Interaction Between Medicare and  Employer Health Plans	Back to entire  webinar listing
	Tuesday, August 9, 2011 - 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT - COMPLETED
	Although the federal Medicare program is entirely separate from the system of employer-sponsored health coverage, there is a remarkable level of interaction between the two.  For instance, depending on an employer's number of employees, any plan sponsored by that employer may be required to provide benefits that are primary to Medicare.  Those same "Medicare Secondary Payor" rules proscribe certain actions by an employer that are intended to encourage employees to waive the employer's coverage in favor of Medicare. More recently, employers sponsoring plans that provide coverage for prescription drugs have been required to notify their Medicare-eligible participants as to whether that coverage is "creditable" for purposes of Medicare Part D.  Last year's health care reform accelerated the deadline for providing these creditable (or non-creditable) coverage certificates.  In this webinar, we will address the Medicare Secondary Payor rules, the guidelines for notifying Medicare-eligible participants of the plan's creditable coverage status, and other interactions between the Medicare program and employer health plans.
	"The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit."
	Presenters:
	Kenneth A. Mason, Partner Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP Ken, a partner with the firm, heads the Employee Benefits Group. He concentrates on ERISA and other aspects of employee benefits law, including both tax and fiduciary issues, substantial involvement with retirement and welfare plans, executive deferred compensation, federal employment discrimination statutes, and issues unique to governmental and other tax-exempt employers. He clerked for U.S. District Judge Earl E. O'Connor before joining Spencer Fane. Ken is a Past-Chair of both the Employee Benefits Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Employee Benefits Institute of Kansas City. He has been on the faculty of the American Bankers Association National Retirement Trust School and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Ken's lecture subjects have included executive deferred compensation, 401(k) nondiscrimination testing, COBRA compliance, benefit plan aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act, employee leave-sharing programs, and long-term care insurance.
	Chadron J. Patton, Associate Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP Chadron is a member of Spencer Fane's Employee Benefits Group. Chadron received his juris doctor from University of Kansas School of Law, where he completed the Tax Law and Business and Commercial Law certificate programs. Before law school, Chadron was a Financial Consultant to individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. Chadron received his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, with highest distinction, from the University of Kansas.