Advanced Trustees and Administrators Institute

Understanding where the economy is and what might be coming down the road is key to your success in managing pension and health and welfare assets, managing your work and workers, and planning for the future. The current economic environment is complicated at best both in the U.S. markets and globally. This session will give you insights on key economic indicators and potential scenarios as government and regulators respond to economic activity.

This session will provide an update on the latest legislative and regulatory activity impacting the benefits industry. In addition to late-breaking government action, topics will address:

• ACA issues
• Post-Dobbs activity
• Mental health parity
• No Surprises Act.

Good governance can keep you out of trouble and help you be more effective and efficient. This session will help you understand the key elements of good governance, including:

• Components of good governance
• Processes that support success
• Use of committees
• Appropriate structure to get things done
• Delegation
• Policies.

As always, your investment policy statement is your starting point and guide regardless of economic conditions. Revisiting investment choices and adjusting course is a natural part of your oversight. This session will help your think through your strategies for managing through volatile economic times as you consider:

• Derisking strategies
• Assumption rates
• Cryptocurrency
• Private markets
• Illiquidity.

Turnover in your board of trustees or fund office can be turbulent and costly. Turnover of your service providers is no easier. This session will help you think about when and how you should be approaching succession planning for key roles. Topics will include:

• Planning for the expected
• Planning for the unexpected
• Which roles should you be planning to cover?
• Recruitment
• Onboarding and training—Why this is so important
• Best practices and processes.

This session will focus on learning how to support members and workers when they are dealing with a mental health crisis. Topics include:

• Recognizing signs and symptoms that may lead to suicide
• Building resilience and coping skills
• Physical fitness/well-being
• What to do if someone you know is suicidal
• How to make yourself safe to talk to
• How to make someone feel connected/valued
• How to have conversations.

Well-planned onboarding of your trustees can be an effective retention tool. Creating a culture of training and keeping your trustees educated are fiduciary duties. This session will consider best practices in how you welcome and train your trustees.

• Process and content that need to be covered
• Controlling documents
• How to read and understand reports
• Behaviors and expectations
• Best practices

The first session of this two-part series will focus on the current health care issues and trends, including:

• Mental health support and compliance
• Substance abuse
• Health innovations and coverage issues
• Rx.

Delivered over two time frames, this series will consider current and future retirement plan issues and trends, including:

• ARPA zone status
• Special Financial Assistance for ME Plans
• Understanding VAPs
• What’s happening with the OCIO model
• Withdrawal liability.

The second of this two-part series will look at future health care issues and trends, including:

• Mental health support and compliance
• Substance abuse
• Health innovations and coverage issues
• Latest in the Rx world.

Delivered over two time frames, this series will consider current and future retirement plan issues and trends, including:

• ARPA zone status
• Special Financial Assistance for ME Plans
• Understanding VAPs
• What’s happening with the OCIO model
• Withdrawal liability.

Employee benefit plans are not immune from becoming victims of a cybersecurity breach. This session will help you develop strategies to avoid a breach and plans to implement should you become a victim, including:

• DOL guidance
• Penetration testing
• Employee training
• Internal controls
• What to do in the event of a breach
• Insurance coverage
• Communication
• Best practices.

This session will provide an overview of the different audits that plans are subject to with a focus on what to expect as well as outcomes. Topics include:

• DOL audits
• Payroll audits
• Eligibility audits
• Claims audit
• Planning for audits
• Who are the players?
• Best practices.

Select the topic of greatest interest and come ready to share and engage in productive dialogue. Session topics include the following:

• DEI roundtable
• Appointing authority roundtable
• Cybersecurity
• Managing service providers
• Trustees open forum

This session will give you a better perspective on how to address the unique needs of those in your covered population who are members of the LGBTQ community. Topics include:

• Understanding the unique needs of the LGBTQ community
• Coverage issues for dependents
• What you can and cannot do
• Correlation to your DEI initiatives.

Subrogation is an effective way to recover funds. This session will help you understand the complex process of subrogation and the best strategies to ensure recovery. Topics include:

• Understanding subrogation
• When and how subrogation works
• Cost
• Goals and outcomes.

Do your plan participants understand what their benefits are and how to access them when they are needed? This session is designed to address your communications plan as you consider:

• Legal requirements
• Content vs. process
• Branding and messaging
• Health literacy
• Financial literacy
• Best practices to promote engagement.

• Trustees and administrators
• Fund professionals
• Labor and management.