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A Comprehensive Guide to Cafeteria Plans, Part I

If you sponsor a plan through which employees can make an election between taxable cash and nontaxable benefits, you have a cafeteria plan under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. In its most common form, a cafeteria plan is either a "premium only plan" or "POP", or it is a flexible spending arrangement consisting of a health care reimbursement program and a dependent care assistance plan. More comprehensive versions of cafeteria plans actually allow employees to make annual benefit elections and trade specific benefit dollars to create a customized, taxadvantaged benefit program for themselves and their family. Using numerous examples to illustrate how the rules work in actual practice, ARCs informationpacked Cafeteria Plan webcast, Part I (of two) will cover these important cafeteria plan requirements and many more . . . Cafeteria plan basics Types of plans (from premium only to FSAs and comprehensive programs) Eligibility rules Qualified benefits that can be included and the considerations for inclusion or exclusion Plan documentation requirements Plan administration Election of benefits IRS doctrine of constructive receipt Communication issues Reporting and disclosure requirements Status change rules (when and how the IRS allows participants to change their "irrevocable" elections during the plan year, including the critical "consistency" rules) In discussing each of these important concepts, we will address many tricky issues that can arise in the administration and maintenance of a cafeteria plan, including: Can an employer require eligible employees to pay certain insurance premiums pretax? Can an employer exclude employees in particular departments, divisions, locations, subsidiaries, or bargaining units from participating in the plan? What are the six IRS required elements that must be included in a plan document, and what other items should be included? Can an employee change his or her medical plan coverage and/or Health FSA election during the plan year if his or her spouse signs up for family coverage under a health plan at his or her employers open enrollment? Dont miss this opportunity to get up to speed on the complex cafeteria plan requirements and the practical steps to bring your administration initiatives into compliance. Cant Attend The Live Version? No problem! You can view the exact same presentation as many times as you like up to April 13, 2005! Simply click the "Add To Cart" button below to enroll. You will then be sent a link to view the presentation and an email with a copy of the presentation slides and a guide highlighting the changes. Webcast Materials Every registrant will receive copies of the presentation slides, sample notices and other handout materials, unlimited access to the archived version of the webcast for up to three months from the date of the live presentation, and, following the webcast, a copy of all of the questions submitted during the webcast along with the answers to the questions.

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