Employers who sponsor ERISA covered health and welfare plans are required to communicate the terms of the plan to participants in a summary plan description. The SPD is an important disclosure document that describes, in understandable terms, the rights, benefits and responsibilities of participants and beneficiaries in ERISA covered health and welfare benefit plans. The SPD must include important information regarding the plan, such as information on how the plan works, eligibility requirements, what benefits the plan provides and how those benefits may be obtained. The Summary of Material Modification describes changes made to the plan and changes in the information in the SPD. This teleconference will help you understand what a summary plan description is, what ERISA requires to be included in the document and how to distribute the SPD. You’ll also discover what a summary annual report is, what is required under ERISA and the distribution requirements.