Sessions and Speakers 

2012 Educational Agenda | Printable Version 

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday

Monday, August 6, 2012

7:45 a.m.
Welcome

8:00-9:15 a.m.

The Future of Retirement
Speaker: Hon. David M. Walker, Founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative and former Comptroller General of the United States,Bridgeport, Connecticut

Today, we face a range of serious sustainability challenges that can no longer be ignored or put off facing until tomorrow. From fiscal policy and entitlement programs to health care and tax systems, the current path and way of doing this status quo is unsustainable. Get the lay of the land concerning what is needed from a policy point of view for shaping a “new” retirement.

9:45-10:45 a.m. 

 Health Care Reform Update
Speaker: Tamara Simon, Esq., Principal, Mercer, Washington, D.C.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to make a decision on PPACA by late June. More information will be available regarding the upcoming 2012 presidential elections and their potential impact on health care reform. New elements regarding the legislation will continue to evolve. This session is designed to provide attendees with the most up-to-date information available at the time of the Symposium.
Takeaways: 
- Updates on the latest guidelines and regulations
- What’s happening with state exchanges?
- How to begin to prepare for 2013 and beyond
 
 Understanding, Documenting and Negotiating Retirement Plan Fees
Speaker: Nick Della Vedova, President, 401(k) Advisors, Aliso Viejo, California

Learn the best-practices approach to understanding, documenting and negotiating fees for long-term success. Three case studies will cover the practical aspects of impact plan pricing, understanding the role of revenue sharing, and navigating share classes to achieve the lowest plan cost, and retaining optimal investment performance.
Takeaways:
- Key factors that impact plan pricing
- Importance of role revenue sharing
- How to navigate share classes for lowest cost, best performance

 A Potpourri of Leave Laws
Speaker: Katherine Hesse, CEBS, Partner, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, Quincy, Massachusetts

Ensuring that an employer’s leave policies take into account all applicable statutes allowing employees to take time off from work is an important first step in avoiding liability for failing to provide a leave of absence. This session will include legal discussions on FMLA, ADA and Workers’ Compensation Act, as well as various state and family leave statutes.
Takeaways:
- Conditions and circumstances that may trigger an obligation to provide a leave of absence
- How various leave obligations intersect and how they can be set forth in an employer’s leave policies
- Summary of applicable federal leave laws

 TBA

11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon 

 How to Speak to Your CFO: Lessons From 313 CFOs
Speaker: Thomas Parry, President, Integrated Benefits Institute, San Francisco, California

The presenter will discuss the results from the third IBI survey about CFOs’ attitudes and needs in making decisions about treating workforce health as an investment instead of a cost. The presentation will also include discussion on how benefits managers and others can best suggest to the C-suite that health must be viewed as an investment.
Takeaways:
- Tips on how to turn your C-suite decision makers into health and productivity champions
- Information and sources CFOs find credible and helpful for health investment decisions
- CFO hot buttons you can use to relate health, prevention and wellness to bottom-line business success
 
 Workplace Retirement Education: One Size Fits All Is Extinct
Speaker: Linda Robertson, CEBS, Senior Financial Planner, Financial Finesse, Inc., El Segundo, California

Today companies are implementing highly customized, strategic programs that are designed around their specific needs, benefits, demographics, culture and existing communication channels. Organizations are now making financial education a key part of their benefits package. The presenter will discuss best practices of moving to a holistic retirement and financial educational program.
Takeaways:
- How to deal with generational differences
- Successful case studies on retirement communication
- Retirement education best practices

 Communicating Benefits on a Shrinking Budget
Speaker: Julie Miller, Ed.D., President, Business Writing That Counts, Woodinville, Washington

Employees are increasingly expected to participate more in their own financial security and making the most of their available benefits is critical. Effective communication of benefit offerings to participants is a new level of challenge for small organizations or ones with a small or nonexistent communication budget. This session will highlight some strategies for employee benefit communication and engagement.
Takeaways:
- Use what you already have—social media, website or Intranet
- How to identify your leaders and cheerleaders—internal and external
- Measuring results
 
 History of the Defined Benefit Plan: What’s Wrong and Why
Speaker: Bob Tangney, CEBS, Compensation, Pensions and Benefits Director, The Woodbridge Group, Mississauga, Ontario

The main focus of this session is on the Canadian history of defined benefit plans. The speaker will review plan designs, changes in legislation, actuarial methods and accounting requirements that will provide a background in understanding the DB plan and public sector plans in the U.S. and other countries. The discussion will also be applicable to government systems such as the Canada Pension Plan but would also have similarities with the U.S. Social Security System (for comparison purposes).
Takeaways:
- Overview of funding, solvency and accounting requirements
- Impact of actuarial assumptions and methods
- How plan designs changed and the impact of these

12:00 noon-1:15 p.m.
Lunch

1:30-2:30 p.m. 

