The Washington Report
December 17, 2025
Important Note to Subscribers
The Washington Report will not be published on December 24 and December 31, 2025. The first edition of the newsletter will be published on January 7, 2026. Happy Holidays and New Year!
In addition, The Washington Report will be ending in its current format and be transformed into a new weekly newsletter starting in 2026. The newsletter will be called the Weekly Health Compliance Briefing and will be focused on the latest information that employers sponsoring health and welfare plans need on all things compliance and policy. It will include all the latest content from the subject matter experts on the Health Solutions’ Compliance & Policy Consulting team. We can’t wait to share it and we hope it will provide readers will the most valuable information on these topics moving forward.
Aon Publications
Ten Health Care Developments Employers Should Be Monitoring in 2026
Health care will very likely continue to dominate the conversation in Washington throughout 2026, particularly with the midterm elections looming in November. Congress is likely to address proposals related to the expiration (or extension) of expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, alternatives to the ACA, and other health care cost initiatives.
The Trump Administration’s regulatory priorities include additional disclosures of health plan costs and service provider compensation, implementation of legislative provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, changes to the No Suprises Act, addressing mental health parity requirements, potential additional guidance related to fertility benefits, and facilitating direct-to-consumer drug pricing.
Courts will continue to weigh in on ERISA preemption related to state laws regulating Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and PBM practices that impact ERISA-covered group health plans, as well as lawsuits against plan fiduciaries for violations of ERISA’s fiduciary duties and HIPAA wellness rules.
The Aon bulletin is available here.