Alliant Employee Benefits

10/16/2026

⚾ Fast Facts Friday: Brewers World Series Edition 🍺

October baseball is in the air, and while Wisconsin is hoping the Crew can make a run all the way, employers have a few compliance bases to cover too.

Here’s this week’s lineup:

⚾ Leading Off: International Drug Sourcing
The new Customs and Border Protection requirements affecting certain internationally sourced prescription drugs have been given some extra innings. The compliance deadline has been extended 90 days to January 20, 2027, giving employers additional time to work with PBMs and alternative funding partners and prepare for potential changes.

🥨 Batting Second: Marketplace Notices
Don’t get caught looking. Most employers must provide new hires with a Health Insurance Marketplace Notice within 14 days of hire, regardless of benefits eligibility or enrollment status.

💥 Cleanup Spot: DCAP Nondiscrimination Testing
If a Dependent Care Assistance Program fails nondiscrimination testing, highly compensated employees may have to include those benefits in taxable income. Testing early and encouraging broader participation can help employers avoid a late-inning surprise.

In baseball and benefits, it pays to know the rules, have a game plan, and stay ahead of the curveball.

Now, if the Brewers can just take care of the rest… 🍺⚾🏆

10/09/2026

Awesome people great company.

Hey, guess what? We’re hiring! Cheese Brothers is seeking seasonal crew members to help meet demand for gift shipments this holiday season 🧀

📍If you're in or around Barron County and want a flexible, full- to part-time gig with a great group of people, get in touch. You'll be helping us pack shipments and keep things humming along in our e-commerce fulfillment center just north of Almena 🚀📦️

Position is seasonal (November 1 - December 23), but opportunities for long-term work exist for the right candidate. Seasonal pay is $22/hour with part- and full-time hours available. Scheduling is flexible on any days Monday through Friday. Regular shifts are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and you can commit to as many or as few shifts as you like.

✉️✍️ Private message our page or email us at [email protected] if you are interested. Be sure to include your name, contact information, availability, and any other info that we should know.

We value a fun, positive, and cooperative work environment. If you do too, we want to hear from you!

Learn more about Cheese Brothers: cheesebros.com/pages/about-us

10/09/2026

Wisconsin is still playing October baseball. ⚾️

With the Brewers advancing to the NLCS, it feels like the right time for a Wisconsin-themed edition of Fast Facts Friday.

Just like postseason baseball, employee benefits compliance is all about being prepared before the pressure is on.

A few items employers should have on their radar this week:

• New customs requirements could impact international prescription drug sourcing programs beginning October 22.
• A new Transparency in Coverage final rule updates requirements for machine-readable files, attestations, and personalized cost-sharing disclosures, with deadlines beginning in 2027.
• Employers changing plan years should pay close attention to how deductible carryovers can affect HSA eligibility.

October is a good reminder that the best teams and the best benefits strategies don’t wait until the last inning to prepare.

Go Brewers! 🍺⚾️

10/01/2026

Britt and I are ready to go Back to the Future of Benefits at this year’s SHRM State Conference! ⚡️🚘

We’re looking forward to the 80s theme, connecting with HR leaders, and talking about how smarter tools, better data, and a fresh approach to employee benefits can help give HR teams more time back to focus on what matters most, their people.

If you’re heading to the conference, come see us at Booth 506 and say hello. We’ll see you in two weeks!

09/25/2026

Wisconsin friends… checking in after that Packers performance. 🧀🏈

Hopefully everyone is doing okay today.

If you need something slightly less painful to focus on, this week’s Friday Fast Facts covers a few timely employee benefits compliance updates:

• MLR rebates: Carriers that don’t meet applicable medical loss ratio standards must issue rebates by September 30, and ERISA plans have specific rules around how the employee-funded portion is handled.

• Medicare Part D notices: Employers generally don’t need a separate notice before October 15 if they’ve already satisfied the applicable disclosure requirements through annual open enrollment and other required circumstances.

