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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8921
The U.S. Department of Labor's Pension and Welfare
Benefits Administration (PWBA) and the International Foundation of Employee
Benefit Plans (IFEBP) will jointly conduct a 10-city Educational Outreach
Conference to help employee benefit practitioners understand the new health
care law.
Representatives from PWBA will clarify benefit
practitioners' rights and obligations under the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, which forbids companies and their
health insurers from excluding preexisting conditions for more than 12 months,
or for 18 months for workers who may enroll much later in a company plan.
The programs, to be held in 10 cities from May to
September, are designed to educate employee practitioners on the new guidelines
for HIPAA. Discussions also will focus on the reporting and compliance
requirements for Form 5500 annual reports.
The educational programs provide an effective way for PWBA
to assist service providers and plan administrators in complying with the
agency's enforcement programs. The programs target single and multiemployer
plan trustees, plan administrators and other plan professionals involved in the
management and preparation of the Form 5500 annual reports.
In addition to presenting new guidelines on HIPAA, the
conferences will include discussions on legislative and regulatory issues such
as the audit bill, pension simplification, the participant contribution
regulation and Statement of Position 92-6 issued by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants.
Day-long programs will be held in Tampa on May 19;
Houston, May 20; Philadelphia, June 18; San Diego, July 8; St. Louis, July 15;
Chicago, July 22; and Boston, Sept. 9. Two-day programs, with the second day's
emphasis on multiemployer plans, will be held in San Francisco, July 9-10;
Tarrytown, N.Y., July 29-30; and Cincinnati, Aug. 4-5.
Speakers will include PWBA's chief accountant, Ian
Dingwall, Ronald Allen, chief, Division of Reporting Compliance, and Michael
Auerbach, chief, Division of Accounting Services; and from the Health Care Task
Force, Daniel Maguire, director and Louis Campagna and Mark Connor.
The IFEBP is a leading non-profit educational organization
in the employee benefits field and provides its membership with, among other
things, educational programs, online benefits database, research surveys and
the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist program.
To register and obtain conference information, contact
IFEBP at (414) 786-6710, ext 8257. The Internet address is
http://www.ifebp.org/epcrpsem.html.
_________________________________________________________
This information will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone call (202) 219-8921, TDD
phone 1-800-326-2577.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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