Advanced Welfare Benefit Plans Course
Speaker Bios
9:00 - 10:15 am
Wellness Programs: How to Stay Out of the Legal Soup when the Rules are in Flux
Speaker: John Utz, Utz & Lattan LLC
Biography:
John L. Utz is an attorney in the Overland Park, Kansas office of Utz & Lattan, LLC, where he focuses exclusively on employee benefits and executive compensation law, including matters affecting pension, profit sharing, and 401(k) plans, ESOPs, Section 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities, Section 457 plans, stock options, nonqualified deferred compensation, incentive pay, severance pay, and health and welfare programs.
Mr. Utz is a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, a Fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Superlawyers, and Who’s Who Legal (Pensions and Benefits). He is active in the American Bar Association, having served as Chair of the Employee Benefits Committee of the Section of Taxation and having chaired several ABA subcommittees.
Mr. Utz has published more than 100 articles in professional journals and has been a frequent speaker at national employee benefits seminars, giving more than 200 invited talks.
Mr. Utz holds a law degree (magna cum laude), as well as a master’s degree (M.S.) in mathematics, from the University of Illinois. Mr. Utz’s undergraduate degree (A.B. in mathematics, magna cum laude) is from the University of Missouri, where he was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Wellness Programs: How to Stay Out of the Legal Soup when the Rules are in Flux
Speaker: John Utz, Utz & Lattan LLC
Biography:
John L. Utz is an attorney in the Overland Park, Kansas office of Utz & Lattan, LLC, where he focuses exclusively on employee benefits and executive compensation law, including matters affecting pension, profit sharing, and 401(k) plans, ESOPs, Section 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities, Section 457 plans, stock options, nonqualified deferred compensation, incentive pay, severance pay, and health and welfare programs.
Mr. Utz is a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, a Fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Superlawyers, and Who’s Who Legal (Pensions and Benefits). He is active in the American Bar Association, having served as Chair of the Employee Benefits Committee of the Section of Taxation and having chaired several ABA subcommittees.
Mr. Utz has published more than 100 articles in professional journals and has been a frequent speaker at national employee benefits seminars, giving more than 200 invited talks.
Mr. Utz holds a law degree (magna cum laude), as well as a master’s degree (M.S.) in mathematics, from the University of Illinois. Mr. Utz’s undergraduate degree (A.B. in mathematics, magna cum laude) is from the University of Missouri, where he was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
10:30 - 11:45 am
COBRA Administration: Regulations and Addressing Common Issues
Speaker: Fran Gray, Benefits Advisor, U.S. Department of Labor--Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Kansas City Regional Office
Biography:
The Employee Benefits Security Administration is responsible for overseeing the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) which regulates employee benefit plans that are sponsored by employers in the private sector.
Ms. Gray has been employed by the Department of Labor for 35 years. Her previous work experience in Human Resources includes having responsibility for the administration of employee benefits and retirement coordination. Consequently, she is familiar with the decisions employers face regarding the benefit programs that are available for employers and the impact that the decision to provide these benefits can have on employee retention. Having been responsible for the coordination of the retirement program for the Department of Labor employees, Ms. Gray is knowledgeable of benefit decisions which often are made by employees and the impact that those decisions, made at any age in life, can have on the ultimate retirement benefit received once retirement age is attained.
As Benefits Advisor with EBSA for the past nineteen years, Ms. Gray is responsible for providing compliance assistance and education related to ERISA matters for plan sponsors and plan officials, participants, beneficiaries, third party administrators, and other ERISA professionals. Ms. Gray offers guidance not only on the types of benefit plans which are available for employers to sponsor but also offers guidance regarding administrative practices to ensure plans are in compliance with ERISA.
COBRA Administration: Regulations and Addressing Common Issues
Speaker: Fran Gray, Benefits Advisor, U.S. Department of Labor--Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Kansas City Regional Office
Biography:
The Employee Benefits Security Administration is responsible for overseeing the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) which regulates employee benefit plans that are sponsored by employers in the private sector.
