2019 Annual Conference

TURNBERRY RESORT AND SPA
19999 W Country Club Drive
Aventura, FL 33180  

7:00 Breakfast
8:30 Start
12:30 Awards & Luncheon

SOUTH PALM COURT
Join your friends and colleagues on the patio for our annual welcoming reception featuring a buffet dinner and refreshments.

Grand Ballroom East

REMARKS:
Sean McGarvey
President, North America’s Building Trades Unions
Chairman, NCCMP Board of Directors

The work of the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor affects all aspects of multiemployer plan operation and governance. Ms. Wilson will discuss the Department’s current positions and efforts as they impact multiemployer plans.

REMARKS:
Jeanne Klinefelter Wilson
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Employee Benefits Security Administration

As a small but significant number of plans face insolvency in the coming years, there is an ever-increasing focus on the PBGC and the modest guarantee it is intended to provide to participants in multiemployer pension funds. However that modest guarantee is in significant jeopardy as the PBGC’s multiemployer guarantee fund also faces insolvency. As the newly confirmed Director of the PBGC, Mr. Hartogensis will comment on the PBGC’s current outlook.

REMARKS:
The Honorable Gordon Hartogensis
Director, Pension Benefits Security Benefit Guaranty Corporation

• Presentation: Outlook of the PBGC

Mr. Miller will discuss the legislative calendar and process looking out over the remainder of the year.

REMARKS:
The Honorable George Miller
CEO, GM Strategies, LLC and Former Congressman (D-CA)

Grand Ballroom East

Key Senate staff tasked with addressing the multiemployer solvency crisis will discuss the likely direction and considerations for multiemployer pension reforms during 2019.

REMARKS:
Chad Bolt
Legislative Assistant, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown

Kendra Isaacson
Senior Counsel, Pensions, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Other invited Senate Staff

Mr. Scott will discuss the NCCMP’s efforts to assist legislators in understanding the need to provide a lifeline to severely distressed plans, while enabling healthy plans to continue to provide quality benefits to their participants, and providing Trustees with new, voluntary tools to strengthen and grow the multiemployer system.

REMARKS:
Michael Scott
Executive Director, NCCMP

The panel will discuss the breach of fiduciary duty fee litigation related to 401(k) and 403(b) plans, and the recent expansion of litigation to include multiemployer participant-directed annuity and 401(k) plans.

MODERATOR:
Jim Cody
Partner, Reynolds Consulting

PANELISTS:
Anthony Cacace
Senior Counsel, Proskauer LLP

John Hume
Vice President, Segal Marco Advisors

The panel will discuss the adoption of Responsible Contractor Policies by asset owners and investment managers to enhance job creation, mitigate investment risk & strengthen plan funding & risk adjusted returns.

MODERATOR:
Dan Pedrotty
Director, Capital Strategies, North Americas Building Trades Unions

PANELISTS:
Michael Cairns
Partner NEPC

Jane DiGiacomo
Managing Director, Alternative Specialists, BlackRock

David Kazansky
Trustee, Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS)

This session will explore the various strategies undertaken by traditional defined benefit multiemployer plans to manage risk in order to provide secure retirement benefits to their participants.

REMARKS:
David Dean
Senior Vice President, Benefits Consultant and Actuary, Segal Consulting

Jason Russell
Senior Vice President and Actuary, Segal Consulting

• Presentation: Managing Risk in Defined Benefit Plans

At ease

This workshop on compliance issues of interest to retirement and health plan sponsors is intended to provide an informal forum for trustees and plan professionals to address a range of  current issues relevant to plan administration. Among other issues, the panelists will lead discussions on: state retirement savings initiatives for private sector employees; recent pension related litigation; IRS guidance on tax treatment of uncashed pension checks; Affordable Care Act implementation challenges, including retaining grandfathered status and new preventive benefit requirements; common findings from audits of health plan operations by the Department of Labor; and new rules concerning Health Reimbursement Arrangements.

PANELISTS:
Kathy Bakich
Senior Vice President, National Health Compliance Practice Leader, Segal Consulting

Serena Simons
Senior Vice President, National Retirement Compliance Practice Leader, Segal Consulting

Carolyn Smith
Counsel, Alston & Bird LLP

Melanie Walker
Senior Vice President, National Compliance Practice, Segal Consulting

The Department of Labor (DOL) continues its ongoing initiative investigating missing participants as part of its Terminated Vested Participant Project. This session explores the DOL investigative process and provides insight and best practices to consider in handling missing participants should your plan be subject to an audit.

REMARKS:
Paul Green
Attorney, Mooney, Green Saindon, Murphy & Welch PC

• Presentation: Lost Participants and the DOL Audit Process

As always, one of the most important aspects of this conference is the ability to contribute to the conversation your in-depth knowledge and experience regarding the issues you are facing. This session offers you the opportunity to raise those issues, and to leverage the knowledge of the group to see how others are confronting them.

FACILITATORS:
Eunice Washington
Executive Director & Legal Counsel, SEIU Benefit Funds

Andrew Lin
Attorney, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy & Welch PC

The NLRB is the federal agency that enforces the National Labor Relations Act and serves to safeguard employees’ right to organize and to determine whether to have unions as their bargaining representative. This session highlights developments at the NLRB, including recent Board appointments and decisions, which may indicate an important shift in the NLRB’s position away from positions taken under the previous administration.