 Top Ten Health and Welfare Items Overlooked at Year-End
Speaker: Eric Jacobson, CEBS, Senior Vice President, Willis, New York, New York

The list of required actions a health and welfare professional is responsible for gets longer each year. Most of these tasks are addressed at year-end, the busiest time of the year. Learn quickly what these items are and how to make sure you are doing things right. The discussion will include domestic partner contributions, taxation of employee paid life and LTD, required disclosure notices, HRA fund rollovers and more.
Takeaways:
- Instructions to avoid imputed income
- List of required notices
- Open enrollment checklist

 Keys to a Better Retirement Plan: Defining and Measuring Success
Speaker: Mary Hollingsworth, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust, Charlotte, North Carolina

Has your benefits committee defined success for your retirement plan?  Does it measure and set goals for participation, average deferral rate and investment diversification—as well as employee retirement income adequacy?  The presenter will discuss the benefits of measuring the effectiveness of a plan and how to take those measurements to the next level.
Takeaways:
- Effective ways of measuring plan and participant success
- Opportunities for benchmarking beyond industry, demographics and plan size
- How to use benchmark comparisons to build a better plan

 Update on Executive Compensation
Speaker: Chester Mosteller, CEBS, President, Mosteller & Associates, Reading, Pennsylvania

This session will provide a detailed update on the changes to executive compensation in 2012, particularly as a result of the recession and also as a result of the far-reaching Dodd-Frank legislation. Dodd Frank legislation has far-reaching impact on not only how executive compensation is reported for publicly held companies but also on how boards view executive compensation, given its increased visibility. The presenter will also provide actual examples of proxy disclosure changes and the impact on executive pay.
Takeaways:
- Latest update on Dodd-Frank legislation
- Impact of changes to reporting requirements
- Alternatives to stock options as a long-term incentive vehicle for improved performance and retention
 
 Health Care Fraud: Whose Problem Is It?
Speaker: Joel Alleyne, Executive Director, Canadian Health Care Anti-fraud Association (CHCAA), Toronto, Ontario

Does Canada have a health care fraud problem? Studies suggest that there could be 2-10% of health care dollar fraud. The presenter will discuss some of the common frauds:  identify theft, fabricated health care receipts, misrepresented health care claim details, and unauthorized alterations of receipts. The speaker will provide practical best practices to avoid and/or eliminate fraud in their group health plans.
Takeaways:
- Ways to prevent receipt fraud
- Best-practice audit and investigation processes
- How to identify potential fraudulent claims

2:45-3:45 p.m. 

 Leading Solutions and Strategies for Managing Health and Welfare Programs
Speaker: David Cooke, CEBS, Vice President, Aon Hewitt, Chicago, Illinois

This session will discuss the current landscape of employer-based health care (tailored to a post Supreme Court decision on health care reform), the impact on public and private exchanges, and cutting-edge plan design tactics. These tactics will include targeted wellness programs, defined contribution approaches, and the effective use of incentives in plan design. Data will be drawn from Aon Hewitt client surveys and book of business benchmarking reports.
Takeaways:
- Current and future plan design trends
- Why the overall movement toward plan participant responsibility
- Expected cost savings with program implementation

Wealth Meets Health: Why Income Replacement Benchmarks—Including Personal Health Care—Can Be Critical to Your DC Plan Success
Speaker: Mike Goyer, Large Market Regional 401(k) Director, Putnam Investments, Boston, Massachusetts

In recent years, measuring your DC plan based on income replacement has
become a key goal of many plan fiduciaries. But as nearly 10,000 boomers
retire daily, there is a growing fear that the income targets provided in typical
“gap analysis” programs haven’t accounted for their largest expense: health care.
The result: one out of four Americans are working into retirement to cover
unanticipated costs. Learn the results of a new national survey of nearly 4,000
Americans that points to indicators of those most successful in replacing
income, understanding of health care costs and progressive ways to get ahead
of the problem. 

