In September 2026, The Guardian reported that Starbucks workers responding to a Starbucks Workers United survey faced sharp increases in their health-insurance contributions for cover beginning on 1 October. More than 130 workers from union and non-union stores took part. The newspaper described individual employees who expected to drop coverage or considered taking another job because of the cost. The evidence is serious as testimony, but the survey is

In September 2026, the Hamilton Project published research on movements into and out of US direct care jobs in long-term care settings. The analysis reports that fewer than half of these workers remain in the same type of job in the following year. Workers leaving for other employment tend to obtain higher wages and greater access to employer-sponsored health insurance and pensions. Published on 29 September, the study concerns

What the federal survey measured In September 2026, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 72% of private-industry workers had access to retirement benefits in March 2026, while 52% participated in a plan. Defined contribution plans were available to 70% and defined benefit plans to 14%. The figures describe the March survey reference period and were released on 25 September, they are not a projection of future take-up

In September 2026, the Associated Press reported that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had proposed an AI incident notification mechanism during talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The proposal would create a channel for sharing information about artificial-intelligence incidents that may affect national security. Details remain limited and China had not publicly accepted the mechanism at the time of reporting, although the discussions were described as candid and

In September 2026, Reuters reported that CVS Health’s Aetna in the USA would introduce a single medical prior-authorisation process for cancer treatment, replacing separate approvals for components such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, imaging and some immunotherapies. The change began on 1 September for Medicaid members in eight US states and is scheduled to reach Aetna’s private and Medicare Advantage plans during the first half of 2027. Aetna says that providers

The IRS’s May 2025 official bulletin sets out health savings account and high-deductible health plan parameters for 2026. For benefits and payroll teams, the immediate task is to label each figure correctly. Contribution ceilings, minimum deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses describe different controls in a qualifying arrangement. Read the dated development The HSA contribution limits are USD4,400 for self-only coverage and USD8,750 for family coverage. HDHP minimum deductibles are