• ICHRA → CHOICE: CMS and the SBA are now using CHOICE Arrangement in place of ICHRA. The rules and benefits remain the same, but employers may want to update their materials.

A much better read than the box score.

Happy Friday, and better days ahead.

09/11/2026

This week’s Fast Facts Friday covers three compliance topics that can easily create headaches if overlooked:

👉 ACA Lookback Measurement Method

A good reminder for employers using measurement and stability periods to determine full-time eligibility.

👉 Medicare & Plan Eligibility

Large employers generally cannot consider an employee’s Medicare entitlement when determining eligibility, benefits, costs, or incentives to waive coverage.

👉 HSA/FSA/HRA + Gym Memberships

Generally, gym memberships aren’t qualified medical expenses, with limited exceptions when tied to treatment of a specific diagnosed condition.
And there’s another development I’m excited about.

Following Alliant’s acquisition of Nava Benefits a few weeks ago, we’re hosting a webinar on a topic that I think will become increasingly important for employers:

AI for HR: What the Next Era of Employee Benefits Demands

There’s plenty of conversation about what AI cando for benefits. This discussion will also tackle where AI can get benefits wrong and what HR teams should be thinking about as adoption accelerates.

📅 October 7�⏰ 1:00 p.m. CT�
🎙️ Featuring Nava co-founders Brandon Weber & Donald DeSantis

You don’t want to miss this.

👉 Register here: [https://lnkd.in/dPeQEZCb]

If you’re a Wisconsin employer thinking about your 2027 benefits strategy, I’d love to hear what’s top of mind for your organization.

09/04/2026

Wisconsin HR leaders, what would you do with an extra 40 hours every month?

That’s the question I’m asking this Fast Facts Friday.

First, a quick compliance reminder: For calendar-year ERISA plans, Summary Annual Reports (SARs) are generally due September 30. With Q4 approaching, now is a good time to make sure this requirement is checked off the list.

But compliance is only one piece of what HR teams are managing every day.

Alliant’s acquisition of Nava Benefits brings together benefits consulting, technology and AI-powered support with the goal of reducing the administrative burden that takes HR away from more strategic work.

So, if you’re in HR or involved in making employee benefits decisions in Wisconsin, I’d ask:

Could the right benefits partnership save your team 40 hours a month?

If the answer might be yes, let’s connect. I’d be happy to show you what Alliant + Nava can bring to the table.

09/01/2026

If your benefits broker isn’t talking to you about technology and AI, you might already be behind the curve.

Remember Blockbuster? Circuit City? They were doing just fine… until they weren’t. 😂

That’s what makes Alliant + Nava so exciting—combining AI-native technology with human expertise to make benefits smarter, simpler, and more effective.

AI-native. Human-backed. Advisor-led.

And if your broker’s latest tech innovation is emailing you another PDF… we should probably talk. 😉

08/28/2026

🧀 Fast Facts Friday: Wisconsin Edition! 🏈

Before we head into the weekend, here are a few employee benefits compliance updates worth having on your radar:

🧀 Wellness Program Relief

Federal agencies issued new guidance providing enforcement relief related to when wellness rewards must be provided after an individual satisfies a reasonable alternative standard.

🏈 No Surprises Act & IDR Claims

Alliant Compliance has a new FAQ to help self-funded plan sponsors navigate potentially ineligible Independent Dispute Resolution claims, including TPA requests, stop-loss considerations, and potential legal implications.

🍺 FAQ of the Week:

Can an employer let an employee change their benefit election mid-year without an IRS-permitted qualifying event?

Generally, no. Making exceptions outside IRS rules can create Section 125 compliance issues and potential problems with carriers or stop-loss providers.

Three updates to keep you informed—and thankfully, no compliance version of the Lambeau Leap required.

Happy Friday, and Go Pack Go! 💚💛