 From RFP to ROI: Managing Strategic Partners
Speaker: TBA

Although organizations commonly turn to vendor partners as a way to focus on their core business, questions remain regarding return on investment, which, in turn, can be an impediment to long-term success. Successful partnerships require an understanding of the value propositions each party brings to the table and knowing how to measure and communicate this value to organizational leadership. How to identify your desired outcome and align organizational goals. Insourcing, outsourcing and cosourcing—which will get you where you need to be? How to demonstrate and build upon successes
 
 Reserved for Late-Breaking Benefit News
Speaker: TBA

4:00-5:00 p.m. 

 Strategies for Reducing Retiree Liability and Cost
Speaker: Carole Porambo, Director of Business Development, SSDC, Novi, Michigan

The speaker will provide proven ways to reduce current and ongoing costs without negatively impacting the level of benefits being provided to the pre-65 population and their dependents. Actual results from both public and private employers that have applied these strategies will be shared as well as how employers can successfully apply these strategies to their own populations.
Takeaways:
- How to maximize the use of Medicare and Social Security to reduce employer health care costs
- Proven methods to reduce retiree (FASB/GASB) liabilities
- What results can be expected at your organization
 
 DOL Confidential: An Insider’s View of a DOL Retirement Investigation
Speaker: Samuel Henson, CEBS, Senior ERISA Counsel, Lockton, Kansas City, Missouri

The presentation will focus on how and why the DOL opens its retirement investigations, red flags that would get a plan investigated, what the process is, and best practices for getting the best outcome.
Takeaways:
- What will get you investigated
- What the investigation process is
- Best practices to get the best outcome

 mHealth: How Mobile Apps are Changing Health Care
Speaker: Scott McCormick, Partner, Float Mobile Learning, Morton, Illinois

Mobile technology and innovation are changing health care like no other field. With over 10,000 medical/health care apps available it is the third fastest growing app category for smartphones. This session will be a fast-paced overview of mHealth with a look at apps developed for wellness, self-diagnosis and care, emergency care, home care, employee benefits and performance support. It will also cover basic guidelines for mobile app strategy and development.
Takeaways:
-Analysis of leading and innovative mHealth mobile applications
-What to look for in a mobile app
-Considerations and options when developing a mobile app

 Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs): What You Need to Know
Speaker: Louis-Georges Mongeau, LL.B., Senior Consultant–GS&R, The Standard Life Assurance Co. of Canada, Montreal, Quebec

The federal government has released their framework document for the new PRPPs so the ball is now in the court of the provinces and the potential providers of PRPP programs. The presenter will explore PRPP features, likely application and potential shortcomings of this new initiative as well as potential distribution options for the PRPPs.
Takeaways:
- PRPP final structure
- PRPP applications
- PRPP limitations
- Distribution strategies

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

8:00-8:30 a.m.
President’s Report

8:30-9:30 a.m.

Social Media and Other Electronic Communications: Labor and Employment Issues
Speaker: Katherine Hesse, CEBS, Partner, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, Quincy, Massachusetts

The presenter will examine the legal issues involved with social media in the workplace with a focus on the best practices for the employer in dealing with these issues. Topics will include developing effective policies for social media, disparagement/defamation of employer, limitation on the employer’s ability to control employee activity, e-mail, Facebook and other social media.
Takeaways:
- Legal issues to consider regarding social media
- Do’s and don’ts when creating an effective policy
- Case updates involving social media and electronic communications

10:00-11:00 a.m.

 Reserved for Late-Breaking Benefit News
 
 Case Studies in Participant Fee Disclosure Implementation
Speaker: Crystal Ekanayake, CEBS, Audit Partner, Gallina, LLP, Rancho Cordova, California

The fee disclosure regulations are finally here—so now what? This session will utilize real-life case studies of plan sponsors that met the fee disclosure challenge head-on by proactively managing participant communications. Best practices, pitfalls and lessons learned will be shared during the session.
Takeaways:
- Sample participant communications regarding the disclosures
- Sample participant fee disclosures
- Case studies—the good and the bad

 Take the Pain Out of SPDs by Using a Content Management System
Speakers: Janice Burnham, President, ROC Group, Chicago, Illinois, Amy Katzoff, CEBS, Health and Welfare Benefits Manager, Dover Corporation, Downers Grove, Illinois

