Update

The referenced Illinois law (HB5258), effective January 1, 2026, expands dependent eligibility to include an employee’s parent or stepparent. However, this only applies to fully insured group health insurance policies issued in Illinois that offer dependent coverage. It does not apply to self-funded plans or out-of-state policies.

What Is Form 5500? 

Also known as the Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan, Form 5500 is a filing required annually by the Department of Labor (DOL) & Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Form 5500 reports and discloses information on benefit plans to ensure:

• The operation and management of these plans comply with certain Titles outlined in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
• Sufficient information is provided to regulators to effectively safeguard the rights and benefits of participants and beneficiaries.

On April 26, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced yet another modification to the annual limitation on deductions for contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

In this thriving economy, savvy leaders are preparing themselves to capitalize on Merger and Acquisition (M&A) opportunities to supplement organic growth. According to a recent study from Deloitte, “Corporations and private equity firms foresee an acceleration of M&A activity in 2018—both in the number of deals and the size of those transactions.”