Course

Ancillary Benefit Plans

Join your peers and experts to take a deep dive across the spectrum of ancillary benefits to explore how you can create employee engagement with your participants' needs in mind. This course will define ancillary benefits and explore the key issues employers are facing. Participate in a robust discussion on how to structure, implement and communicate your programs with creativity and effectiveness. This course is set up to bring a classroom-style learning environment to encourage two days of engagement with others and the course material. Learn from case studies and group discussions to better understand the challenges facing the industry and what a path to successful plans looks like.

Topics Covered

  • Terms and frameworks of ancillary benefits
  • Life insurance
  • Disability and workers' compensation
  • Time-off programs
  • Communicating consumerism
  • Choice/flexible benefits
  • Section 125
  • Voluntary benefits
  • Dental, vision, hearing
  • Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
  • New waves in ancillary benefits
  • Implementing a choice-based model
  • Five phases of implementation

Course Outline

View course outline

Day 1

  1. Terms and Framework
    1. Ancillary and voluntary benefits
    2. Discount programs
    3. Lifestyle programs
    4. Work/life benefits
    5. Strategic considerations
  2. Life Insurance
    1. Calculating coverage options
    2. Types of life insurance
    3. Types of coverage
    4. Uses of term vs. whole insurance (making a comeback)
  3. Disability and Worker's Compensation
    1. The cost of disability
    2. Employer-sponsored programs
      1. Design—Short-term and long-term disability
      2. Taxation
      3. Preexisting conditions
  4. Time-Off Programs
    1. Balancing workforce needs with business strategies
    2. State vs. federal required time off
    3. Types of time off
  5. Communicating Consumerism
    1. Value of communication
    2. Communication strategy road map
    3. Strategic considerations
    4. How/when to communicate employee benefit programs
  6. Choice/Flexible Benefits
    1. Why offer choice/flex?
    2. The employer vs. the employee perspective
    3. What is flex? 
    4. Advantages and disadvantages
  7. Section 125
    1. Eligibility
    2. Flexible benefit design Considerations
      1. FSA
      2. Dependent care
      3. Paid time-off
      4. Adoption assistance
      5. HSA
      6. Cash
    3. Administrative procedure

Day 2

  1. Voluntary Benefits
    1. Changing workplace needs
    2. Evolving trends
  2. Dental, Vision and Hearing
    1. Traditional plans
    2. Sample plan design
    3. Plan considerations
  3. Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
    1. What is an EAP?
    2. Benefits of EAPs
    3. EAP considerations
  4. New Waves in Ancillary Benefits
    1. Adoption benefits and other family-forming considerations
    2. Pet insurance
    3. Long-term care (LTC)
  5. Implementing a Choice-Based Model/Five Phases of Implementation
    1. Project planning
    2. Strategy planning
    3. Development
    4. Enrollment
    5. Evaluation
  6. Case Study
    In the case study, attendees will be asked to redesign the employee benefits program for a fictitious company. Attendees will be divided into groups to perform a gap analysis of the current plan and design a plan to address both employer and employee needs. Each group will report their findings and answer questions.

Course Applies To

October 2025 September 2026

Pricing

October 6 - 7, 2025

Hilton Austin, Austin, TX

Through August 25, 2025

US$1,400.00

Member

US$1,620.00

Nonmember

After August 25, 2025

US$1,700.00

Member

US$1,920.00

Nonmember

Pricing

September 30 - October 1, 2026

Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, FL

Through August 17, 2026

US$1,495.00

Member

US$1,715.00

Nonmember

After August 17, 2026

US$1,795.00

Member

US$2,015.00

Nonmember

Continuing Education

Educational sessions at this program can qualify for CEBS Compliance credit. Visit www.cebs.org/compliance for more information.

Agenda

October 2025 September 2026

Monday, October 6 - Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Hilton Austin, Austin, TX

Wednesday, September 30 - Thursday, October 1, 2026

Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, FL

The selected event has no sessions.