2026 Benefits Administration Calendar

Benefits Concepts / Health Plan Operations
2026 Operations Checklist

2026 Benefits Administration Calendar

A planning map for calendar-year health and welfare plans. Applicability, due dates, extensions, plan-year timing, funding arrangement, participant count, and state law can change the result—confirm every item for the actual plan.

Reviewed July 29, 2026 · Source-led practitioner reference

Calendar-year planning map

Timing Common workstream
January–March Close prior-year enrollment and payroll files; complete ACA data review. For 2025 Forms 1094-C/1095-C, the 2026 deadlines were March 2 for applicable individual furnishing/request procedures and March 31 for electronic IRS filing.
Within 60 days after plan-year start Complete the CMS online disclosure of prescription-drug creditable status when applicable.
Spring Review plan documents, service agreements, vendor performance, fees, cybersecurity controls, and upcoming renewal strategy. Begin census and claims-data validation.
July 31 for calendar-year plans Form 5500 is generally due on the last day of the seventh month after plan-year end when filing is required. PCORI reporting and payment on second-quarter Form 720 is also generally due July 31 for applicable policy or plan years.
September 30 for many calendar-year plans Summary Annual Report generally due within nine months after plan-year end, or two months after the extended Form 5500 due date when applicable.
Before October 15 Provide the annual Medicare Part D creditable or non-creditable coverage notice to Medicare-eligible individuals covered under the prescription-drug plan.
Renewal and open enrollment Finalize rates, contributions, SBCs, plan changes, enrollment communications, payroll deductions, vendor files, and evidence of insurability where applicable.
Year-end Reconcile elections, deductions, employer funding, carrier invoices, eligibility, COBRA, HSA reporting inputs, and ACA measurement/reporting data.

Ongoing deadlines

  • Marketplace coverage-options notice for new employees within 14 days of start.
  • SPD generally within 90 days after a participant becomes covered.
  • SBC with enrollment materials, at renewal, upon special enrollment, and within seven business days after request.
  • COBRA general and election notices under the applicable event and timing rules.
  • HIPAA special-enrollment notice when employees are first offered enrollment.
  • Plan documents generally within 30 days after a valid written participant request.
Use a responsibility matrix: For every item, record the owner, data source, vendor, approver, due date, evidence of completion, and escalation path. A calendar without ownership is only a reminder list.

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Primary sources

Educational reference only. Plan documents, governing law, agency guidance, and plan-specific professional advice control.

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