Services | BakerHostetler

BakerHostetler’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plans team is comprised of more than 10 attorneys serving clients of all sizes, in all industries, nationwide to deliver exceptional legal services in the health and welfare benefit plan space. We serve our clients’ needs – whether in strategy, compliance, controversy or otherwise – with a holistic yet efficient approach, ensuring a client’s business needs, industry, workforce and demographics are considered to support sound decision-making.

Counseled clients through COVID-19 pandemic-related shifts in employment and employee benefits while ensuring compliance with an onslaught of temporary legal requirements impacting health and welfare plans.
Negotiated with the IRS to successfully eliminate clients’ ACA employer shared responsibility penalties, including proposed penalties in excess of $1 million.
Advised several multiple employer welfare arrangements, and assisted a client through the full life cycle of its multiple employer welfare arrangement, including obtaining state licensure, assisting with ongoing federal/state compliance and benefit design issues, and eventually terminating the solvent arrangement upon dissolution of the sponsoring organization.
Assisted health plans under Department of Health & Human Services audits in developing full-scale HIPAA compliance programs.
Restructured all the benefit plans for thousands of employees of a manufacturing company when it was spun off by a large multinational company.
Reached a favorable settlement in subrogation claims to recover plan assets on behalf of numerous clients.
Advised employers and insurers in strategies for ACA compliance, including establishing full-time employee determination processes and implementing market reform compliance strategies.
Obtained a bench verdict for a client in a class action by union retirees challenging changes to the client’s retiree medical benefit plan.
Reached a favorable settlement in an ERISA benefits claim for short- and long-term disabilities on behalf of numerous employers.