Integrated Voluntary Benefits Enrollment and Administration

An evolving and diverse workforce is increasingly moving away from a uniform approach to benefits. Employers now recognize the importance of adding voluntary benefits like identity theft, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident, alongside traditional options to effectively address the unique needs and preferences of their employees.

Our comprehensive enrollment and administration technology creates an integrated enrollment process that improves the employee experience and simplifies HR administration. Adding Enrollment Support Solutions brings even more value to employers.

 

Enrollment Support Solutions

Best-in-Class Voluntary Carriers

Strategic carrier partnerships provide savings and discount opportunities for adding personalized Enrollment Support Solutions.

Total Implementation Management

We handle the implementation process soup to nuts, including requirements and paperwork gathering, platform setup, and managing carrier installations. 

Streamline Enrollment and Administration

Customized communication, education, and powerful technology combine to integrate core and voluntary front-end enrollment and ongoing administration, easing the workload for insurance brokers and their clients' HR staff.

Tailored Communications Lifts Participation

A user-friendly enrollment platform, clear communication channels, and personalized support is an opportunity for higher employee satisfaction, engagement, and participation rates.

 

Opportunity and Impact

Voluntary Benefits are in Demand

76% of employees say voluntary benefits positively affect their decision to work for and stay with their employer - Corstream, 2021 State of Voluntary Benefits

Employers Are Listening

Most US employers plan to enhance health & benefit offerings in 2023 to improve talent attraction and retention - Mercer Health and Benefit Strategies for 2023

More Likely to Recommend

67% of employees who rate their benefits as excellent or very good said they were more likely to recommend their employer  - New England Enrollment Strategies 

A Better Employee Experience

80% of employees who met 1:1 with an enrollment specialist found them to be very or extremely helpful. - DirectPath, 2021 Consumer Report

Enroll smarter, not harder. Let's talk. 

Voluntary Benefits Insights

IRS Extends Transition Relief for Reporting of State PFML Benefits

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Karen Greco
/ Categories: Federal Health & Welfare Updates

 

January 13, 2026

On December 19, 2025, the IRS issued Notice 2026-6, extending the transition period for federal tax and reporting requirements related to State Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs to calendar year 2027.

By way of background, numerous states have implemented their own state-mandatory PFML programs to provide partial wage replacement for eligible employees who need to take time off from work due to an employee’s own serious health condition or disability, or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. The IRS had previously issued guidance (Rev. Proc. 2025-4) regarding the tax treatment of state-based PFML programs (as reported in our previous article from January 2025). This guidance clarified how federal employment and income taxes should be applied to contributions and benefits under state PFML programs beginning in 2026.

In response to state and employer concerns over the implementation timeframe of the new tax requirements outlined in Rev. Proc. 2025-4, the IRS has delayed the scheduled enforcement of the new tax requirements until 2027. The IRS notice states that “calendar year 2026 will be regarded as an additional transition period for purposes of IRS enforcement and administration.” The notice further states, however, that beginning in 2026 employers must treat voluntary contribution payments employers made on behalf of employees to a State PFML program as wages for Federal employment tax purposes and report such amounts on the employee’s Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. These voluntary payments are also referred to as “employer pick-ups.”

Employer Takeaway

While the announcement by the IRS provides employers with additional time and flexibility regarding the taxation of PFML payments, employers with employees working in states with a PFML program will still need to comply with employer pick-up tax requirements in 2026. Employers should work with their payroll vendors to update the payroll systems to ensure accurate withholding and reporting, including with respect to employer and employee contributions and taxable benefit employer pick-ups, and for the future tax obligations taking effect in 2027.

Read more on the Extension of Transition Period to Calendar Year 2026 on IRS.gov.

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