Several years ago, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 established a data collection requirement for employers of all sizes and funding structures, where such entities must submit annual prescription drug data collection (RxDC) reports on their plan’s prescription drug and health care spending to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The calendar year 2025 reports are due by June 1, 2026.
Day: Wednesday, March 17, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM Pacific / 1:00 PM Mountain / 2:00 PM Central / 3:00 PM Eastern Where: Save my seat Navigating Employer-Sponsored Coverage & Medicare Join us for a practical session on how Medicare interacts with employer-sponsored health plans—an increasingly important topic as more employees continue working past age 65. We’ll break down eligibility and enrollment timing for Medicare Parts A, B, and D, clarify how Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) rules impact group plan coordination, and highlight key considerations such as HSA eligibility, COBRA timing, and employer premium reimbursements. Understanding these rules is essential for employers evaluating benefit offerings and for employees choosing the coverage option that best fits their needs. Who is Lumelight? Lumelight is a boutique ACA and benefits compliance consultancy helping people navigate the complex world of employee benefits compliance through deep expertise and superb client service. Want to attend? Save your seat by clicking here. {% module_block module “widget_1cab5fe7-992d-479b-b8d1-f854882928af” %}{% module_attribute “btn” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}{“link”:{“no_follow”:false,”open_in_new_tab”:true,”rel”:”noopener”,”sponsored”:false,”url”:{“content_id”:null,”href”:”https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlfu2tqTotEt1u6mruOOyUF0X8PKz5CHJu#/registration”,”href_with_scheme”:”https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlfu2tqTotEt1u6mruOOyUF0X8PKz5CHJu#/registration”,”type”:”EXTERNAL”},”user_generated_content”:false},”title”:”I want to attend”}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “btn_type” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”cta”{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “child_css” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “css” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “cta” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”160409781517″{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “definition_id” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “field_types” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}{“animation”:”group”,”layout”:”group”,”custom_class”:”text”,”is_in_viewport”:”boolean”,”cta”:”cta”,”style”:”group”,”anchor_link_id”:”text”,”btn”:”group”,”btn_type”:”choice”}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “label” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “layout” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}{“alignment”:”center”,”margin_top”:0}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “module_id” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}100522671426{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “path” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”2023 Power Theme child/modules/mini-cta”{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “schema_version” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}2{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “smart_objects” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}[]{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “smart_type” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”NOT_SMART”{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “style” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}{“cta_size”:”pwr-cta–full-width”,”cta_style”:”pwr-cta–primary-solid”}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “tag” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”module”{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “type” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”module”{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute “wrap_field_tag” is_json=”true” %}{% raw %}”div”{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% end_module_block %}
In recent months, you might have heard “cognitive offloading” tossed around in articles about the impact of AI in our classrooms. The concept isn’t new, but in today’s world, it’s become increasingly relevant. Cognitive offloading refers to our tendency to use tools to support mental tasks we might otherwise rely on our own brains to perform. Writing notes instead of memorizing information, using a calculator, or relying on AI to summarize a meeting are all examples. In many cases, cognitive offloading is helpful. It allows us to manage complexity and work more efficiently. However, as our tools have advanced, this natural tendency is beginning to produce concerning consequences. A new study found that people who increasingly rely on AI are seeing a significant decrease in their critical thinking skills. This phenomenon, referred to as cognitive atrophy, highlights a dangerous side effect of AI use that warrants greater attention. Schools and universities around the world are scrambling to mitigate the impact of AI in learning environments, with varying levels of success. But it’s not only schools that need to be worried about the ramifications. Business leaders need to start taking this just as seriously.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (CAA 26), which was signed by the President on February 3, 2026, reshapes how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) will operate in the employer group health plan market. The statute creates new federal transparency, reporting, rebate remittance, and fiduciary compliance requirements across the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), ERISA, and Internal Revenue Code, thereby broadly affecting all group health plans. The legislation aims to: Increase transparency into drug pricing, spreads, and rebate flows; Ensure that 100% of drug rebates and remuneration are passed back to plans; and Expand fiduciary oversight and enforcement mechanisms. Most provisions take effect for plan years beginning 30 months after enactment (e.g., January 2029 for calendar year plans) and will apply to contracts entered into or renewed after that time. For employers and brokers, these changes may affect PBM contracting, fiduciary oversight, and compliance responsibilities well before the effective date as contracts are reviewed and renegotiated.
