Managing Benefits In Motion

Staying Ahead of Health & Welfare Regulations and the Evolving Leave Landscape. What’s Changed, What’s Required, and What’s Next?

EARN 2.0 SHRM & HRCI CREDITS

Health Plan Compliance in Focus: 2025 Updates and 2026 Outlook

We’ll discuss what changes occurred in the last quarter of 2025, and what group health plans may face from a regulatory perspective throughout 2026. Topics include:

  • Class Action Lawsuits Related to Wellness Programs
  • What Rules are ERISA Plan Fiduciaries Subject to?
  • HIPAA Final Rules and Substance Use Disorder PHI
  • MHPAEA Final Rules (Suspended… for now)
  • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)
  • Artificial Intelligence and Health Plans
  • Pharmacy Benefit Manager Compensation Transparency and Disclosures

The Evolving Leave & Absence Landscape

We’ll explore the most impactful developments in the complex leave and absence landscape, including Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), refreshed views on paid time off design, and the resulting implications for employers across various regions. We’ll discuss:

  • What employers with multi-state workforces need to know about PFML and other leave programs and where compliance risks commonly arise
  • Why leave and absence programs have become increasingly complex, even for situations that seem straightforward
  • Key trends shaping the future of leave and accommodations and what employers should be preparing for now

Employee Benefits in 2026 and Beyond: What Every Employer Needs to Know

  • Cost control is now the #1 priority for employers in 2026: Learn how organizations are responding to sustained medical, pharmacy, and stop loss cost pressure while maintaining benefit value.
  • A small number of high cost claimants are driving both medical spend and stop loss volatility: Learn how employers are addressing predictable, high impact conditions—such as cancer, cardiometabolic disease, and specialty drugs—while navigating a hardened stop loss market, higher lasers, and reduced carrier flexibility.
  • GLP 1 medications and specialty drugs continue to reshape pharmacy strategy: Understand the financial, clinical, and compliance considerations of GLP 1 coverage, biosimilars, and evolving PBM contract models.
  • Financial stress is directly impacting workforce productivity: Discover how leading employers are integrating financial well being, mental health, and benefits communication to support employees and manage cost risk.
  • Regulatory and fiduciary scrutiny is intensifying: Stay ahead of emerging litigation trends, PBM regulations, fiduciary responsibilities, and compliance risks, especially related to pharmacy and AI use.
  • Technology, AI, and digital health are changing how benefits are delivered: Learn where virtual care, navigation tools, and AI enabled personalization are driving real value and where governance is essential.
  • What top employers are doing differently in 2026: Walk away with practical insights from the latest employer survey data and market trends to help inform your benefits strategy for the year ahead.

When

Tuesday, April 21st, 2026

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Includes Breakfast

Where

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

12033 Lone Peak Pkwy, Draper, UT 84020

Christopher Bao
Associate Director, Regulatory & Legislative Strategy, Brown & Brown

With over ten years of regulatory and legislative strategy experience, Christopher Bao serves as the Vice President –Regulatory and Legislative Strategy in the Employee Benefits division of Brown & Brown. In his role, Christopher is responsible for researching, analyzing, presenting and advising parties on strategies and best practices for group health plans. He also supports internal colleagues and Brown & Brown customers by reviewing and analyzing both federal and state laws that govern Employee Health and Welfare Benefit plans. These areas include HIPAA, the Affordable Care Act, ERISA and COBRA.​

Christopher has experience in employee health and welfarebenefits and seven years of litigation experience. Prior to joining Brown & Brown, he worked at a large international insurance brokerage firm in the areas of compliance and Employee Healthand Welfare Benefits. Prior to that role, Christopher worked as alitigator in private practice. He joined Brown & Brown in August of 2022.

Tiffany McDaniel
Absence Consultant, Brown & Brown

As an Absence Consultant, Tiffany assists clients and internal teams by conducting leave assessments for current and potential leave plans, providing recommendations for complex leave scenarios, and helping navigate state leave policies.

Tiffany joined Brown & Brown, SNS in May 2024. Before Brown & Brown, SNS, she worked in the leave industry for 8 years with a combined experience in Absence Management and Integrated Disability Management. Tiffany’s role was to ensure a positive client and employee experience while ensuring that her team serviced standards, followed all state statutes or regulations, and advising her team on industry best practices. Furthermore, she oversaw the team operations including efficiency, accuracy, and quality of the claims management process.

Tiffany is licensed to administer statutory claims in the state of New York.

Chana Bieker
Senior Vice President and National Accounts Leader, Brown & Brown

Chana Bieker is Senior Vice President and National Accounts Leader at Brown & Brown. With more than 22 years of consulting experience, Chana partners with large, complex employers and human capital leaders across a wide range of industries to design and implement impactful health and welfare strategies. She specializes in advancing total health equity through intentional, innovative benefit solutions that align people-first objectives with cost management and long-term financial sustainability. Her work focuses on helping organizations strengthen workforce well-being while achieving measurable business outcomes.

In addition to advising employers on evolving benefits strategy and program design, Chana serves as the spokesperson for Brown & Brown’s Employer Health & Benefits Strategy Survey, translating market insights and employer data into actionable guidance for organizations navigating today’s benefits landscape.​