• 2024 Annual Conference

    March 7-10, 2024

    NCCMP is pleased to welcome you to our 2024 Annual Conference March 7-10 at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida.

    The issues facing multiemployer pension and health plans continue to evolve. The special financial assistance program at the PBGC provided a lifeline to the most deeply troubled multiemployer pension plans, but is certainly not without political challenges. SECURE 2.0 made a number of generally helpful bipartisan changes to the operation of pension plans, but also created a number of questions and challenges with regard to catchup contributions and autoenrollment. At the same time, both Congress and the Administration are deeply focused on ensuring access and availability of mental health benefits with advancements in both regulation and enforcing legislation expected this year. And PBGC is expected to finalize new withdrawal liability regulations that will change the way pension fund trustees need to think about withdrawal liability, while plans continue to face new and inventive cybersecurity challenges.

    We will hold a special seminar for Trustees on the afternoon of Thursday, March 7, followed by our Opening Reception that evening. Friday, March 8 will focus on current pension issues and Saturday March 9 will focus on current healthcare issues, with morning plenary and afternoon seminar sessions respectively. On Sunday, March 10, we will hear directly from the regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over our plans on the items on their regulatory agendas impacting multiemployer pension and health plans. For planning purposes, the plenary session on Sunday, March 10 will end at 12:00 noon.

    We look forward to seeing you this weekend to share your experiences, hear from our deeply knowledgeable experts, connect with your friends and peers, and learn about issues relevant to you what the future might hold for our funds.

    Full Program available for download here

    Please see below for full agenda and handouts! 

    Agenda

    Thursday, March 7, 2024

    Conference Registration

    12:00-2:00

    Hotel Lower Lobby

    Trends and Solutions in Wellness and Wellbeing

    1:00-4:00

    This session will explore how plans are working to meet the needs of their workforce through ongoing efforts to support wellness and wellbeing. Employers are working to address pain management, diabetes management, and mental health and substance use disorders through a range of innovative benefit offerings. We will hear the clinical perspective regarding certain conditions and treatments, including the proliferation of recent weight loss drugs and the evolving landscape of gender affirming care. Our presenters will discuss benefits and service solutions that can serve as resources.

    Sarah Gunderson
    Senior Consultant, Clinical Consulting, Segal

    Eileen Pincay
    Vice President and National Pharmacy Practice Leader, Segal

    GUEST SPEAKERS:
    John Lawrence
    Executive Director, Nimble Health

    Jen Foley
    Senior Director Clinical Partnerships, Spring Health

     

    Welcome Reception

    6:30-9:30

    Join your friends and colleagues on South Palm Court for our annual welcome reception.

    Friday, March 8, 2024

    Conference Registration

    7:00-12:00

    Grand Registration

    Breakfast

    7:00-8:00

    Grand Ballroom East

    Opening Ceremony & Opening Remarks

    8:00-8:30

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

    Michael Scott
    Executive Director, NCCMP

    Keynote from PBGC Director Hartogensis

    8:30-9:00

    The Honorable Gordon Hartogensis
    Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    Director Hartogensis will provide an update from the PBGC, including the status of the Special Financial Assistance Program and PBGC’s financial outlook.

    Lessons Learned from Special Financial Assistance

    9:00-10:00

    Jason Russell
    Senior Vice President and Actuary, East Region Retirement Practice Leader, Segal

    Danielle Singer
    Head of North America Pension Solutions, Invesco

    Plans that have received special financial assistance have had to fundamentally reconsider the relationship between assets and liabilities as they have developed new funding policies incorporating the assistance. This session will consider the long-term funding lessons for all plans from the SFA process, the need to focus on the interplay between assets and liabilities going forward, as well as the impact of the expected decreases in interest rates over the coming year.

     

    Break

    10:00-10:15

    Grand Ballroom East

    Elevating Union Jobs and Labor Standards in Private Equity

    10:15-11:15

    MODERATOR:
    Jennifer O’Dell
    Assistant Director of Corporate Affairs, LIUNA

    PANELISTS:
    Mulissa Willette
    Board Member & Trustee, CalPERS

    Andrea Kramer
    COO, Hamilton Lane

    Mike Cairns
    Partner, NEPC

    Total Private Equity assets under management are estimated at close to $12 trillion. These same firms employ some 11.7 million workers at the portfolio companies they own. In the last year, NABTU, LIUNA & SEIU have led a multiunion effort to ensure more labor-friendly practices at the PE firms where our pension funds invest. We’ll hear from a pension fund leader in this space, along with an investment consultant & asset manager.