Wrestling SPDs and enrollment are two of the most complex activities employers face in benefits. Adding summaries of benefits and coverage to the mix only adds to the juggling act. New technologies in the form of content management systems (CMS) are surfacing that can help you step up to the challenge. This session will relate the story of how one company streamlined its efforts to combine SPD, enrollment and new hire communication—saving time and money.
Takeaways:
- How to leverage content management technology
- How to corral the review and updating process
- Ways to reduce costs and streamline publishing

 Employee Choice in a Total Rewards Framework
Speaker: Linda Clay, CEBS, Principal, Mercer (Canada) Limited, Vancouver, BC

In today's workforce, the change in employee needs and values is accelerating, and winning the war for talent requires more creativity. Offering more choice and flexibility to employees in their benefits plans can help meet the diverse needs of employees, while keeping costs under control. Providing this choice and flexibility within the broader total rewards framework can also lead to further opportunities around developing a strong and compelling "employment brand".
Takeaways:
-Analyze what is motivating employers to expand the level of choice in benefit plans
-Assess whether a benefits program meets its original objectives, and how employees perceive these plans
-Explore the future of employee choice in a total rewards framework

11:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.

 A Proven On-Site Health Center Model: A 20-Year Case Study
Speaker: Raymond Zastrow, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, QuadMed, Sussex, Wisconsin

Over 20 years ago the founder of Quad/Graphics looked for a way to provide high-quality health care to his employees while controlling costs. His answer: the creation of QuadMed to provide onsite primary care with a focus on prevention. Two decades of ROI will clearly demonstrate better health care at a lower cost is attainable.
Takeaways:
- Benefits of prevention and chronic condition management from an onsite patient-centered medical home
- Emerging technologies in consumer informatics
- Latest trends in incentivized wellness, health care consumerism and value-based benefit design

 What Happens to Target-Date Fund Investments at Retirement?
Speaker: Jack VanDerhei, Ph.D., CEBS, Research Director, Employee Benefit Research Institute, Washington, D.C.

The use of target-date funds (TDFs) by 401(k) participants has increased significantly since the passage of PPA in 2006 and it appears that many of those automatically enrolled in 401(k) plans will have most, if not all, of their assets invested in TDFs by the time they retire. However, neither practitioners nor regulators have had the ability to track 401(k) participants when they retire and observe what happens to their TDF investments, especially when they roll over their 401(k) accounts into IRAs. The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) has recently integrated a 401(k) database of more than 20 million participants with 14 million IRA accountholders to track these investments at retirement.
Takeaways:
- The percentage of TDF “exclusive” investors who remain in TDFs after retirement and their characteristics
- The asset allocation of those who “unwind” their TDF allocations
- Characteristics of those who opt for a decreased equity allocation after retirement
 
 Engaging Your Employee Population to Achieve Breakthrough Results
Speakers: Richard Bailey, Associate Partner, Aon Hewitt, San Francisco, California, Kaulen Taylor, Associate Partner, Aon Hewitt, Austin, Texas

The speakers will discuss a communication technique which allows for deploying consumer marketing data to better understand the psychographic motivators that drive peoples’ decisions and how this data can be used by organizations to drive greater participation in their plans and increase the usage of preventive care services.
Takeaways:
- Tips on the six segments that exist in the U.S. employed population
- How to get past communication barriers
- Examples of other employers successfully using segmentation

 Comparison of U.S. and Canadian Health Care Systems: Dispelling the Myths
Speaker: Bob Tangney, CEBS, Compensation, Pensions and Benefits Director, The Woodbridge Group, Mississauga, Ontario

The session will compare costs associated with each system looking at the impact on three “average” income earners:  one earning $25,000, one earning $60,000 and one earning $100,000. The focus will be on comparing the pros and cons of each system without getting into the politics of who pays. Some comparisons from other countries/jurisdictions will also be included.
Takeaways:
- For Canadians, an overview of the U.S. system
- For Americans, an overview of the Canadian system
- Misconceptions in both systems

12:15-1:30 p.m.
Fellowship Recognition Luncheon

1:30-2:30 p.m. 

