NPC Newsmaker Program: A Strategic Plan for Employee Benefits

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As corporations and employees navigate the changing business environment, both worry about benefits. Businesses worry about cost. Employees are concerned about the cost and whether they will be able to retire comfortably. The Affordable Care Act has added more uncertainty as the changes to benefits are still being determined, especially the effect on "Cadillac" health plans.

Corporate representatives and representatives from the American Benefits Council will discuss their vision and a new strategic plan for benefits, along with recommended changes in policy and legislation, aimed at keeping American businesses competitive while ensuring the financial and physical well being of employees.

The panel will include:

James A. Klein is President of the American Benefits Council. Klein is frequently quoted in both the national and benefits media on pension and health care topics. He has appeared on all the major television networks, discussing a wide range of employee benefits policy matters. Klein is a founding board member of Americans for Generational Equity and serves on the Government Liaison Committee of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Kathryn (Katy) Spangler is senior vice president of health policy for the American Benefits Council. She directs the development and advocacy of the Council's health policy priorities. Spangler is an expert on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) having served as deputy health policy director of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee during the health care reform debate. In this role, she successfully negotiated one of the few unanimously accepted, bipartisan amendments to the health care law giving employers greater flexibility to vary health benefits for employees participating in wellness programs.

Janet C. Boyd is Director of Government Relations, Tax and Benefits for The Dow Chemical Company and currently serves as Chair of the American Benefits Council's Board of Directors. Before joining Dow, Boyd was a Partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP. She currently serves as President of Charities Aid Foundation America, a charitable organization that facilitates giving by corporations and individuals worldwide on health and other causes.

Allison Klausner is Assistant General Counsel, Benefits, for Honeywell International, Inc. She collaborates with Honeywell's compensation and benefits, human resources and investments departments as she provides legal counsel and guidance to them with regard to all aspects of employee benefits, including with regard to plan strategy, design, implementation, administration and integration. Klausner has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, the Securities Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor and its ERISA Advisory Council.

This National Press Club Newsmakers news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, September 23, 2014 in the club's Murrow Room on the 13^th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14^th St., NW, Washington, D.C.

This Newsmaker event is open to credentialed media and press club members. It is free of charge and no advance registration is required.

Contact:

Joe Sparks, NPC Newsmakers Event Host, Phone: 314-807-6059, [email protected] 
Herb Perone, NPC Newsmakers Chair, 301-512-7636, [email protected]

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SOURCE National Press Club