The main way of communicating plan rights and responsibilities to parties enrolled in an ERISA benefit plan is through the summary plan description. Summary plan descriptions are lengthy and complex as they are required to comply with federal regulations. Things become more complicated as the information must be written in a way that is understandable to the average enrollee. Our lawyers can help guide your organization through this process to ensure that all legal requirements are met.

As things change, it may be necessary to make amendments to summary plan descriptions. If there are changes to the material provisions of a plan or if an amendment effectively changes the information found in the summary plan description, a summary material modification must be provided to all plan participants. We can help draft and review all summary material modifications for benefit plans of all types to ensure ERISA compliance.