MODERATOR:
Paul Green
Attorney, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy & Welch PC

PANELISTS:
Richard Griffin, Jr.
Of Counsel, Bredhoff & Kaiser

Diana Bardes
Partner, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy & Welch, PC

Katie Roberson-Young
Associate General Counsel, SEIU Healthcare Division

• Presentation: What the Heck is Going on at the NLRB?

Grand Ballroom East

Grand Ballroom East

REMARKS:
Michael Scott
Executive Director, NCCMP

Following the passage of H.R 397 in the U.S. House of Representatives in July, multiemployer pension reform is now under consideration in the U.S. Senate. The issues currently under consideration have the potential to impact all multiemployer plans – healthy and distressed alike. Our speakers will provide their insights into the current political environment, and the potential for legislative reform this year.

REMARKS:
The Honorable George Miller
CEO, GM Strategies, LLC
Former Congressman (D-CA)

The Honorable Joe Crowley
Senior Policy Advisor, Squire Patton Boggs
Former Congressman (D-NY)

Our panelists will discuss whether data is a “plan asset,” the plan and participant data on claims activity, how that data impacts the coverage offered, and some considerations on ensuring that multiemployer health funds are able to use claims data to the fullest extent possible.

MODERATOR:
Tina Fletcher
President, Ullico Casualty Group, Inc.

PANELISTS:
David Brenner
Senior Vice President and National Director of Multiemployer Consulting, Segal Consulting

John Long
Partner, Cavanagh & O’Hara LLP

• Presentation: Whose Data is it Anyway?

The ever-rising costs of prescription drugs present an extreme challenge to multiemployer health funds. Mr. Taylor will discuss various efforts used by multiemployer plans to control prescription drug costs.

REMARKS:
Nick Taylor
Vice President and National Pharmacy Practice Leader for Consulting Services, Segal Consulting

• Presentation: Controlling Prescription Drug Costs

Grand Ballroom East

Ms. Smith will discuss the outlook for healthcare legislation impacting multiemployer plans leading into the 2020 election.

REMARKS:
Carolyn Smith
Counsel, Alton & Bird LLP

• Presentation: Healthcare Legislative Update

Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Bakich will discuss implications for multiemployer health plans of legislative proposals to limit surprise out-of-network billing.  They will also review current challenges for plans concerning excessive out-of-network charges and ways to help avoid abuse by non-network providers.

REMARKS:
Kathy Bakich
Senior Vice President, National Health Compliance Practice Leader, Segal Consulting

Ed Kaplan
Senior Vice President, National Health Practice Leader, Segal Consulting

• Presentation: Surprise Medical Bills and Out of Network Claims

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (419-6) to repeal the 40% excise tax on healthcare deemed “too generous” by Congress – the “Cadillac Tax.” Ms. Bradshaw will discuss the efforts of the Fight the Forty coalition to engage with the Senate for a full repeal of the 40% excise tax.

REMARKS:
Tara Bradshaw
Executive Director, Washington Council Ernst & Young

REMARKS:
Sean McGarvey
President, North America’s Building Trades Unions
Chairman, NCCMP Board of Directors

Michael Scott
Executive Director, NCCMP

ACCEPTANCE:
Terry O’Sullivan
General President, Laborers’ International Union of North America

This session will discuss how joining together in healthcare alliances can help multiemployer health plans to reduce costs

REMARKS:
The Honorable Rob Andrews
CEO, Health Transformation Alliance

This session will explore the components of an effective mental health program and benefits, as well as the dual benefits of controlling medical expenses and improving quality of life for your members.

REMARKS:
Patricia DeSa
Director, Mental Health & Wellness Institute, Kaiser Permanente

• Presentation: Mental Health Matters

Soon, genetic testing may tell you more than just where to where to search on Ancestry.com This session will explore the growing field to gene therapy to treat disease, and how this might impact multiemployer health funds.

REMARKS:
Sadhna Paralkar
Senior Vice President and National Medical Director, Segal Consulting

• Presentation: Genetic Testing and Gene Therapy

A perennial favorite, this workshop provides an opportunity for you to participate in an open dialogue with representatives of the various regulatory
agencies with jurisdiction over our plans regarding the most important topics you are facing.

You bring the issues. They bring the answers.

MODERATOR:
Paul Green
Attorney, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy & Welch PC

PANELISTS:
Bruce Perlin
Assistant Chief Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Barbara Stampul
Deputy Regional Manager, Acting Regional Manager, Office for Civil Rights, Southeast Region U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Danielle Norris
MPRA Director, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Grand Ballroom East

REMARKS:
Michael Scott
Executive Director, NCCMP

This session provides an opportunity for the agencies with jurisdiction over our plans to update members of the multiemployer community on activities on their agenda affecting our plans.

MODERATOR:
Mariah Becker
Director of Research and Education, NCCMP

REMARKS:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Danielle Norris
MPRA Case Team, U.S. Department of Treasury

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Barbara Stampul
Deputy Regional Manager, Acting Regional Manager, Office for Civil Rights, Southeast Region U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
William Hunt
Senior Employee Plan Specialist, Internal Revenue Service

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION
Bruce Perlin
Assistant Chief Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

• Presentation: HHS Update

• Presentation: IRS Update

• Presentation: PBGC Update

This is your chance to raise any topics or questions that you would like to discuss with the NCCMP or your colleagues and peers that you did not hear addressed during the formal program.

MODERATOR:
Mariah Becker
Director of Research and Education, NCCMP