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	<title>Erica Kirby &#8211; Erica Kirby</title>
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		<title>HSA vs FSA vs HRA in Plain English. And the One Most Employees Are Quietly Misusing.</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/hsa-vs-fsa-difference-explained/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7403</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[You&#8217;re three weeks into your benefits role, and an employee just asked you, &#8220;What&#8217;s the difference between an HSA, FSA, and HRA?&#8221; You opened your mouth to answer, and your brain went quiet. Or maybe you started explaining and realized halfway through that you weren&#8217;t sure if Healthcare FSAs roll over or expire. Or whether...]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Nobody Told You What Open Enrollment Actually Is. So Let&#8217;s Fix That.</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/first-time-open-enrollment-hr/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 00:05:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Enrollment]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7388</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[My first open enrollment was at a company with 60,000 employees. I was new to benefits, new to the job, new to the building. They handed me a binder, told me OE started in one month, and walked away. I didn&#8217;t know what a file feed was. I didn&#8217;t know who the carrier was versus...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7388</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>OE Closes in March. The Audit Happens in June</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/mid-year-benefits-audit/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 23:50:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Enrollment]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7373</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Picture Tara, eighteen months into her first benefits admin role. It’s the first Friday of January, and her Teams has been pinging since 7:14 a.m. “Why is my deduction $284? It should be $112.” “You took out family coverage. I waived family.” “My HSA contribution is wrong. I didn’t want to contribute this year, and...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7373</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The Messy Middle of Benefits: Why Year 3 Is Harder Than Year 1</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/benefits-administrator-imposter-syndrome/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 15:21:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7357</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s a Tuesday, 9:47 AM. Year three at your desk as a benefits administrator. You&#8217;re three sips into your coffee when an employee email pops up — a dependent verification question with a wrinkle you&#8217;ve seen before but never quite this way. You know the rule. You know the carrier. You know the system. And...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7357</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The Good: When the Renewal Strategy Session Actually Pays Off</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/open-enrollment-strategy-session-good/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 21:03:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Enrollment]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7315</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Jordan walks out of the May renewal strategy session and notices something strange. Her shoulders are down. Her notebook is full but not chaotic. Finance and HR are still talking in the hallway — not arguing, just finishing a thought. The CHRO claps her on the back and says, “that was the best one of...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7315</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Before the Strategy Session: How to Walk Into Your Claims Meeting Already Ahead</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/benefits-claims-analysis-meeting-prep-guide/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2026 22:48:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Enrollment]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7277</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Maya is nine months into her first benefits admin role when the calendar invite lands. Q1 Claims Analysis Meeting — Tuesday, 10am. Her broker added a friendly note: Looking forward to walking through your year-over-year trend. She stares at the invite. Then she clicks accept, because what else is she going to do? She has...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7277</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The Post-Open Enrollment Audit Nobody Taught You (And Why Your January Depends On It)</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/post-open-enrollment-audit/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:06:21 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Enrollment]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7174</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s the middle of June. An employee calls you — her voice is shaking. Medicare keeps denying her claims. Every single one. She can&#8217;t figure out why, and neither can her doctor&#8217;s office. You pull up her record. She terminated coverage six months ago. Back in December. The termination was processed. The box was checked....]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7174</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Open Enrollment Checklist for HR: Survive OE Season Without the Chaos</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/open-enrollment-checklist-for-hr/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:47:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Open Enrollment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=7121</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[You know that feeling when open enrollment is officially on the calendar and your stomach drops a little? Yeah — that feeling is valid. On paper, open enrollment looks manageable. You send some emails. Employees pick their plans. Done. But in real life? It&#8217;s inbox overload, deadline pressure, employees who ignored every single communication until...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7121</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>HSA Benefits Explained: Triple Tax Advantage Guide 2026</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/hsa-benefits-triple-tax-advantage-2026/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:28:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=586</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Let me guess: You signed up for a Health Savings Account during open enrollment because HR said it would &#8220;save you money on taxes.&#8221; You nodded along, set up a small contribution, and then&#8230; promptly forgot about it. Here&#8217;s what nobody told you in that benefits meeting: Your HSA isn&#8217;t just a way to pay...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">586</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>How Digital and AI-Powered Employee Mental Health Benefits Are Transforming Workplaces</title>
		<link>https://ericakirby.com/employee-mental-health-benefits-2025/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erica Kirby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2025 17:24:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Benefits 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smarter Systems, Happier Teams]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://ericakirby.com/?p=569</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Mental health at work has moved from the sidelines to center stage. Ask any HR professional, benefits manager, or small business owner today, and they&#8217;ll tell you the same thing: employee mental health benefits aren&#8217;t just nice-to-have perks anymore. They&#8217;re essential tools for building teams that stay, perform, and thrive. The question has shifted from...]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">569</post-id>	</item>
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