DOL and IRS Health and Welfare Plan Audits: Latest Examination Initiatives, Key Legal Provisions, Avoiding Triggers
Note: CPE credit is not offered on this program
Recording of a 90-minute premium CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE webinar will guide benefits counsel and advisers on the complex mechanisms, procedures, and methods used by the DOL and IRS in examining health and welfare plans of groups and organizations. The panel will discuss the latest DOL and IRS initiatives for investigations and audits, critical legal provisions, and tactics to avoid penalties.
Outline
- Overview of health and welfare plan audits
- IRS audit triggers and investigation focus for health and welfare plans
- DOL audit triggers and examination priorities of health and welfare plans
- Best practices for a DOL and IRS audit or investigation of employee benefits plans
- Preventative measures to reduce the risk of audits, compliance issues, and penalties
Benefits
The panel will review these and other crucial issues:
- DOL and IRS initiatives for health and welfare plan audits
- Tactics and tools available to DOL and IRS to identify compliance issues and enforce penalties
- Health and welfare plan provisions requiring careful attention
- The most common audit triggers resulting in noncompliance penalties
- Lesser-known health and welfare plan audit problems
- Crafting responses to DOL or IRS audit and examination notices
- The audit process and limiting risks of examination
- Internal controls, document maintenance, and plan governance tools
Faculty

Kim Flett, CPA, QPA, QKA, CHRS
Compensation and Benefits Services Managing Director
BDO USA
Ms. Flett is a managing director in BDO’s Compensation and Benefit Services practice. With over 20 years of... | Read More
Ms. Flett is a managing director in BDO’s Compensation and Benefit Services practice. With over 20 years of experience in ERISA, she supervises a team of professionals and is responsible for all aspects of qualified plans including government and tax compliance, ERISA consulting, technical review, internal quality control, and retirement plan design and administration. Ms. Flett is also responsible for medical plan consulting, including welfare benefit and specializes in the Affordable Care Act and is an integral part of the leadership team in the Firm’s growing defined benefit practice. She is a tax compliance expert for the Firm’s Assurance Employee Benefit Practice in addition to a technical advisor for the Firm’s national compliance help desks. Ms. Flett is also a business development leader for the Compensation and Benefits global team nationally. She is a frequent writer and lecturer including speaking at the AICPA’s annual Employee Benefit Conference.
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José M. Jara
Partner
Archer
Mr. Jara has over 20 years of ERISA and employee benefits experience, ranging from governmental compliance,... | Read More
Mr. Jara has over 20 years of ERISA and employee benefits experience, ranging from governmental compliance, fiduciary liability insurance, to the application of ERISA’s fiduciary standards and prohibited transaction provisions. Mr. Jara has extensive experience resolving issues for corporate plan sponsors and multiemployer plans before the U.S. Department of Labor, where he was formerly a senior pension law specialist and investigator.
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