Voluntary Insurance Products in the Workplace

Avoiding Pitfalls and Limiting Employer Obligations

Available immediately

With more and more employees expecting voluntary insurance coverage in the workplace (and certain state “pay or play” laws actually mandating it), the challenge for employers is recognizing the compliance burdens under ERISA and (for medical coverage) under COBRA, HIPAA, and other federal benefits laws. Whether you are an employer sponsoring employee benefits, or an advisor or outside administrator, join our experts in this 90-minute web seminar as they explore the tricky issues presented by voluntary products.

Originally presented on October 2, 2008.

Seminar Level


Intermediate Difficulty

Topics Covered

Here’s some of what was covered:

  • What types of voluntary coverage tend to be offered in the workplace and why do employers either make it available or reimburse employees who purchase their own?
  • When is individual health and other voluntary coverage subject to ERISA, and why does that matter? When might COBRA, HIPAA, and other federal benefits laws apply? What about group market insurance laws?
  • What is the impact of state “pay or play” laws?
  • How can employers reduce compliance risks by limiting administrative involvement with voluntary programs?
  • Can employees pay for voluntary coverage through a cafeteria plan? When do cafeteria plan nondiscrimination rules apply? Can an employer avoid HIPAA nondiscrimination issues for voluntary health coverage?
  • Can an HRA or HSA be used to pay for voluntary health coverage?

Details

Speakers: Darcy L. Hitesman and Brigid Carroll Anderson. Ms. Hitesman is an attorney and principal shareholder of Hitesman & Associates, P.A. in Minneapolis. She is a longtime Contributing Author of EBIA’s ERISA Compliance for Health & Welfare Plans. Ms. Anderson is an attorney and Director of Seminars at EBIA. She is former Editor and a current Contributing Author of EBIA’s ERISA Compliance for Health & Welfare Plans.

Handouts: A handout of the seminar slides and other information is provided through download.

Viewing Details

Accessing the recorded web seminar: After you purchase a recorded web seminar, you will receive an email with access information. You and your co-workers may then view the recording as many times as you wish for 60 days. An internet connection is required to view the recording; it can be stopped and started as needed and has a table of contents for easy navigation.

Recordings are accurate as of the date presented: Our recordings are accurate as of the presentation date of the live seminar. We supplement handout materials with articles from the EBIA Weekly covering significant later developments. You must check the table of contents at your access link for updates before viewing a recorded seminar.

Please respect our copyright: Do not record the web seminar, share the access link, or duplicate materials. For details on our copyright policy, please visit our Copyright page.

System Requirements for Recorded Web Seminars

EBIA uses WebEx technology for the seminar. You may wish to view system requirements, test your system and download any necessary WebEx software here:

http://www.webex.com/lp/jointest/

If you are not able to complete the WebEx installation, please contact WebEx technical support at (866) 863-3904.