MEWAs and AHPs:  After the Final Rules

What They Are, How They Are Regulated, and Other Fun and Frustrating Issues

Date:  Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Time:  1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Cost:  $199.99 for live webinar and the recorded podcast for future listening

TPAs and stop-loss carriers, plan sponsors fiduciaries, brokers and consultants are invited to learn critical information about their expanding risks and responsibilities arising from existing and final changes to rules related to the Association Health Plans (AHPs) and Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) conducted by attorney Jason P. Lacey, a partner with Foulston Siefkin LLP in Wichita, Kansas, a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits recognized as among the “Best Lawyers” in employee benefits for his health and other benefit knowledge, experience, advocacy and leadership.

Description: This webinar will provide an Overview of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final regulations designed to expand access to healthcare through Association Health Plans (AHPs). The final rule allows employers to join together as a single group to purchase insurance in the large group market. Learn about the implications of the final rule and why every TPA should know about them. This Webinar will examine the current regulatory and enforcement activity relating to the Association Health Plans.

The Webinar will include an in-depth discussion of issues relating to the Department of Labor (DOL) FAQs and guidance, development in the area of health plan compliance the AHP Final Regulations. Jason P. Lacey will discuss guidance published June 19, 2018 by the Department of Labor (DOL), Health & Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (collectively, the agencies) that sends another strong reminder of the importance of maintaining group health plan compliance.

Ensuring proper compliance with these federal rules is particularly important to avoid triggering the substantial liability that health plans, their employer and other sponsors, insurers, and administrators can incur if their health plan violates these regulations.  Learn what plans and their sponsors, insurers and fiduciaries are expected to do to maintain compliance. Additionally, it is important to remember that employers or other plan sponsors may have requirements under state law.

Speaker:  Jason P. Lacey, Esq.

Mr. Lacey is a partner with Foulston Siefkin LLP in Wichita, Kansas, practicing in the areas of employee benefits, ERISA, and executive compensation.  He is a frequent writer and speaker on employee-benefits topics, and is a contributing author to manuals on Self-Insured Health Plans, Heath Care Reform, and 1094/1095 Reporting published by Thomson Reuters/EBIA and speaks regularly at EBIA seminars on topics including ERISA, consumer-driven health care, health care reform, and self-insured health plans. He is a co-author of the Kansas Employment Law Blog. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and Missouri/Kansas SuperLawyers and was named 2014 Wichita Employee Benefits Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers.

Mr. Lacey is a graduate of Wichita State University (B.M. 1997), the University of Kansas (J.D. 2000), and New York University (LL.M. in Taxation 2001).

Registration:

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize key changes to the Association Health Plan (AHP) regulations and their impact on employee benefit plans;
• Overview of the Departments’ latest guidance on the AHPs and their interpretation of the and their potential implications for health plans and their employers and other sponsors, fiduciaries, administrators and insurers;
• Discuss special requirements and considerations that TPAs should account for when considering establishing AHPs;
• Share insights on certain changes to classifications of AHPs under State regulations;
• Review certain special rules regarding employer-owners now eligible to join AHPs; 

·         Review rules whether an Association Health Plan (AHP) is a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA)?

·         Learn about the requirements of AHP entities under ERISA and under State law.

·         Review the new regulations for self-funded versus fully-insured AHPs. What difference does it make?

·         Learn how violations are addressed by DOL.

Cost

The cost will be $199.99 per location for the live webinar and the podcast.  You may have as many people as can fit in a room, hear a conference call and see a computer screen for the live webinar.

Technical Notes

Technical Warning One - Once you have registered you will need to tell your technical people to set your firewalls to accept email from two different email addresses:  support@peachnewmedia.com and Michael.lombardo@peachnewmedia.com.  Confirmation emails and reminders will be sent from these two different emails.

As of June 1, 2017 anyone using Internet Explorer version 10 or older will not be able to view a live webcast, or on-demand stream.  You will need to be using a newer version of  Internet Explorer.

Technical Warning Two – Freestone is the platform used to stream the webinar.  In the event that polling questions are incorporated into the webinar, please ensure that your pop-up blocker is turned off or adjusted so that they are able to appear.

Webinar Recorded for Future Listening

In addition to this live webinar, this webinar will be recorded and offered in a streaming mode (Internet connection required) and a podcast only format (permitting you to download the recording and use it disconnected from the Internet).  The podcast is an MP3 format, audio-only file, that you can “save as” to your computer hard drive and then move to any MP3 compatible device. The podcast will not provide the corresponding PPT video since it is an audio-only file.  However, you can download the PPT from the SPBA website.