ALERT / APRIL 21, 2026

Join our summer series of webcasts on ERISA compliance topics

3 MIN READ

Summer is fast approaching, but school is never out when it comes to the ever-changing world of health and welfare benefits compliance.

Over the next four months, the summer edition of our Client Advisory Seminar Series of webcasts will chew on some meaty and topical compliance issues, including pharmacy cost management tactics and strategies, what to expect when the next renewal cycle hits, and some practical compliance considerations when acquiring or merging with another company.

Whether you’re a Lockton client or not, we hope you’ll join us for these free, one-hour webcasts with our panels of experts.

Read on to learn more and to register for one or all three of these webcasts:

Costs, innovation, and emerging pharmacy strategies

2-3 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 14, 2026

Speakers: Rory Akers, JD and Matt Jarvis

Prescription drug costs continue to rise - and employers are rethinking the traditional pharmacy benefit model.

Join us as we explore innovative and forward‑looking pharmacy strategies that organizations are considering to better manage their Rx spend and improve outcomes. We’ll look at progressive approaches such as alternative PBM “carve‑out” models, creative plan design strategies, patient assistance programs, and other emerging solutions reshaping the pharmacy landscape.

This session will go beyond the headlines to examine how these strategies work in practice, the key compliance and operational considerations employers should understand, and the real‑world issues that can make or break implementation. You’ll leave with practical insights and a clearer framework for evaluating whether these evolving pharmacy strategies may be a fit for your organization.

REGISTER HERE (opens a new window)

Renewals for 2027: What to know and how to prepare

2-3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Speakers: Mark Holloway, JD and Petra Wheaton, MBA

With 2027 on the horizon, now is the time for employers to think about the next renewal cycle. Join us for a practical discussion on how emerging regulatory requirements, recent enforcement trends, and evolving health and welfare plan obligations may impact your 2027 renewals.

This webcast will include:

A refresher on the ever-changing world of pharmacy benefits, including a new federal law that would regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
Fiduciary and operational considerations for employers sponsoring self-funded and insured plans.
The No Surprises Act and independent dispute resolution: who’s winning arbitration and how it’s impacting plan costs.
Required health and welfare plan documentation updates (wrap plan, cafeteria plan, SPDs, SBCs).
New ACA developments, and much more.

REGISTER HERE (opens a new window)

Practical considerations for mergers & acquisitions

2-3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026

Speakers: Suzanne Bach, JD and Ethan McWilliams, MBA

There’s a lot to plan for and consider when merging with or acquiring another business. One of the more complex issues can be how to handle the two companies’ benefit plans – which plan will be adopted, terminated or mirrored after the deal is closed?

This webcast will cover some of the critical due diligence items you might not expect but need to undertake to ensure compliance after M&A, including:

Understanding the acquired plan's compliance history with ERISA, the ACA and other laws, and exploring the quality of its documentation and fiduciary governance.
Negotiating COBRA take-over obligations, handling of spending accounts, nondiscrimination testing responsibilities as a combined entity, funding challenges, and more.
How to stay within the rules of controlled group status and avoid a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) through creative benefit strategies.
How the nature of the acquisition (whether it is an asset or stock transaction) can affect the assumption of liabilities.