Webcast held in partnership with the New England Employee Benefits Council (NEEBC)

The need for international health insurance continues to grow in line with an increasing volume of U.S. outbound international travel. Employers are reporting an increase in employees experiencing health-related incidents overseas, yet one in three employers do not have dedicated international health benefits. Identifying the need for a comprehensive international solution is key to success when operating in today’s global business environment.

This webcast will cover:

• Identifying the need for a comprehensive international solution

• Working with a domestic carrier or insurance agent or directly with an international carrier

• What to expect in the selection process

• Best practices in working with a dedicated account manager

• Implementing an expatriate plan.

[more information]

This webcast provides a focused look at recent developments under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as a review of the challenges faced by employers. It also includes tactics on how to avoid mistakes and pitfalls, using real-world cases and examples.

Key takeaways include:

• What's new and interesting in FMLA case law

• Top FMLA mistakes that can trip up employers

• The seven habits of highly effective FMLA administration.

[more information]

Webcast held in partnership with the New England Employee Benefits Council (NEEBC)

Momentum appears to be building in the movement toward value-based care. Nearly half of the large companies in the United States are considering contracting with accountable care organizations (ACOs) by 2020, and federal and state governments are making efforts to shift Medicare and Medicaid to value-based reimbursement models.

Value-based reimbursement is transforming health care delivery, and the process could help reduce health care costs and improve quality. However, implementing and sustaining a successful value-based arrangement is a complicated endeavor—A broad and deep understanding of the capabilities is needed for the arrangement to succeed. It is critical to identify gaps in core capability areas such as

• Organizational readiness

• Governance, network, clinical and financial performance

• Quality, data-driven population health

• Model of care design and delivery

• Financial infrastructure and incentives

• Technology, data and analytics

• Consumer experience and patient satisfaction.

Selecting the right partner is also critical for the long-term success of a value-based relationship.

This webcast will describe current trends in value-based care and approaches to value-based reimbursement and will offer a framework for employers interested in implementing a value-based reimbursement model.

[more information]

Join us on October 31 to hear exclusive findings from the new International Foundation survey on workplace wellness trends. Learn how organizations in the United States and Canada are evolving their programs to ensure the overall well-being of their workers.

This webcast will cover survey results showing:

• Prevalence of wellness benefits

• Reasons for offering wellness benefits

• Costliest medical conditions

• Methods used to improve worker wellness

• Who designs and implements the wellness program

• How wellness offerings are communicated

• Use of incentives

• Collection and use of data

• Barriers to wellness programs.

[more information]

Your organization has a wellness program and a risk-management program to address employee safety, but are these programs integrated? Lifestyle choices such as sleep, stress, physical activity and nutrition all play a role in safety and overall health. It’s important that your employees connect well-being to safety. In this webinar, Wellness Workdays CEO Debra Wein explains why a holistic approach to well-being that includes workplace interventions to protect safety combined with initiatives that advance employee well-being is the gold standard. No matter what industry your organization is in—financial, technology, life sciences, education, health care or another sector—you’ll learn what steps you need to take to integrate your programs and keep your employees safe and healthy.

[more information]

Mental health and substance use disorders among the workforce take a large toll on employees and employers. To address this, many plans offer mental health and substance use disorder benefits along with their traditional medical and surgical benefits. Plan sponsors need to make sure these benefits comply with federal parity rules. This session focuses on complying with federal mental health parity rules such as the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The presentation addresses final guidance issued by the DOL in September 2019 as well as federal enforcement of MHPAEA.

This webcast covers:

• The need for mental health and substance use disorder benefits

• Mental health parity rules, including new DOL parity FAQs

• Federal Enforcement of MHPAEA.

[more information]

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has not gone away. Employers must still file Form 1095 for 2019. In addition, some employers are receiving IRS Letter 226J, Letter 5699 or Notice 972CG regarding potential penalties. This webcast will discuss how to proactively address reporting issues, both state and federal, as well as how to respond to subsequent IRS letters and notices. It will provide the latest update on Texas v. United States and on what Congress has done with the Cadillac tax.

This webcast will cover:

• Instructions for 2019 Forms 1094-C and 1095-C

• Responding to Letter 226J, Letter 5699 and Notice 972CG

• Individual state reporting

• Texas v. United States update

• Cadillac tax update

[more information]

After a decade of grappling with how to enhance investor protections, the SEC recently finalized its Regulation Best Interest rule. This rulemaking package also includes a new required disclosure document and interpretation of some existing rules.

