The Benefits Brief | Q1 2026
The first quarter of 2026 focused on what brokers and employers need most right now: stronger compliance support, better participant experiences, and operational consistency you can rely on.
With increasing scrutiny around CAA documentation, ACA reporting, and fiduciary responsibility, having the right partner matters more than ever. The benefits landscape is shifting quickly, and whether you are advising clients or managing a plan internally, organizations that can navigate that complexity with confidence are the ones winning and retaining business.
Here is how Ameriflex is helping you protect, manage, and grow your benefits strategy in 2026.
Service That Shows Up When It Matters
Even during the busiest time of year, our performance remained strong.
In Q1:
- Nearly 85% of calls and chats answered in real time
- Over 93% of emails responded to within hours
- A day-to-day Net Promoter Score of 92
When demand is high, responsiveness is not just nice to have. It is what keeps employees supported, clients satisfied, and relationships intact. Slow response times during critical windows erode trust quickly, and that trust is difficult to rebuild.
Our Client Account Management team delivers an NPS of 86.8, reflecting a proactive, high-touch partnership model that works alongside clients throughout the plan year, identifying opportunities, flagging issues early, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks.
For employers, that means a smoother internal experience and fewer escalations.
For brokers, that means a stronger extension of your team and more strategic conversations with clients between renewals, not just at them.
Client Education That Drives Engagement
Our client webinars continue to deliver measurable results for participants.
In Q1:
- 2,900+ registrations and 1,100+ attendees across participant webinars
- Attendance rates between 36% and 39%
- Satisfaction scores consistently 4.3 to 4.5 out of 5
Low benefit utilization is one of the most common challenges employers face. When employees do not understand their benefits, they do not use them, and when they do not use them, employers and advisors both start questioning the value of the investment.
Our participant education programs are designed to close that gap, covering topics like FSA basics, HSA education, and claims reimbursement in a format that is accessible and easy to follow.
For employers, that means fewer HR questions and more confident employees.
For brokers, that means fewer client conversations centered around confusion and more centered around value.
Watch Recorded Webinar for Participants Here.
Continuing Education That Protects Your Book
Earn CE credits while strengthening your expertise in benefits administration and compliance.
Available courses include:
HSA is approved in TX, PA, IL, OH, OK, FL, TN, GA, CA.
Dos and Don’ts of HIPAA and ERISA
HIPAA is approved in TX, TN, FL, GA, IL, OH, OK, PA .
Lifestyle Spending Accounts, FSAs & Dependent Care Accounts
LSA is approved in TX, FL, GA, IL, OH, OK, PA,TN.
Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA)
ICHRA is approved in TX, FL, OH, GA, OK, IL, TN, PA.
The regulatory environment around benefits is moving fast. New transparency requirements, evolving ACA guidance, and increasing employer scrutiny around fiduciary responsibility mean that brokers need to stay sharp on the details. Employers are asking harder questions, and the brokers who can answer them confidently are the ones building stickier, longer-lasting relationships.
Use promo code AmeriflexLearns to take any course free for a limited time.
ICHRA Refresher: A Smarter Way to Offer Benefits
ICHRAs, or Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements, are employer-funded accounts that allow businesses to reimburse employees tax-free for individual health insurance premiums and eligible medical expenses, rather than sponsoring a single group health plan for everyone.
ICHRAs were established by federal rule in 2020 and have been growing steadily ever since. They are gaining traction because they solve a real problem. Traditional group plans are expensive, one-size-fits-all, and increasingly difficult for smaller or mid-sized employers to sustain.
ICHRAs give employers a way to offer meaningful health benefits without locking into a single carrier or plan design.
With an ICHRA:
- Employers set a defined monthly contribution
- Employees choose their own individual health insurance plans
- Reimbursements are tax-free for both the employer and the employee
- Employers can vary contribution amounts by employee class, such as full-time vs. part-time or by location
For employers, this creates flexibility and cost control.
For brokers, this expands your advisory role beyond presenting plan options into designing contribution strategies, navigating employee classes, and supporting compliance requirements.
