Press Releases

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

ERIC President Mark Ugoretz Announces Retirement; Scott Macey to Serve as Interim President

Washington, D.C. – Mark Ugoretz, President of The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) announced this week that, after almost 29 years as head of the organization, he will retire on June 1. Ugoretz devoted most of his career to employee-benefit issues.… More

ERIC Offers Recommendations to Improve Treasury Lifetime Income Guidance

Washington, D.C. – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today submitted to the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service a series of three comment letters in response to their February 2012 package of proposed regulations and revenue rulings regarding lifetime-income options for participants and beneficiaries in retirement plans. … More

ERIC Urges DOL to Permit Broader Use of Electronic Media for Participant Disclosures

Washington, D.C. -- ERIC, along with a coalition of 14 other business trade associations, strongly urged the Department of Labor… More

Statement by ERIC President Mark Ugoretz on Senate Passage of S. 1813, Legislation to Reauthorize Transportation Funding that Includes Pension Stabilization Relief

"ERIC applauds the Senate for supporting pension stabilization relief and recognizing the urgency of this issue. We are pleased the Senate expanded to 25 years the period to determine and stabilize the segment rates, and made the relief permanent, compared to an earlier draft of the proposal. … More

ERIC Proposes “Safe Harbor” Approach for Determining Essential Health Benefits for Purposes of Annual and Lifetime Limits

Washington, D.C. – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on February 29 wrote to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging the agency to permit employers with group health plans to continue to apply a “good faith” interpretation of essential health benefits and adopt a “safe harbor” for purposes of implementing the prohibition on dollar limits on essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).… More

ERIC Urges Congress to Extend and Expand Retiree Health Benefits Paid for with Overfunded Pensions

Washington, D.C. –The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on February 21 urged House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp and Ranking Member Sander Levin to continue allowing companies to make transfers from overfunded pension plans to pay for retiree health care and to expand current law to include retiree life insurance. … More

ERIC to Congress: Fix Pension Funding Rules to Strengthen Pensions and Improve Economic Growth

Washington, D.C. – Gretchen R. Haggerty, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the United States Steel Corporation testified today on behalf of The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) before the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions for a hearing on balancing pension security and economic growth.… More

ERIC Urges PBGC to Suspend Enforcement of Proposed Section 4062(e) Regulations

ERIC, along with several other trade associations, on December 16 urged the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to suspend enforcement of a… More

ERIC, ABC, Business Roundtable, and U.S. Chamber Call on Congress to Oppose PBGC Premium Increase; Argue that PBGC Deficit Product of Artificially Low Interest Rates

The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), along with the American Benefits Council, Business Roundtable, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on November 11 warned that the PBGC’s purported deficit is a “non-event on the horizon,” and called on Congress to oppose the proposal to increase PBGC premiums.… More

ERIC Urges Simplified Process in Administering and Determining Exchange Eligibility

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release:   November 1, 2011 Washington, D.C. – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC)… More

ERIC Urges Proposals to Make Benefit Summaries Relevant to Self-Insured Plans

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release:  October 21, 2011 Washington, D.C. – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today submitted… More

ERIC Urges “Super Committee” to Reject PBGC Authority to Raise Its Own Premium

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release:  September 22, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- In a letter to members of the Joint Deficit Reduction… More

ERIC to Feds: Do Not Impose Unnecessary Costs and Hassle on Employers to Fund Comparative Effectiveness Research

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: September 6, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today urged the… More

ERIC Cautions Regulators to Avoid Burdensome Claims and Appeals Requirements

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: July 25, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today submitted comments on… More

ERIC Urges IRS Not to Impose Undue Burdens on Group Health Plan W-2 Reporting Requirements

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: July 15, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) in comments submitted today… More

ERIC to Regulators:  Ensure that Shared Responsibility Provisions Do Not Unfairly Penalize Employers that Provide Affordable, Comprehensive Health Care

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: June 17, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today in separate letters… More

ERIC Urges DOL to Expand Safe Harbor for Electronic Disclosure by Employee Benefit Plans

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: June 6, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on June 3 urged the… More

ERIC Urges En Banc Review of Ruling on Alleged Fiduciary Breach Concerning Unitized Fund and Recordkeeping Fees (George v. Kraft Foods Global)

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: May 18, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on May 13 filed with the U.S.… More

ERIC to Treasury:  Reduce the Regulatory Burden

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: April 29, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today submitted comments to… More

ERIC Urges PBGC to Create Stakeholder Advisory Group; Expand Board to Include Outside Directors

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: April 19, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on April 19 submitted… More

ERIC to the Feds:  Employers Need Additional Guidance on Retiree-Only Plans

Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on April 6 urged the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services… More

ERIC to DOL: Reduce the Regulatory Burden

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: April 14, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on April 8 submitted… More

ERIC Says Lack of Clear Guidance Undermines Workplace Wellness Programs

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: March 9, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- In a letter sent yesterday to the key regulatory agencies… More

ERIC Urges Regulators to Support Policies that Encourage Workplace Wellness Programs

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: February 24, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- Gretchen Young, Senior Vice President for Health Policy at… More

ERIC Urges Agencies to Clarify that Proposed Rules Do Not Inadvertently Limit Employee Benefit Plans Use of Swap Transactions

ERIC News Release For Immediate Release: February 22, 2011 Washington, D.C. -- The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) on February 22 submitted… More

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012