IPBC Enewsletter | November 2026

Click the video preview for a recap of information shared in this Enewsletter - so you can prioritize!

Welcome to Our Newest IPBC Team Members

Kiersten Johnson

kjohnson@ipbchealth.org

Operations Support Specialist

Molley Whitlock

mwhitlock@ipbchealth.org

Member Services Representative

Jade Sherwood

jsherwood@ipbchealth.org

Member Services Representative

New! IPBC Member Responsibilities Video

Being part of IPBC is a partnership, and everyone has a role in making that partnership successful. Our new Member Responsibilities Video walks benefit administrators through some of the most important responsibilities of membership, from employee communication and enrollment administration to compliance, program promotion, and staying connected with IPBC.

Open Enrollment Is Here!

Please keep these important dates in mind:

November 2 – 15: Employee Open Enrollment window
November 15 – 25: Administrator Review Period
November 19: Final EDI file containing 2026 enrollment data is transmitted to carriers and the year-end blackout period begins
November 26: 2027 Open Enrollment EDI file is transmitted to carriers. During the blackout period, certain 2026 enrollments, terminations, or life event changes may require the applicable carrier’s haste enrollment process. Any changes submitted directly to a carrier through that process should also be entered in PlanSource

2026 ACA Reporting is Coming!

As year-end approaches, IPBC members should begin preparing for the 2026 Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting season. IPBC members with at least 50 full-time and full-time-equivalent employees, use Forms 1094-C and 1095-C to report health coverage information. For members using PlanSource for ACA administration, now is a good time to review employee and dependent information and make any necessary updates.

Please keep these important dates in mind:

November 3: PlanSource will host an ACA Reporting Review Webinar for IPBC administrators from 12:00–1:00 p.m. Central to review ACA reporting requirements, updates and key deadlines.
January 21: PlanSource deadline to approve forms and avoid additional charges. Forms approved beginning January 22 will incur a $0.75 surcharge per form.
March 2: Federal deadline to furnish 2026 Forms 1095-C.
March 31: Federal deadline to electronically file ACA forms with the IRS.

Please note: The January deadline applies to members using PlanSource, while the March 2 and March 31 federal deadlines apply to all employers subject to ACA reporting requirements. IPBC will continue to share important information as ACA reporting season approaches.

As we head toward the end of the year, IPBC is continuing to monitor Illinois legislative changes that may impact municipal employers and their benefit programs in 2027. Several new health plan mandates are scheduled to take effect beginning January 1, 2027, including requirements related to peripheral artery disease screening, certain diagnostic testing, therapeutic services and mental health coverage. IPBC members can find additional information through the Illinois Compliance Updates Impacting IPBC Members section of the IPBC website, where we will continue to share relevant legislative and compliance updates.

Also on the radar: Beginning January 1, 2027, Illinois employers with more than 25 employees will be required to compensate employees at their regular rate of pay for time spent serving on jury duty. Municipal employers may want to review their current jury-duty policies and payroll practices ahead of the new year.

Dependent Audit Action Required: Due December 31

Member groups received a reminder earlier this month regarding the annual dependent audit requirement. If your group is due for an audit, please complete and submit all required documentation by December 31, 2026. Not sure if your group is due? Click here to view the audit schedule. Please send completed audit forms to Kiersten Johnson at kjohnson@ipbchealth.org.

The Wellness Program has implemented a new submission process. A communication outlining these changes was distributed in October. Updates include revised forms and a dedicated email address for all wellness-related communications: Wellness@ipbchealth.org.

We will review the new process and answer questions during the Ask IPBC – Wellness Session on November 18, 2026.

Join the meeting: Ask IPBC | Join Meeting in Microsoft Teams

Monthly Financial Reports

The September 2026 Monthly Financial Reports are now available and can be found on the website .

New Link to Update Contact Info

Is your information updated in the IPBC system? If you need to update employee contact information, there is a new link to do this - which can be found here.