Cynthia Smith Shewmaker Senior Benefits Advisor/Outreach Coordinator with the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration based out of the Kansas City Regional Office will discuss what it means to be a group health plan fiduciary during the SLAHU Monthly Meeting April 13 at the Lodge Des Peres.
She will cover the ins and outs of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) including addressing common questions and discussing details about ERISA group health plans and the duties of an ERISA fiduciary.
She will also discuss selecting and monitoring service providers, summarize plan descriptions, automatic disclosures, documentation for plan participants, ERISA claims procedures and appeals, prohibited transactions and the relevant Form 5500.
Ms. Shewmaker is directly involved in the Kansas City Regional Office’s administration of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The Kansas City office covers more than ten states including Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North & South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota and parts of Illinois.
She provides direct intervening assistance for participants and beneficiaries covered by private sector pension plans including contributory and non-contributory retirement plans. She also provides retirement savings education on a regular basis. Ms. Shewmaker lends expertise to complex situations involving health and other types of welfare benefit plans.
She provides compliance assistance for plan officials, plan service providers and other professionals as they relate to ERISA. Cynthia leads a team of individuals who perform outreach and education throughout the region. She has represented EBSA at a variety of seminars related to ERISA; fiduciary duties, pension matters and health insurance including COBRA, HIPAA, Mental Health Parity, Genetic Non-Discrimination and the Affordable Care Act.
Ms. Shewmaker obtained her B.S. from the University of Central Missouri. She joined EBSA in June 2000. Prior to her experience with EBSA, she was a key instructor in management training involving soft skills and statistics.