Happy New Year from Precision Benefits Group!
As we welcome 2026, I’m filled with gratitude for our incredible clients, partners, and team. Since founding Precision Benefits Group in 2003, our mission has always been to deliver thoughtful, strategic employee benefits solutions that help organizations thrive. In the year ahead, we remain committed to your success, innovation, and service excellence. Wishing you a healthy, prosperous, and rewarding New Year! — Robert DeNinno, Founding Principal
FDA Approves Oral GLP-1 Therapy, Signaling a Shift in Obesity Treatment Options
The FDA’s approval of Novo Nordisk’s oral GLP-1 weight loss therapy marks an important evolution in obesity treatment. Moving beyond injections, the once-daily pill offers a more flexible, patient-friendly option while delivering clinically meaningful weight loss. Designed for both weight reduction and long-term maintenance, oral GLP-1 therapies may increase adoption and adherence, signaling broader access, longer treatment durations, and new considerations for health plans as GLP-1 innovation accelerates.
IRS Notice 2026-5 Updates HSA Eligibility Rules Under OBBA
IRS Notice 2026-5 provides guidance on Health Savings Account eligibility changes created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Notice expands HSA access by allowing first-dollar telehealth coverage, treating certain individual bronze and catastrophic plans as HDHPs beginning in 2026, and clarifying when direct primary care arrangements are permitted. Employers should review telehealth offerings, plan designs, and fee structures to ensure continued HSA eligibility and compliance under the updated rules.
IRS Announces New PCOR Fee Amount and July 2026 Filing Deadline
The IRS has released Notice 2025-61, setting the updated Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) fee for plan years ending on or after October 1, 2025, at $3.84 per covered life. Employers sponsoring self-funded or level-funded health plans, as well as certain HRAs, must file and pay the fee by July 31, 2026. With increased IRS enforcement around missed filings, employers should plan ahead to ensure timely compliance.
Compliance Corner! Final 2025 ACA Reporting Forms and Deadlines Released by IRS
The IRS has issued final instructions and forms for 2025 ACA reporting, including Forms 1094-C, 1095-C, 1094-B, and 1095-B. While there are no major form changes, employers must ensure timely and accurate filing, as good faith penalty relief is no longer available. Most employers are now required to file electronically, with furnishing deadlines of March 2, 2026, and IRS filing deadlines of March 31, 2026.