     

    Income Adequacy in Retirement

    11:15-12:15

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

    Larry McGann
    General Secretary-Treasurer, International Union of Elevator Constructors

    Speakers will explore different ways that trustees should consider whether the retirement income provided by their plans is sufficient for their members, including the interplay of defined benefit and companion defined contribution plans, the role of a defined contribution plan when there is a companion defined benefit plan as the anchor to a member’s financially secure income stream in retirement, and what trustees should think about, and prepare their members for, when facing issues such as catastrophic expenses as health deteriorates and cost escalate.

     

    12:15-1:15

    Break for Lunch

    Boxed lunch is available in the Grand Foyer

    Seminar 1 Option 1 - Investing Pension Assets in Private Healthcare Companies

    1:15-2:30

    Jacques Loveall
    President, UFCW 8-Golden State and Chair, UFCW Trust

    John Elliot
    Partner, NEPC

    Marcin Szajda
    Partner, BPEA

    Jen Chen
    SolidaritUS, Chief Revenue Officer

    Bill Stapleton
    CEO, Ria Health

    Multiemployer health and welfare trust funds have provided high-quality benefits to union-represented workers and their dependents for over 75 years. Collectively, these plans spend over $56B annually on healthcare benefits for their participants. Despite this immense buying power, these plans remain challenged by market forces that continue to raise prices, limit access and curb quality of care. Further, multiemployer pension funds are typically underrepresented in the ownership of these privately held companies. During this panel, we will discuss one solution for investing pension fund assets in privately owned healthcare companies. We’ll also discuss strategies for capturing healthcare fund expenditures as revenue of businesses owned in part by multiemployer pension funds and hear from two companies in which pension funds have ownership.

    Seminar 1 Option 2 - New Trustees Seminar

    1:15-2:30

    Rob Projansky
    Partner, Proskauer

    Josh Shapiro
    Senior Actuarial Advisor, Groom Law Group

    Craig Abbott
    Vice President/Director, Defined Contribution Services, Manning & Napier

    Actuarial liabilities, zone statuses, investment decisions, fiduciary obligations – the responsibilities and decisions facing trustees are complicated! This session will lay the groundwork for the complex policy discussions facing Congress and the multiemployer community today. Our panels of experts will break down these tricky topics to their manageable and approachable basics. Come learn what you need to know to tackle your new role as a trustee, or brush up on the basics as you prepare for the discussions ahead.

     

    Seminar 2 Option 1 - Investing in Ourselves - Promoting Leading Labor-Friendly Funds That Serve Our Plans

    2:45-4:00

    MODERATOR:
    Monte Tarbox
    Former President, AFL-CIO Investment Trust Corporation

    PANEL:
    John Doherty
    Senior Advisor, International Union of Painters & Allied Trades

    Jim Darcey
    Managing Director, Ullico

    Jorge Ramirez
    Managing Director, Grosvenor

    Chang Suh
    CEO, AFL-CIO HIT

    Labor’s Family of Funds provide competitive risk-adjusted returns & create good union jobs, across a range of asset classes. These jobs strengthen the health of our funds through contributions & paying down accrued liabilities. We’ll hear from leading practitioners at firms that ensure a secure retirement & create good union jobs.

    Seminar 2 Option 2 - Contemporary Compliance Issues

    Lauren McDermott
    Member, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy and Welch

    Lori Waichman
    Associate, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy and Welch

    This session will address compliance issues of interest to retirement and health plan sponsors, and 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, panelists will lead discussions on topics including: proposed technical corrections to SECURE 2.0, No Surprises Act IDR process, RFIs on zone certification issues and on over the counter preventative services, discount rate for withdrawal liability assessments, amendment to Fiduciary Rule PTE, Proposed Data Requirements for NQTLs under MHPAEA, new Pre-Examination Compliance Pilot, health plan fiduciary breach pricing litigation, PBM legislation and preemption, proposed legislation on SFA funds, and more.