 Ask the Expert Workshop
Speaker: John Garner, CEBS, Principal, Garner Consulting, Pasadena, California

As the author of the Health Insurance Answer Book, John Garner literally “wrote the book.”  This session will be a question-and-answer session devoted to health benefit issues, with audience members invited to share their experiences to help answer questions.
Takeaways
- Open forum discussion
- Shared experiences
- Broader perspective
 
 What to Do Now—The Benefits Spent on Health Care vs. Retirement Are Now Upside Down
Speaker: Christi Wise, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Investments, Chicago, Illinois

Then versus now—In 2004, the average annual defined contribution of active participants in a retirement plan was 30% larger than the average health care cost. Seven years later, this amount was 23% less than the average health care cost. In this session, the presenter will share benefits and optimization strategies that help maximize the return on investment for employers while increasing employee perceived value.
Takeaways:
- Where the cost curve is heading
- Low-cost and no-cost strategies to optimize current benefits programs
- Practical benefits optimization strategies that Fidelity clients are implementing

 The Importance of Absence Management
Speaker: Gail M. Olsen, Shareholder, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This session will focus on absence management best practices and common tools to help you manage employee leave, increase transparency and maintain legal compliance.
Takeaways:
- Industry best practices
- Maintaining compliance with FMLA, USERRA and other laws and regulations
- How to increase transparency across all steps in the leave process

 The Value of Social Media for Benefits and Pension Plans
Speaker: Susan Cranston, CEBS, Assistant Vice President, Group Small Business Marketing & Advisor Services, Manulife Financial, Kitchener, Ontario

Many benefits professionals feel the pressure to use elements of social media in their benefits communication plans. This session will include a quick how-to overview as well as guide attendees through the world of social media including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Following a review of social media’s role in benefits and retirement planning, the session will explore the potential benefits of social media in providing plan information and education.
Takeaways:
- The various elements of social media
- What elements of social media are working and what may change
- How to leverage social media to further your business objectives

2:45-3:45 p.m. 

 Engaging Employees in Wellness Initiatives: Lessons Learned
Speaker: Emily Talley, CEBS, Benefits Manager, Tanner Health System, Carrollton, Georgia

What’s the key to effective wellness programs?  Employee engagement. Find out how Tanner Health System, with a workforce of over 2,500, moved from only a handful of employees participating, to more than 75% qualifying for premium incentives based on working toward or reaching health targets. This session is designed to assist plan sponsors and consultants in enhancing employee engagement regardless of program budget, size and vendors.
Takeaways:
- Practical tips on designing effective programs and tailoring them to your organization
- A comprehensive communications checklist to ensure employee engagement
- Common mistakes to avoid when implementing or enhancing wellness programs
 
 The Role of Professional Management in Defined Contribution Plans
Speaker: Lori Lucas, Executive Vice President, Defined Contribution Practice Leader, Callan Associates, Chicago, Illinois

The role of professionally managed solutions in defined contribution plans is growing and evolving. At one time, a 60%/40% balanced fund was the extent of professional management in such plans. Now plan sponsors are increasingly exploring and embracing everything from professionally managed individual accounts to income solutions in retirement. The speaker will explore—using case studies and empirical data—the latest trends in professionally managed solutions, including selection, adoption and monitoring.
Takeaways:
- Prevalence of managed solutions
- Pros and cons of managed solutions
- How to evaluate managed solutions

 Increase Your EAP’s Profile
Speaker: Carol Wilson, Senior Vice President, Empathia, Waukesha, Wisconsin

Even though EAPs have been part of the workplace for decades and remain popular among plan sponsors of all sizes, many participants do not take full advantage of the services. Are your participants making the most of your EAP, or is it primarily viewed as a resource for those with stress or substance abuse issues?  Is there a perceived stigma to using an EAP?  Learn how to showcase your EAP’s offerings and help your participants understand its value at any stage in their career, from financial planning to elder-care assistance.
Takeaways:
- How to identify roadblocks
- How to deal with perceived confidentiality issues
- Steps to follow to highlight how your EAP dovetails with your benefits package and wellness activities

 Canadian Legislative Update
Speaker: Mitch S. Frazer, Partner, Torys LLP, Toronto, Ontario
The presenter will provide an overview and analysis of legislative activity, recent court cases, and regulations at the federal and provincial levels and how they will affect health care, retirement and other benefit issues in Canada.

4:00-5:00 p.m. 

