The IRS has issued a draft version of the tax year 2025 Publication 503, which explains the requirements for claiming dependent care expenses.

The document also includes reference to IRS form 4547—which will be used to elect Trump accounts and claim the $1,000 pilot program contribution for those that meet the eligibility criteria.

Review the new draft of Publication 503 for more information.

The Consultant Corner: News You Can Actually Use on Your Next Client Call

Data-driven benefits gain ground as employers face steep premium hikes

Healthcare premiums may rise 6–9% in 2026, pushing employers to seek cost-saving strategies without sacrificing care. For benefits advisors, data-driven plan design, value-based care, and alternative funding programs are key to controlling costs and improving outcomes—positioning yourself as strategic partners, not just vendors.

Now’s the time to prep for next year’s open enrollment: 6 critical steps

Open enrollment mistakes are costing employees money and well-being: 17% underinsure, 41% over insure, and 26% miss deadlines. For benefits advisors, as you start to plan for AE next year, consider how your client's can leverage year-round education to help employees review usage, understand options, and plan ahead to become informed consumers and maximize value.

Employees don’t understand benefits: 6 fixes for open enrollment

HR teams are under pressure to prove ROI beyond cost savings, focusing on time efficiency, engagement, and trust. New data shows that automation, decision support, and real-time analytics are helping HR recoup thousands of hours, improve employee engagement, and control premium spend. Check out some of the data here to help strengthen your understanding of how new innovations can deliver measurable value, strengthen retention, and future-proof benefits strategies for your clients.

Stay Informed on Businessolver’s Latest & Greatest Updates

New Businessolver Dashboard Gives Employers Clearer Insight into Benefits Participation and Premium Trends

As benefits costs continue to rise and expectations for transparency grow, your clients may be under increasing pressure to explain to stakeholders not just what benefits cost, but how effectively those investments are working. Businessolver’s new dashboard brings together real-time participation indicators, premium cost visibility, and historical enrollment patterns to provide a clearer, more strategic view of benefits performance. Check out the full release below to learn more about how this dashboard could help support strategic decision-making throughout the year.

Businessolver Named to Forbes America’s Dream Employer List, Second Year in a Row

We’re proud to share Businessolver was named to Forbes America’s Dream Employer List. For the 2nd year in a row, this honor reflects our ongoing commitment of putting people at the heart of everything we do.

Check out the Forbes List of America’s Dream Employers to see if any of your clients were named, and send a little note of congratulations for this amazing recognition.

View the full list of America’s Dream Employers here.

Global Benefits Are Moving Fast

From rising employee expectations to evolving compliance demands, employers are navigating more complexity than ever before when it comes to global benefits. Whether it’s responding to legislation like the EU Pay Transparency Directive, meeting diverse employee needs across regions, or adapting to tighter wellbeing budgets—the pressure is on.

At the same time, the opportunity to deliver value through benefits has never been greater.

So check out Benifex’s new report to see important trends, takeaways, and more

This report gives you the inside scoop on:

The five biggest trends shaping global benefits strategy in 2025

Why global employers are investing in benefits technology and what’s coming next

How leading employers are scaling global benefits

And more!

Get the report