Demystifying ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act

In this podcast, AzDA Executive Director Dr. Regina Cobb and AzDA member dentist Dr. Anthony Dicello cover:

• ERISA, what is it? Let’s clear up the mystery once and for all.
  What is it originally created for?
• Who is it really benefiting?
• How are insurance companies using it?

ERISA is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which was designed to set minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans. It provides fiduciary responsibilities for those who manage and control plan assets, requires plans to establish a grievance and appeals process for participants to get benefits from their plans, and gives participants the right to sue for benefits and breaches of fiduciary duty.