All ERISA-covered benefit plans, including group health plans and other welfare plans, must, by law, be administered in accordance with a written plan document. ERISA, HIPAA, and other federal laws require the plan document to contain certain specified provisions. Many employers assume that insurance contracts for fully insured products are written plan documents. Insurance companies, however, draft their contracts to comply with state insurance laws and, as a result, the contracts do not contain many of the required or recommended provisions that protect the plan, the employer, and plan fiduciaries.
A Wrap Plan Document is designed to meet plan documentation requirements under ERISA and other federal laws and to incorporate all other welfare plans, insurance contracts, and other relevant documents into a single plan. These materials can be kept together for administrative ease. The Wrap Plan Document provides additional legal protection for the employer and plan fiduciaries and can simplify plan administration.