 In the New Era of Health Care Exchanges, Should Employers Continue to Offer Employee Benefits?
Speaker: Patrick Haraden, CEBS, Principal, Longfellow Benefits, Boston, Massachusetts

Under PPACA, all states will have exchanges where individuals can shop for health insurance starting in 2014. As health care costs continue to increase and the cost of providing all employee benefits increases for employers, should they stop offering all employee benefits and have individuals purchase health care on their own? The presenter will also cover communication issues and employee behavior/purchasing patterns.
Takeaways:
- Demonstration of how an exchange works
- Case study of an employer that stops offering employer-sponsored medical insurance
- Dynamics of the group vs. individual markets

 Is Your Retirement Plan “Brand Right”? 
Speaker: Rick Unser, Vice President, Lockton Financial Advisors, Los Angeles, California

Prior to the financial crisis and collapse of financial institutions, employers promoted the strength of their service provider’s brand to instill employee confidence and encourage employee participation in their retirement plans. Employers are now realizing the benefits of leveraging their own corporate brand. This session will discuss how to get started with a “brand-centric retirement plan design,” outlining ways employers can weave their company values, images, logos and messages into the fabric of their retirement plans.
Takeaways:
- Strategies to leverage your corporate brand
- Steps to designing a “brand-centric” retirement plan
- Checklist to measure if your retirement plan is “brand right”

  Are We Speaking Clearly?
Speaker: Neil Craig, RPA, Senior Pension Consultant, Stevenson & Hunt, London, Ontario

Lately, a lot of information has been gleaned from various behavioral economic studies to shape the way communication and plan designs are created. Still, results are not showing the engagement levels most employers would like to see. This session will explore some of the most common and misunderstood retirement terms and provide plan language alternatives. The speaker will also show how to create a plan design that provides a communication framework for enhanced employee engagement.
Takeaways:
- List of simplified communication terms
- Plan design tips
- Communication innovations

5:00-6:00 p.m.

 Open Forum—Health Care Reform
Discussion Facilitators: James Broski, CEBS, Senior Client Manager, Cigna Healthcare, Denver, Colorado
Sandra Wood, CEBS, Vice President of Operations, GHB Insurance, Olympia, Washington

This informal workshop will discuss issues, challenges and opportunities. Bring your questions and prepare for a thought-provoking exchange of ideas.

 Workshop—So What Else Can My Tablet Do?
Speaker: Cameron Zadeh, Executive Director, Transomatic, Encino, California

If you have a tablet, or are considering one for business or personal use, join us for this hands-on tutorial. Tablets are great for reading books and documents on the go, or playing games and other diversions, but what else can they do? We’ll show you some business apps and some tips and tricks you may not even have considered. Even if you have no experience with tablet computing, you’ll come away with new ideas on how this device could work for you and your organization.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 

8:00-9:00 a.m. 

Mental Health and the Workplace
Speaker: Bill Wilkerson, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and
Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario

Attend this session to learn more about the organizational impact of mental health issues. The session will focus on practical and relevant approaches to managing these issues, as well as obligations, responsibilities and resources.
Takeaways:
- Resources and tool kits
- How to identify and manage employees who may experience mental health issues
- How to minimize risks to psychological safety in the workplace

9:15-10:15 a.m.

 A Retiree Medical Challenge: ConAgra’s Journey to Success
Speakers: Sherri Bockhorst, Principal, Health and Productivity, Buck Consultants, St. Louis, Missouri
Bart Karlson, CEBS, Senior Director, Benefits Strategy and Analysis, ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska

ConAgra became the #2 U.S. food producer through organic growth and an aggressive acquisition strategy, accumulating hundreds of retiree medical and prescription plans. This session will tell the 18-month story of how ConAgra Foods analyzed and documented the provisions of the plans, assessed changes and improvements and achieved leadership buy-in and support, and executed an extensive communications strategy.
Takeaways:
- How to tap Medicare subsidies to improve benefits, reduce costs
- How to assist retiree populations to find better individual Medicare choices
- How to use Medicare eligibility tools to manage enrollments for Medicare drug and medical solutions
 
 The Changing Landscape in the 401(k) Marketplace: What’s Next?
Speakers: Brian Gregov, Senior Manager–Retirement Plan Division, American Economic Planning Group, Inc., Warren, New Jersey
Steven Kaye, CEBS, President, American Economic Planning Group, Inc., Warren, New Jersey

