On-demand webcast
Registration cost: $99
Original presentation date: April 28, 2009

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The Mental Health Benefits Parity Act will create big compliance challenges for employers when it takes effect Jan. 1, 2010, as it ushers in a new era of equalization of benefits for mental health care and medical/surgical care. The act, signed into law as part of the 2008 economic stimulus package, amends ERISA and requires all employers with 50 or more employees to ensure benefit parity in their health care plans—including self-funded plans.

Join Business Insurance Senior Editor Joanne Wojcik and our expert panel for a lively 60 minute online presentation devoted to helping your organization be not only compliant with the law, but also prepared for the impact it will have on your benefit programs. Questions addressed include:

• What should employers be doing now to make sure they're compliant in 2010?
• Are programs like smoking cessation considered mental health benefits under the new law?
• What are the penalties under the law for non-compliance?
• How can employers balance complying with the law and keeping their benefit plans cost-effective?
• Are health insurers prepared for the law and the plan changes its will bring?
• And what will the changes mean for overall health care costs?

BI's Online Executive Forum^TM webcasts, developed by our editorial staff, are highly informative online events where noted panelists and respected business leaders come together with BI's editors to discuss pressing issues, provide critical information and explore hot topics in a live interactive audio format with presentation slides. The forum encourages audience interaction and questions.

PANELISTS:

Edward C. Fensholt is Senior Vp and Director of Compliance Services for Lockton Benefit Group of Lockton Cos. L.L.C. in Kansas City, Mo.

Ed has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney; 17 years concentrating in the area of ERISA and other aspects of employee benefits law. He has extensive experience regarding: compliance issues under the Tax Code and ERISA with respect to retirement, health, and other fringe benefit plans, qualified and nonqualified plan design, implementation and administration, employee benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions, and a variety of other employee benefits-related matters.

Prior to joining Lockton in 2005, Ed established and led the Compliance practice at Palmer & Cay, a national employee benefits consulting and brokerage firm with 37 offices in 22 states. Prior to that, Ed was a managing principal with DeFrain Mayer, an employee benefits consulting firm in Overland Park, Kansas, acquired by Palmer & Cay in June 2000. From 1990 to 1998, Ed practiced law with the employee benefits group of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne, a large Kansas City, Missouri law firm. Ed became a partner in the firm in 1996.

Ed received his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, and received his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. He was a Distinguished Military Graduate and served in the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps as a trial attorney and administrative law specialist with the 101st Airborne Division from 1984 to 1988 and with the 1st Infantry Division during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

He is a member of the Missouri Bar's Employee Benefits Committee, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association's Employee Benefit Committee, the Employee Benefits Committee of the American Bar Association's Tax Section, and has served as Vice-Chairman of the Employee Benefits Committee of the ABA's Tort and Insurance Practice Section.

Ed is a frequent lecturer nationwide on employee benefits matters, and is a published author of articles on employee benefits issues and other interests.


Rita D. McCaskill, Watson Wyatt Worldwide

Rita McCaskill is a Senior Consultant in the Health and Productivity Practice of Watson Wyatt in Detroit.

Rita has a broad range of experience in group and health care with over 18 years of combined experience in consulting, human resources and benefits program management and group insurance. She provides consulting advice to clients on the strategy and design of health and productivity programs, health care cost containment, vendor management and benefit program compliance. As a part of the health and productivity practice, Rita's primary focus is on the development and assessment of programs to prevent illness and injury and to promote health.

Some of Rita's consulting assignments have included: Health improvement program design, strategy and implementation; ellness program metrics and evaluation; health and welfare benefit strategy, HMO and vendor negotiations, and pricing strategy; and working on-site as the acting Director of Benefits for a major global manufacturing company, among other assignments.

Since joining Watson Wyatt, Rita has consulted and managed client relationships in both the public and private sector, including Chrysler LLC, Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc., DENSO International America Inc., Detroit Public Schools, SPX Corporation, State of Michigan, TRW Automotive, Yazaki North America Inc. and several university clients.

Rita holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Michigan State University and a master of science degree in actuarial mathematics from the University of Michigan.



The webcast will be moderated by Business Insurance Senior Editor Joanne Wojcik.