Ms. Gray has been employed by the Department of Labor for 35 years. Her previous work experience in Human Resources includes having responsibility for the administration of employee benefits and retirement coordination. Consequently, she is familiar with the decisions employers face regarding the benefit programs that are available for employers and the impact that the decision to provide these benefits can have on employee retention. Having been responsible for the coordination of the retirement program for the Department of Labor employees, Ms. Gray is knowledgeable of benefit decisions which often are made by employees and the impact that those decisions, made at any age in life, can have on the ultimate retirement benefit received once retirement age is attained.
As Benefits Advisor with EBSA for the past nineteen years, Ms. Gray is responsible for providing compliance assistance and education related to ERISA matters for plan sponsors and plan officials, participants, beneficiaries, third party administrators, and other ERISA professionals. Ms. Gray offers guidance not only on the types of benefit plans which are available for employers to sponsor but also offers guidance regarding administrative practices to ensure plans are in compliance with ERISA.
1:00 - 2:15 pm
Paid Sick Leave/Family Leave
Speaker: David Setzkorn, National Practice Leader – Absence Management, The Standard
Biography:
Mr. Setzkkorn has lead the leads the strategic development of The Standard’s Absence Management offering since 2015. His experience includes consultation and development of Absence Management programs with large clients from implementation, training and ongoing compliance with state and federal regulations. In addition, David serves as a liaison among clients, sales/service, administration, legal, and compliance. He is a nationally recognized speaker on absence management trends for organizations such as DMEC, IBI and others.
David is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Purchasing and Logistics Management and an MBA with an emphasis in Project Management. He also holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation along with multiple certifications in IT and Operational Management.
Paid Sick Leave/Family Leave
Speaker: David Setzkorn, National Practice Leader – Absence Management, The Standard
Biography:
Mr. Setzkkorn has lead the leads the strategic development of The Standard’s Absence Management offering since 2015. His experience includes consultation and development of Absence Management programs with large clients from implementation, training and ongoing compliance with state and federal regulations. In addition, David serves as a liaison among clients, sales/service, administration, legal, and compliance. He is a nationally recognized speaker on absence management trends for organizations such as DMEC, IBI and others.
David is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Purchasing and Logistics Management and an MBA with an emphasis in Project Management. He also holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation along with multiple certifications in IT and Operational Management.
2:30 - 3:45 pm
Prescription Drug Management: Emerging Trends and Solutions
Speaker: John Gardynik, PharmD MBA, Department Vice President, Pharmacy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Biography:
John Gardynik has been a leader in the prescription drug benefits industry for nearly 30 years. He has work in all payor segments (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, Exchange, etc.) and for health plans, prescription benefit managers and a pharmaceutical company. Of note, he was a pharmacoeconomist with Pfizer; President of RxAmerica---a PBM that was sold to CVS/Caremark; Director of the Pharmacy Departments at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan and Highmark; and CEO of Smart Insurance Company, a Part D Medicare Plan that was sold to Express Scripts. John is currently the Department Vice President of Pharmacy at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. He earned both his Doctorate in Pharmacy and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Prescription Drug Management: Emerging Trends and Solutions
Speaker: John Gardynik, PharmD MBA, Department Vice President, Pharmacy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Biography:
John Gardynik has been a leader in the prescription drug benefits industry for nearly 30 years. He has work in all payor segments (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, Exchange, etc.) and for health plans, prescription benefit managers and a pharmaceutical company. Of note, he was a pharmacoeconomist with Pfizer; President of RxAmerica---a PBM that was sold to CVS/Caremark; Director of the Pharmacy Departments at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan and Highmark; and CEO of Smart Insurance Company, a Part D Medicare Plan that was sold to Express Scripts. John is currently the Department Vice President of Pharmacy at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. He earned both his Doctorate in Pharmacy and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.