This session will discuss some of the best practices in defined contribution plans to ensure plan sponsors and participants are truly getting the best services and support in their plan. The presenters will discuss various areas of plan governance, operation and education where increased focus will be important for future plan success.
Takeaways:
- Better understanding of key areas of fiduciary and governance responsibilities
- Taking participant education to the next level
- How to establish and communicate the best plan for participants

  Using Games to Increase Employee Education
Speaker: Adam Wootton, Ph.D., Director of Social Media and Games, Towers Watson, New York, New York

Anywhere, anytime solutions are exploding for handheld devices and mobile phone apps. Social networking and feedback are changing the face of organizational communication. This session will discuss how serious games and collaborative technologies can be used to impact the engagement of employees in communicating employee benefits.
Takeaways:
- Examples of what other organizations are doing
- Practical tips to develop a “game” strategy
- Using games to promote a culture of wellness and improved communication

10:30-11:30 a.m. 

 Employer Group Waiver Plans (EGWPs)
Speaker: Michael Spicci, Principal, Buck Consultants, Stamford Connecticut

The Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has created compelling reasons for employers to reexamine their prescription drug programs for Medicare-eligible retirees. Reduced participation in the Medicare Part D Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) program is expected over the next several years as the coverage gap closes and new subsidies make employer group waiver plans (EGWPs) more attractive. This presentation will discuss how to build the tools, interfaces and communications needed to successfully implement this type of plan.
Takeaways:
- What is an EGWP?
- How it will financially impact your company and retirees
- Implementation steps (accounting, interfaces with vendors, communication with retirees, etc.)
 
 401(k) Plan Fee Analysis: Fiduciary Oversight
Speaker: James Modelski, Principal, DiMeo Schneider & Associates, LLC, Chicago, Illinois

Designed for anyone and everyone with oversight responsibilities, this session will arm you with the knowledge you need to understand  and navigate your plan’s fees. Items discussed will include fiduciary duties of plan fee oversight, different components of 401(k) fees, and how to analyze and negotiate fees. Several case studies will be explored to provide more insight into fiduciary oversight.
Takeaways:
- Different plan fees and how they are paid
- Fee review process and documentation
- Negotiation methods

  Dealing With Media Spin Issues
Speaker: Jay Silverberg, Senior Vice President and Senior Counselor, Xenophone Strategies, Inc., Petaluma, California

Health care reform, reorganizations, pension plan freezes and other complex issues can be a cause of concern and uncertainty, and finding reliable, factual information is tough in a world with no shortage of opinions and information sources. Learn how you can position you department (or organization) as a reliable and credible voice during periods of change and stand out from the cacophony.
Takeaways:
- How to avoid the “shoot the messenger” reaction
- Turning negative reactions into a positive opportunity
- Managing your social media image—what are people saying about your company online and how you should react to it

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. 

 The Art of Selling Wellness
Speaker: Michael Goree, CCP, CEBS, SPHR, President, Growth Strategies Consulting, Inc., Lansing, Michigan

What if a well-informed, trusted authority figure said you had to make difficult and enduring changes in the way you think and act?  You can provide all the data you want, show statistics until you are blue in the face and employees still choose poorly when it comes to their health. This session will focus on the skills and tools necessary to get people to “buy” wellness. The presenter will explore the how and why of selling and buying, how emotion plays a major part in buying and how to position wellness as the only choice for your employees.
Takeaways:
- The M.B.A./designer view of language and behavior
- The user/product (service) relationship
- How employees choose and what motivates their health choices

 Anatomy of an ERISA Fiduciary Lawsuit
Speaker: Stephen Eubank, CEBS, Senior Counsel, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, The Woodlands, Texas

All benefits professionals know about ERISA fiduciary responsibility and the potentially large liability associated with it. This presentation will focus on a hypothetical company that is facing ERISA fiduciary litigation relating to both its qualified defined benefit plan and qualified defined contribution plan. As the story unfolds, attendees will watch the litigation of the claims and the final resolution.
Takeaways:
- Practical understanding of ERISA fiduciary litigation
- Key liability issues and defenses
- Best practices to avoid liability

Facilitated Workshop
Group Benefits/Retirement
Facilitator: Susan Cranston, CEBS
This workshop provides a forum for discussing some of the topic’s most significant issues. Be prepared for a lively discussion.

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