Agenda
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Attend this session for a quick review of the many policies to consider for plan administration, such as:
- Education policy
- Delinquent and collection policy
- Fiduciary, cyber, business and other insurance policies
- Trustee expense and reimbursement policy.
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Examine real-life scenarios that demonstrate the fine line between outside interests and the interests of the participants.
- Difficult and uncomfortable decisions
- Understanding your co-fiduciary responsibility
- Tools and processes for effective decision making
- Appropriate documentation and due diligence
Available Virtually
View Presentation7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- DOL requests and prep for audit
- Audit findings and outcomes
- Lessons learned, new policies and procedures
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
This session will provide an in-depth exploration of innovative and inclusive employee benefits that cater to diverse family structures and personal needs. By focusing on mental health benefits, LGBTQ+ support and other nontraditional benefits, organizations can enhance employee satisfaction, retention and overall well-being. Join us to learn best practices, implementation strategies and the positive impacts these benefits can have on your workforce.
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- How does a PBM work?
- Dissecting contract elements
- Ensuring proper transparency
- Fiduciary responsibility
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Current state of coverage for diabetes care
- Current state of the industry in obesity drug coverage
- Utilization trends and their impact on benefit plans
- Cost and safety considerations
- The role of prescription therapies as part of a total health approach
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Overview of design options
- Primary care, pharmacy, vision and other covered services
- Attributes of successful models: Analytics, communication, service integration and more
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Achieving whole-person care
- Mental health parity considerations
- Coverage for substance use disorders
- Addressing provider shortages
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- How to approach asset allocation
- How much detail should your investment policy statement (IPS) have?
- Why is it so important to keep your investments within the IPS guidelines?
- How to reconcile actuarial assumptions with investment return projections
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Understanding private equity
- Liquidity constraints
- Fee structures
- Planning for illiquid assets in your portfolio
- History of the marketplace and why it is growing
- Are banks being replaced by private equity?
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- How to set/understand a range of return expectations
- Understanding your plan's risk tolerance
- View of historical portfolio planning and market cycles
- Understanding what you own and how it will perform in different environments
- Actuarial perspectives
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Challenging the model: Two sides of the coin
- Importance of fiduciary liability oversight of trustees
- Pitfalls and benefits
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- What is proxy voting?
- What kinds of investments involve proxy voting?
- What is a trustee's fiduciary responsibility for proxy votes?
- Updates to DOL regulations and action items for trustees
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Impact of longevity
- Generations in the workforce
- Economic impacts
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Participant-directed
- Trustee-directed
- 401(k) vs. other plan types for the multiemployer world
- SECURE 2.0 implications
- How to complement your defined benefit (DB) plan (if you have one)
Available Virtually
View Presentation7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Employers are facing workforce challenges and need seasoned employees to remain in covered employment, even on a part-time basis. But participants need to collect their pension benefits, which often runs afoul of plans' suspension of benefits rules.
- Can the pension plan suspension of benefits rules help solve this problem?
- Regulatory options
- Industry and other considerations
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
This session is for administrators to have open discussions on hot topics and trends in benefits administration.
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Plan-related expenses vs. other expenses
- Areas of potential concern
- Documentation and policies
- How good people can make poor choices
- Training your new trustees
- Areas drawing DOL attention
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Evolving your plan communication efforts
- Self-service
- Use of AI
- Identifying best practices
- Communicating plan value
- Legal considerations
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Paid leave covers everything from vacation and sick pay to bereavement and emergency leave. Join this panel discussion to learn about the latest trends.
- 2024 International Foundation survey results
- Strategies for compliance with state and local laws
- Implementation of new programs
- Best practices
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Communicating key takeaways and actions at your next meeting
- Tips for implementing new initiatives
- Making the case for ongoing education
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- What is stop-loss insurance?
- Selecting the appropriate coverage levels
- Reviewing and understanding contract terms
- How to utilize stop-loss effectively
- Adverse selection considerations
- Pharmacy considerations
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- The role of artificial intelligence (AI)
- Wearables and other devices
- Virtual offerings: Primary care, physical therapy, telepsychiatry and more
- Security considerations
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Existing mental health treatment landscape
- Psychedelics in treatment (e.g., ketamine, LSD, MDMA, psilocybin)
- Importance of evidence-based therapies
- Where are we now?
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Insights into how cancer uniquely impacts unions and their members
- Overview of scientific advances, clinical data and cutting-edge technology
- Case study—Examples of success
Available Virtually
View Presentation9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Join this panel for a discussion of the equity markets, including:
- Growth vs. value
- Active vs. passive
- How does "cap" size matter?
- Benefits and risks to portfolios.
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Implementing your investment policy
- Understanding asset mix and its impact on returns
- Challenging your investment consultant based on performance and policy
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Tools for investment consultants
- How managers may be using artificial intelligence (AI) in the portfolio
- Quantitative investment strategies
- How can you use AI for your fund?
Available Virtually
View Presentation9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Which comes first: The actuarial assumption or the investment allocation?
- Approaching the issue differently and managing risk
- Implications for actuarial assumptions and investment allocation
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
This is a follow-up session to Variable Annuity Pension Plan—Choose Your Own Adventure. A panel of experts will debrief the pros, cons and potential unintended consequences of a proposed pension plan as devised by the session's live audience participation.
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Ideal investment choices
- SECURE 2.0 implications
- Automatic enrollment
- Escalation features
- Required minimum distributions
- Financial literacy and distribution education
- Income payout options
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Benefit improvements: Covering all service or only future service?
- Risk management
- Reconsidering actuarial assumptions
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Billy Beane, now senior adviser to Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher, has molded the team into one of baseball's most consistent winners since taking over as General Manager following the 1997 season. Eventually rising to the role of Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, Beane shattered traditional Major League Baseball beliefs that high payrolls equated wins by implementing a data-driven methodology that led the Oakland A's, with one of the lowest payrolls, to seven AL Western Division titles and ten playoff appearances. That strategic methodology has come to be known as the "Moneyball" philosophy and was turned into a best-selling book.
