Employers offering an employee welfare benefit plan, such as health insurance or a retirement plan, are subject to the provisions of the the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ERISA is a federal law that covers administrative aspects of employee benefit and retirement plans.
ERISA requires plans to provide participants with plan information including important information about plan features and funding; sets minimum standards for participation, vesting, benefit accrual and funding; provides fiduciary responsibilities for those who manage and control plan assets; requires plans to ...
Types of ERISA Claims Consider the following examples, which is not exhaustive: An employee who has a long-term disability plan that provides benefits if she is totally disabled. After suffering a serious fall at work, the employee struggles with a traumatic brain injury and other impairments.
An ERISA lawsuit offers individuals the opportunity to recover various types of damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and pension benefits.
The plan number is a three-digit number that is assigned to the plan by the plan administrator or plan sponsor. This three-digit plan number, in conjunction with the employer's nine-digit employer identification number (or EIN), creates a unique 12-digit number that is used by the DOL to identify the plan.
Check Your Plan Documents: Review your Summary Plan Description (SPD) or other documents. ERISA plans must provide an SPD that clearly states they are an ERISA plan. Look at Employer Contributions: If your employer contributes to the plan or matches your contributions, it's likely an ERISA plan.
An ERISA claim refers to a legal action taken under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. This law protects employees' rights to their benefits, such as retirement and health plans, ensuring fair treatment by employers.
ERISA governs the claim only if ERISA covers the plan involved in the claim. ERISA applies to most employee benefit plans, including employee health and retirement plans. ERISA does not cover certain plans, such as government plans and church plans.
ERISA's “preemption clause” makes void all state laws to the extent that they “relate to” employer-sponsored health plans. Who interprets and enforces ERISA? The U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for administering and enforcing the ERISA law and setting policy for the conduct of employee benefit plans.
Key Agencies Enforcing and Interpreting ERISA Law The key players are the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), a division of the Department of Labor, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federally chartered corporation.