ICHRAs are especially effective for multi-location teams, hourly workforces, or employers looking to move away from one-size-fits-all plan designs while maintaining cost control and offering employees genuine flexibility in how they access care.
Do not miss our upcoming ICHRA webinar featuring a live demo of Telescope Health and how it enhances the employee experience.
Date: Wednesday, June 24
Time: 1 to 2pm Central Time
Register Now
2026 Compliance Check-In
Our Q1 Compliance Webinar helped employers and brokers prepare for key requirements, including:
- Form 5500 timelines
- Non-Discrimination Testing
- ACA reporting
- CAA documentation
Benefits compliance is one of the areas where timing matters most. These are not just administrative checkboxes. Missing deadlines or filing errors can result in IRS penalties, audit exposure, and significant administrative cleanup that puts strain on HR teams and advisors alike.
Employers who plan ahead have more time to gather accurate data, identify gaps early, and make corrections before they become costly.
2026 Eligibility List Now Available
Our updated Eligibility List reflects current IRS guidance and provides clear definitions around eligible expenses across FSA, HSA, and HRA plan types.
Eligibility questions are one of the most common sources of participant frustration and administrative back and forth. Sharing this list proactively with employer groups positions both employers and brokers as ongoing resources, not just during Open Enrollment, but throughout the plan year.
CAA: Turning Compliance Into Value
Compliance updates like the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) can feel overwhelming, especially when requirements touch multiple areas of your benefits program at once. The good news is that you do not have to navigate it alone.
The CAA Solutions Package covers fiduciary oversight, transparency, and plan governance while helping you control costs and simplify the benefits experience. Included on an opt-out basis, it is designed to make compliance feel like a built-in safeguard rather than an added burden.
Telescope Health provides virtual care and care navigation, supporting price transparency and cost-effective care with quick, 24/7 access, meeting regulatory expectations while improving the experience for your employees. Intellect ensures parity with general medical benefits, helping you meet MHPAEA requirements with accessible programs and guided support.
To make compliance even easier, the package includes a Fiduciary Guide, a 30-page resource curated by our ERISA attorney and legal team with templates, checklists, and best practices. See our sample.
Want to know more? Contact us.
What Brokers and Employers Are Saying
“Really appreciate the work this team does to make sure our clients have what they need before open enrollment.”
“Good communication and ease of use on the portal.”
“Quick intelligent help. It is better than the other TPAs we have seen.”
“Having a team that understands our plan and responds quickly makes a real difference, especially during Open Enrollment when everything is moving fast.”
Policy Pulse: What is Happening in Washington
The legislative and regulatory environment around benefits is active right now, and several developments are worth watching as you advise your clients.
HSA rules continue to be a focal point in Washington, with growing momentum around expanding flexibility and broadening eligible use cases. Policymakers are increasingly focused on consumer-directed health care as a tool for lowering costs without shifting the burden to employees, which aligns well with the products and strategies you are already recommending.
ICHRA is also gaining attention at the federal level. Proposals in discussion would allow unused ICHRA dollars to flow into HSAs, creating a more connected consumer-directed system and giving employees greater incentive to choose cost-effective coverage. If this moves forward, it would significantly strengthen the case for ICHRA as a long-term benefits strategy and expand your advisory opportunity with clients who are evaluating alternatives to traditional group plans.
Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is also moving from a niche conversation into mainstream policy discussion. The IRS issued guidance earlier this year touching on how DPC interacts with HSA eligibility, and the industry is actively working to ensure the rules support, rather than complicate, DPC integration in employer health plans.
What this means for both employers and brokers is simple. The direction of policy is moving toward greater flexibility, more consumer choice, and stronger incentives for cost-effective benefit design.
Looking Ahead
As we move into Q2, our focus remains on helping employers and brokers lead with confidence through stronger education, smarter compliance strategies, and consistent service.
As expectations continue to rise across benefits, service, and compliance, we remain focused on helping you stay ahead, not catch up.
We appreciate your partnership and look forward to supporting your growth in 2026.