Employer-sponsored health coverage is entering another year of significant cost pressure. Medical costs are projected to rise 8.5% this year, with overall increases ranging from 6.5% to 10% per employee, one of the steepest hikes in over a decade. More than half of employers plan to raise deductibles or annual out-of-pocket limits to offset those increases. Meanwhile, employees have seen their share of premiums climb dramatically over the past two decades—up 272% for individual coverage and 243% for family coverage. For business leaders, these are significant numbers that affect operating budgets, with health insurance often among the top three expenses. While national trends are outside an individual employer’s control, plan strategy and design, as well as employee engagement, can influence long-term outcomes.
Our workdays often start in third gear, with back-to-back meetings, emails, and Slack notifications, leaving people tired and exhausted by the end of the day. Disjointed work and miscommunications are all too common. A project moves fast for a week, then hits a wall. A deliverable gets built and then rebuilt because it wasn’t what the business needed. That’s why in many workplaces, the problem is a lack of perspective. People spend long stretches either executing tasks without context or talking strategy without turning it into clear next steps. The result is misalignment, constant re-prioritization, and a steady drip of frustration and rework. A simple habit clears things up: Zoom In, Zoom Out (ZIZO)—a repeatable way to reconnect daily execution to direction, and direction back to concrete action.
Growing a company means living with change. Teams shift as the business evolves, and roles tend to stretch before they are fully redefined. It can also create pressure that shows up in day-to-day work. Most employers recognize the signs quickly. Communication takes more effort. Decisions slow down. Accountability feels less clear across teams. In many cases, leaders focus on fixing the issue right in front of them without stepping back to assess how the team is developing. The Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing model offers a useful way to zoom out. Developed in the mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman, it provides employers with a simple framework for assessing their team, understanding how teams evolve over time, and why certain challenges tend to resurface as organizations grow. Used as a reference point, this model helps leaders respond with intention. It also creates shared language that makes team challenges easier to discuss without immediately assigning blame.
Most leaders want employees who are engaged, invested, and accountable. Yet many organizations struggle with the same frustrating pattern: Carefully designed initiatives are rolled out, leadership is aligned, resources are allocated, yet employee buy-in still falls flat.
At Q4intelligence, we choose a theme every year to drive our thinking and actions. Last year, our theme was “community.” We obsessed over what it means to be an active participant in the communities we’re part of, our clients, peers, industry, and the people we learn from every day. Community requires people to show up regularly, not just when it’s convenient. The most impactful communities only happen when we’re actively contributing, listening, supporting, and helping move the collective forward. We’re building on that foundation this year with our 2026 theme, “Connection.” As we think about the relationship between these two themes, we see community as our critically important environment, and meaningful connections as what makes the communities work.
If you’re like everyone else, the new year is the time for you to set resolutions like I’m going to start eating healthy or I want to start exercising more. At your workplace, it might be, We’re going to increase our sales or We’re going to start communicating with each other more. Everyone loves a fresh start, a chance to wipe the slate clean. But just because it’s the new year with new goals and a fresh start in 2026, doesn’t mean that it magically fixes the workplace issues that lurked in the background of your 2025. Problems like a lack of communication and recognition, a company culture that runs on autopilot, and work-life imbalance lead to issues such as low productivity, burnout, and strained relationships among your team. Don’t wait until issues are “big enough” to address. If you want a healthier team, commit to this one resolution: Talk to people early, and often.