This presentation will cover:

• The rulemaking package with particular emphasis on how it impacts service provider interactions with plan sponsors and active plan participants

• The rule’s impact on rollover recommendations

• The degree of certainty this rule offers as we hurdle toward a June 30, 2020 compliance deadline.

[more information]

Laws and rules change frequently and so does workplace culture. Employers need to know how to navigate the complex field of labor and employment law. Well-informed employers can avoid legal landmines and maintain a welcoming environment that leads to increased employee retention. This session addresses evolving employment-related laws, regulations and trends in today's workplace.

This program will cover:

• Drug and alcohol testing

• Sexual harassment

• Overtime and regular rate regulations

• Employee use of employer email and personal cell phones

• General trends in paid and unpaid leave laws

• The latest Supreme Court cases.

[more information]

Join Robert Sica, director of technology at New England Carpenters Benefit Funds, in a conversation detailing one benefit fund’s experience deploying their mobile self-service app. Discussion points will include:

• The major design decisions, from the platform selected to the app design to the data included from the get-go

• The implementation process, including trials, tribulations and tips for success

• The results since launch, including impact on the fund office, feedback from the 8,500+ members using the app and the unexpected benefits that have also emerged.

Don’t miss this opportunity to tune in to what promises to be an enlightening conversation about delivering mobile self-service access to union members by a modern fund office.

[more information]

Please join us for EBRI's 85th Policy Forum. Learn about the latest research, trends, and regulatory changes affecting retirement, health care and financial wellness.​ Sessions Include: Under the Dome – A Closer Look at Legislative Proposals Impacting Retirement The Latest Research and Perspectives on Managing the Cost of Employment-Based Health Benefits Navigating the Financial Wellness Landscape A Benefits Industry Ripe for Change: Insights from 7 Petabytes of Data

[more information]

Employers are under increased pressure to respond to employee behavioral/mental health issues, the opioid epidemic and rising employee stress. A well-positioned employee assistance program (EAP) can be an effective resource to meet these challenges. This session will demonstrate the dollar return on implementing a comprehensive EAP. This program will cover: • Financial impact of employee stress and depression • Calculating the combined costs of: • Lost productivity from presenteeism, absenteeism, turnover and accidents • Medical spend on mental health • EAP utilization impact on the reduction of costs • Positioning your EAP to be effective.

[more information]

Please join us for a robust discussion on the topic of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. Two expert speakers will address the misperceptions and the realities of ESG investing—and how this approach to long-term investing is not only about risk-mitigation, but also seeking better risk-adjusted returns. Hear about ESG integration and public equities investing as well as ESG considerations from the fixed income perspective spanning corporate, sovereign, securitized and municipal markets. This presentation is intended to not only be educational but provide context within an investment framework for fiduciaries as the universal owner for the generations to come.

[more information]

Save the date for NIRS’ Tenth Annual Retirement Policy Conference Conference Agenda* 8:15 AM Opening Remarks 8:30 AM Keynote Conversation: The Value of a Good Retirement 9:00 AM Keynote Conversation: Dealing with an Aging Society 9:30 AM Keynote Conversation 10:00 AM Networking Break 10:15 AM Policymaker Keynote 10:45 AM Panel Conversation: Doing Better Today 11:45 AM Keynote Conversation: Long-Term Investing Boosts Retirement Readiness 12:15 PM Networking Lunch 1:15 PM Keynote Conversation: What Do Americans Think About Retirement? 1:45 PM Policy Conversation: Retirement Benefits & Workforce Implications 2:30 PM Closing *Tentative Agenda — Subject to Modifications to Accommodate Speakers

[more information]

It can be confusing trying to figure out who has ERISA fiduciary status right now and what their responsibilities are. In 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a rule redefining the meaning of the term “fiduciary” as it applies to investment professionals. In 2018, before the rule was fully in effect, a federal court vacated the rule. This session will cover who is considered an ERISA benefit plan fiduciary today and what one should be doing.

Key takeaways include:

• Who is an ERISA fiduciary?

• What are the different types of ERISA fiduciaries?

• What does it mean that the definition of ERISA fiduciary is functional?

• What types of decisions do ERISA fiduciary duties apply to?

• What are the ERISA fiduciary duties?

• What is ERISA co-fiduciary liability?

• What are the consequences of violating ERISA fiduciary duties?

• What can ERISA fiduciaries do to protect themselves from liability?

[more information]