Employer Bulletin: Rite Aid Bankruptcy – Pharmacy Access Alert
Rite Aid’s second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in two years is reshaping the retail pharmacy landscape. With more than half of its ~1,240 remaining stores set to close or be sold during 2025, this is not just a headline—it’s a development with immediate operational and strategic implications for employers in affected states. The Current Situation After […]
2026 Healthcare Cost Shocks: What Employers Need to Do Now
With 2026 less than 5 months away, the employer healthcare landscape is facing one of its most significant cost escalations in more than a decade. While employers have weathered cycles of benefit inflation before, the combination of rising medical inflation, unprecedented specialty drug costs, and post-pandemic utilization surges is creating a “perfect storm” for plan […]
GLP‑1 Drug Surge: How Employers Are Managing Rising Costs in 2025
GLP‑1 medications such as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, and Zepbound®—originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes—have rapidly become some of the most prescribed drugs for weight management. While their clinical benefits are clear, their high costs are reshaping employer health plans in 2025 and creating pressure on pharmacy benefit budgets. Why GLP‑1s Are Driving Benefit Costs According […]
Student Loan and Education Assistance Benefits: Dual Strategies to Reduce Turnover and Build Workforce Loyalty
Attracting and retaining talent in 2025 requires more than compensation—it demands meaningful, sustainable benefits that address the real-world financial pressures employees face. Education-related financial assistance is one of the few benefit categories that achieves both short-term impact and long-term workforce development. Whether through student loan repayment programs or tuition reimbursement plans, smart employers are combining […]
Small Businesses vs. Big RTO Mandates: Flexibility as a Competitive Advantage
As the business landscape evolves in 2025, employers are facing significant pressures related to Return to Office (RTO) mandates, especially from larger companies enforcing rigid work models. However, smaller and mid-market businesses are finding new strength in offering flexible work arrangements, giving them an edge in talent attraction and retention. The shift toward flexibility isn’t […]
Mental Health Parity Developments: Navigating the ERIC Lawsuit and DOJ Enforcement Pause
In the first half of 2025, several pivotal developments involving the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) have emerged that carry significant implications for employers, including tribes and middle-market organizations. A high-profile lawsuit by the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), a request by federal agencies to pause enforcement, and ongoing litigation involving Anthem all […]
Elimination of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO): Implications for Insurance Regulation
In an era where regulatory complexity and insurance innovation are evolving rapidly, a low-profile but potentially seismic shift is underway in Washington, D.C. In January 2025, Congress reintroduced legislation—H.R. 643, the Federal Insurance Office Elimination Act—that seeks to dismantle the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), an entity created to modernize insurance oversight, support underserved communities, and […]
The PBM Shake-Up: How 2025’s Transparency Rules Are Reshaping Pharmacy Contracts and Drug Costs
2025 is proving to be a transformative year for pharmacy benefits management. New federal transparency requirements are shining a spotlight on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), forcing these powerful intermediaries to disclose financial practices previously hidden from view. For employers—especially tribal enterprises and mid-sized organizations—this shake-up carries significant implications for plan costs, contract negotiations, and overall […]