Compliance Office Hours: Fringe Benefits

Today’s most-discussed employee benefits include multiple fringe offerings such as infertility HRAs, spousal incentive HRAs (SIHRAs), lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs), commuter benefits, educational assistance, adoption assistance, and Trump Accounts. These supplemental-type benefits are typically designed to recruit and retain employees by providing additional levels and types of benefits beyond the standard health and welfare plan features.

This session of Newfront Office Hours covers how employers should address the various compliance issues associated with these trending fringe benefit offerings.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM PT

Topics for Discussion

Specialty HRAs: Providing additional benefits such as infertility, mental health, medical travel, gender affirmation, autism
Spousal Incentive HRAs (SIHRAs): Reimbursing cost-sharing amounts through a spouse’s group health plan
Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs): Used for a variety of physical, emotional, and financial wellness expenses on a taxable basis
Commuter Benefits: A tax-advantaged way for employees to pay for mass transit and parking expenses
Educational Assistance: Tax-free reimbursement of tuition, books, fees, supplies, and student loans
Adoption Assistance: Exclusion from income for reimbursing employee adoption costs
Trump Accounts: A new child investment fund option added by the OBBB that includes employer/employee contributions

Brian Gilmore

Lead Benefits Counsel, VP

Brian Gilmore is the Lead Benefits Counsel at Newfront, now part of WTW. He assists clients on a wide variety of employee benefits compliance issues. The primary areas of his practice include ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, and 401(k) plans. Brian also presents regularly at trade events and in webinars on current hot topics in employee benefits law.