By Andrew Dalton · Omaha, NE

THE BENEFITS BRIEF

Cutting through the week's noise in employee benefits, HR, and workplace health.

Why this exists

I read more benefits, HR, and workplace-health news than any one person should. So I built this — a single place to keep everything I'm reading and learning through the week, instead of letting the good stuff disappear into a hundred open tabs.

In each issue I pull together the handful of stories that actually matter, explain why in plain English, and drop in every link I vetted along the way so you can go deeper wherever it's relevant to you.

Each Issue

A short read — the hardest-hitting stories across Money, Body, Mind, and Nebraska policy, in plain English with why each one matters.

Every Link

Everything I read and vetted through the week, linked right where I cover it — tap any headline in an issue to read the source for yourself.

Issues

September 28, 2026 Latest

Two Weeks of Rain and a Very Honest Basement

My basement took on water, and the rain showed me three problems I didn't know I had. Your benefits plan probably has a few of its own, waiting for bad weather.

28 stories Read

September 14, 2026

Keep an Umbrella in the Car

Health costs are climbing, new rules keep landing, and the employers who plan ahead are the ones who stay dry.

15 stories Read

August 10, 2026

Renewal Season

Employers face critical decisions on employee benefits as renewal season heats up

30 stories Read

July 20, 2026

Meet Them Where They Are

Why the work of HR still comes down to showing up.

10 stories Read

July 13, 2026

Hold Your Shape

340B drug sales reach $100 billion, CVS's CEO says GLP-1 coverage economics aren't justified yet, and two appeals courts rule on ERISA cases.

18 stories Read

July 6, 2026

The Squeeze Is On

ACA insurers propose a median 14% premium increase for 2027, No Surprises Act disputes drive up costs, and Nebraska faces a $307 million revenue shortfall.

22 stories Read

June 15, 2026

Worth the Hassle

Telehealth use rises 10%, led by mental health visits. Employer GLP-1 spending doubles in a year, and the DOL issues four new opinion letters.

37 stories Read

June 8, 2026

Riding Shotgun

GLP-1 drugs hit 20% of prescription spending at large self-funded plans, Cigna drops them from its own plan, and Nebraska expands its 529 plan.

31 stories Read

June 1, 2026

Toad Patrol

Nearly half of early-career workers feel lonely at work, menopause costs $1.8 billion a year in lost work time, and Nebraska reviews its minimum wage.

38 stories Read