     

    Reception

    5:00-6:00

    Grand Ballroom East

    Saturday, March 9, 2024

    Registration

    7:00-12:00

    Grand Registration

    Keynote from DOL Assistant Secretary Gomez

    8:00-8:30

    The Honorable Lisa Gomez
    Assistant Secretary for EBSA, Department of Labor

    Assistant Secretary Gomez will provide an update from the Department of Labor on the Department’s regulatory activity impacting multiemployer plans, including the DOL’s proposed rule on mental health parity, the fiduciary rule, and other EBSA priorities

    State and Federal PBM Legislation & ERISA Preemption

    8:30-9:30

    Brigen Winters
    Principal, Groom Law Group

    Over the past year, there has been an increased focus at both the federal and state level on implementing guardrails on common practices of pharmacy benefits managers. This session will discuss the state and federal level legislation, as well as the impacts on plans, recent court decisions, and implications for ERISA preemption that go beyond health plans.

     

    Healthcare Legal and Regulatory Update

    9:30-10:30

    Kathy Bakich
    Senior Vice President, Health Compliance Practice Leader, Segal

    Tom Leibfried
    Legislative Representative, AFL-CIO

    This session will discuss the legislative and regulatory outlook for issues impacting multiemployer health plans, including mental health parity, pharmacy benefits manager transparency and reforms, and other issues.

     

    Break

    10:30-10:45

    Grand Ballroom East

    Navigating Mental Health Benefits

    10:45-11:45

    Elena Lynett
    Vice President, Segal

    Michael Powers
    Partner, O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue LLP

    The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requirements, including detailed proposed rules issued in 2023, add to a complex landscape for plans working to address mental health and substance use disorders for workers and their families. Meanwhile, these benefits are critical to the well being of the workforce and highly valued by the individuals receiving them. In today’s session, we will discuss challenges plans face and how they continue to work to provide access and targeted resources to address the mental health and substance use disorder treatment needs of their populations, while keeping abreast of the evolving regulatory landscape.

     

    George Meany Awards Luncheon

    12:00-1:00

    REMARKS:
    Michael Scott
    Executive Director, NCCMP

    ACCEPTANCE:
    Monte Tarbox
    Former President, AFL-CIO Investment Trust Corporation

    Seminar 3 Option 1 - Patient Advocacy - What it is and why we all need it!

    1:15-2:30

    Vanessa Flynn
    Vice President and Senior Benefits Consultant, Segal

    Betty Long
    President/CEO and Founder, Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates

    Tony Saguibo, Jr.
    VP of Sales, Labor, Quantum Health

    Navigating healthcare can be complicated, frustrating, and costly. And that’s on a good day! People who are sick or injured often feel ill-equipped to deal with insurance requirements, making appointments, getting tests, securing second opinions, and just BEING in the healthcare system. Your members deserve an expert guide making sure they understand their options and get the best care. In this session we will hear from two experts on how to make advocacy a reality for your members.

     

    Seminar 3 Option 2 - Lawyers and Administrators Meeting

    1:15-2:30

    Paul Green
    Senior Counsel, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy & Welch

    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.

    Seminar 4 - Ask the Regulators

    2:45-4:00

    MODERATOR:
    Mariah Becker
    Director of Research and Education, NCCMP

    PANELISTS:
    Jim Donofrio
    Chief Negotiating Actuary, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    John Ginsberg
    Assistant General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    Bruce Perlin
    Assistant Chief Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    Helen Morrison
    Benefits Tax Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury

    Kyle Brown
    Deputy Benefits Tax Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury

    Amber Rivers
    Director, Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance, U.S. Department
    of Labor

    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.

    Sunday, March 10, 2024

    Conference Registration

    7:30-10:00

    Grand Registration

    Breakfast

    7:30-9:00

    Grand Ballroom East

    Agency Updates

    9:00-11:00

    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

    SESSION 1: PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION
    Jim Donofrio
    Chief Negotiating Actuary, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    John Ginsberg
    Assistant General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    Bruce Perlin
    Assistant Chief Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

    SESSION 3: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
    Amber Rivers
    Director, Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance, U.S. Department of Labor

     

    Open Forum

    11:00-12:00

    MODERATOR:
    Mariah Becker
    Director of Research and Education, NCCMP

    Closing Remarks & Adjournment

    12:00

    Michael Scott
    Executive Director, NCCMP

    Past Events

    2023 Interim Annual Conference

    We are pleased to welcome multiemployer pension and healthcare trustees, administrators, and professionals to our Interim Annual Conference in Chicago,

    2022 Annual Conference

    Our 2022 Annual Conference took place at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, FL on September 17-22, 2022 and brought

    2021 Annual Conference

    NCCMP is pleased to announce that our registration and room block for our 2021 Annual Conference this September 25-29 at