Businessolver® Client Newsletter
02/03/2026
The Anticipation Era is Here
Proactive support that drives a smarter benefits experience
As you may have heard, the era of anticipatory benefits is here. An era where intelligence steps in before employees or HR even know to ask. This shift matters: 86% of employees are confused by their benefits, highlighting why reactive experiences just can’t keep up anymore.
Instead of waiting for someone to click, call, or escalate an issue, anticipatory benefits use real‑world signals, context, and early indicators to guide people to their benefits options sooner—helping prevent missed deadlines, reducing stress, and delivering clarity before confusion sets in.
This new model represents a fundamental evolution for the industry: intelligence and service working together to address needs proactively, not after the fact. With this, we’ll help employees, HR teams, brokers, and partners stay ahead of what’s coming. For a deeper look into our direction, read this letter from our CEO Jon Shanahan.
Want to see it in action? We showed a prototype of what's in store at our Q1 Product Update. Check it out if you couldn't join us live.
Plus, if you like what you see, consider being a pilot for our new portal experience. You can complete a poll on the Q1 Product Update session page to let us know you're interested.
Your Easy Button—The Hub
Access direct links to upcoming Learning Hub events, product and compliance news, resources and more
When you log on to your administrator page in Benefitsolver, take a minute to click on the bottom right information resource, The Hub. You’ll see a red notification alert when we’ve added new details. It’s a simple way to get over to the Learning Hub for upcoming or on demand sessions. We’ll also put key details there about product updates and breaking compliance news.
Finally, if you are looking for resources, there are quick links to AE toolkits and more. Check it out today! If you don’t have the Hub resource guide “button,” please reach out to LearningHub@businessolver.com.
What’s New in Compliance?
IRS issues draft of 2026 IRS Publication 15-B
The IRS has issued a draft version of the 2026 IRS Publication 15-B, the Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits. This document contains information for employers on the employment tax treatment of fringe benefits, including parking, transportation, education assistance, and many more. It also includes the 2026 indexed limits for these benefit types.
Review the draft to learn more about the tax treatment of these fringe benefits.
IRS issues updates to Q&A document on Premium Tax Credits
While primarily of interest to individuals, the IRS has issued updates to their Q&A document on Premium Tax Credits. This may be of interest to employers, as they help their employees navigate the healthcare marketplace subsidies.
Additionally, employees use these documents to understand whether the coverage offered to them by their employers is affordable and meets the minimum essential coverage. Employers should familiarize themselves with the group health benefits and ACA information that is accessible to and used by their employees.
Check out the updated Q&A document for more detail.
Upcoming 2026 Compliance Tasks
- ACA Information Returns: Make sure to file your ACA Information Returns with the IRS no later than March 31, 2026.
- Notice of Privacy Practices Review: Review and update your Notice of Privacy Practices as needed by February 16, 2026.
- Dependent Care FSA Nondiscrimination Testing: Plan to complete Dependent Care FSA nondiscrimination testing in late Q1 or early Q2 2026. With higher DC FSA contribution limits, early testing helps ensure compliance throughout the year.
Upcoming Sessions:
Thurs., Feb. 12, at 11 a.m. CT: Businessolver Training // ACA 1094/1095 Transmissions
Join us for our second ACA training of the year. We covered data validation, verification, and code management in our first training. Now, we’ll dive into ACA 1094/1095 transmissions and the role you play in this process.
Don’t miss this important training.
Add to schedule
Tues., Feb. 17, at 11 a.m. CT: Businessolver Roundtable // Inside the partnership of Businessolver + BenX
Today’s employees want stability, opportunity, financial confidence, and balance. At the same time, employers need smarter ways to manage budgets, simplify administration, and deliver consistent experiences across every employee group.
That’s where BenX comes in. Built by Aon and Businessolver, BenX unites flexibility, simplicity, and control—making benefits easier to manage for employers and more personalized for employees.
Ben X is a dynamic health exchange platform that gives employees choice in their benefits (like medical, dental) through a marketplace of carrier plans, while simplifying administration for employers, offering better savings and satisfaction than traditional "one-size-fits-all" approaches.
Don’t miss this insightful session!
Add to schedule
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A Peek at Our Pinnacle Partners:
Benifex’s Big Benefits Report
A Global Look at What’s Driving Benefit Strategy
The Big Benefits Report 2025/26 from our global partner Benifex highlights the trends shaping today’s workforce—and why benefits are becoming a true competitive advantage. Based on insights from 3,500+ employees and HR leaders, the report shows that 81% of global employers increased benefits spending last year and 86% boosted investment in wellbeing, signaling a major shift toward more peoplecentric strategies.
With 74% of HR leaders reporting that benefits now drive productivity and business growth, this research offers timely guidance for organizations planning their next phase of workforce investment.
Dive in to this report to see what’s ahead for benefits in 2026 and beyond.
