Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Marathas is managing partner of Marathas Barrow & Weatherhead LLP, a Boston-based employee benefits, executive compensation and employment law firm that services clients across the country. Marathas is one of the most sought-after advisers on the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. He is co-author of the leading employer resource book on the subject, The New Health Care Reform Law: What Employers Need to Know (6th Edition).

Gaunya is a co-owner and the Chief Innovation Officer of Borislow Insurance.  He is an employee benefits advisor with over 25 years of experience and a pioneer in the use of Consumer-Driven Health and Wellness Plans (CDHP) to lower healthcare costs and improve health and well-being.  Mark is passionate about the power of consumerism, health and wellness to transform workplace culture and he is an expert in the Affordable Care Act.  His unique ability is in developing innovative solutions to complex challenges. \nMark enjoys working with clients who want a strategic advisor rather than just a broker. His most productive partnerships are with organizations who view health and wellness as a business strategy – and who want to engage, educate and empower their employees and their families to live healthier lifestyles and make more informed healthcare choices.\nMark co-authored Bend the Healthcare Trend – a book written about Consumer-Driven Health and Wellness Plans.  He is also the co-author of Inspire to Act – a book written about living an attitude of gratitude.  Mark has been quoted and published regionally and nationally in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Boston Business Journal, Health-Plan Inter-Study, Round the Table magazine, Insurance News Net, Employee Benefit Advisor and Employee Benefit News. He has also been a featured speaker at the National Association of Health Underwriters, Million Dollar Round Table, Top of the Table, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and Employee Benefit News as well as various industry associations around the country.\nMark is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, devoted husband to Debbie and the proud father of Grayson, Kelly and Brooke.  He is the current NAHU National Chair on Healthcare Cost and Quality Transparency, Immediate Past President of the MA Association of Health Underwriters, Member of the Million Dollar Round Table and Top of the Table and a board member of various insurance company advisory councils.

Doug Mantz is Vice President of Sales at The Farmington Company, a national provider of benefits communication and voluntary benefits services. He has over 20 years of industry experience, including on the carrier side. Doug is a published author and has spoken on a variety of industry topics. He is a graduate of Boston College with degrees in Economics and Sociology.\nDoug can be contacted at dmantz@farmingtonco.com or 1-800-621-0067, extension 6703. For more information about The Farmington Company, please visit www.farmingtonco.com. \n

Thurston is the President of HR Consulting Group, a top 25 HR\/Benefits consulting firm according to Employee Benefit News. He has spoken at more\nthan 200 conferences on HSAs, Benefits and Human Resources.Since 1981 he has been heavily involved with human resources and employee benefits. He designed and implemented some of the first 401k and Section 125 benefits plans in the United States. In 1983 he designed one of the first PC based administration systems for benefits. He was part of a task force to implement 401k and new benefits for IBM and was the national Vice President for James Benefits- the third largest consulting firm in the world. He was\nresponsible for consulting and implementation of all areas of HR\/Benefits for all 45 offices nationwide.He has helped create some of the best selling HSA\/HRA software, HRIS systems, Section 125, medical claims, Benefits Statements, Voice response, KIOSK, Call Center and now Internet self service software. He has published over 3 books, 4 videos, 20 cassette tapes, and numerous articles in national and international publications.Some of his national clients that he has done consulting to are Axa\/Equitable Life, Pan American Life, Capitol Bankers Life, Maine Fidelity Life, Capitol American Life, Florida Combined Life, CUNA Mutual, IBM, Walmart, Frito-Lay, etc..

Catherine Stowers is a member of the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group. Ms. Stowers concentrates her practice on health and welfare benefit plan issues and cafeteria plan compliance and documentation. She previously served as counsel to a third-party benefits administrator, which afforded her substantial experience with claims administration and legal compliance for self-funded and multi-employer health plans. Ms. Stowers has also worked with health plan sponsors in resolving issues related to plan design and documentation, claim appeals and disputes, and issues related to stop-loss coverage.\n\nHer practice focuses on issues facing employers, consultants and benefit administrators in the health and welfare arena, with particular emphasis in the areas of health care reform, HIPAA, COBRA, and ERISA claims, consumer driven health care plan design and compliance issues, cafeteria plan compliance and administration, and nondiscrimination testing for cafeteria and health plans. She is also the editor of the firm's Employee Benefits Alert.\n\nRepresentative Experience\n\nResponsible for advising various employers, consultants, and third-party administrators regarding the impact of the 2010 health care reform legislation on employer-sponsored health plans and health insurance programs.\nResponsible for advising a large publicly-traded employer on all aspects of ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance, and issues arising in plan administration for self-funded health plan, group insurance plan, and Section 125 flexible benefit plan\nResponsible for advising clients regarding welfare and cafeteria plan issues, including COBRA liability, plan termination, and plan continuation, arising in association with corporate mergers and acquisitions, including mergers of not-for-profit entities\nRoutinely prepare annual Form 5500 filings for welfare benefit plan sponsors, and advise plan sponsors regarding steps to take to correct missed or incomplete filings, including preparing documents for Department of Labor's Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program\nRoutinely advise benefit consultants and plan sponsors regarding cost-effective implementation of consumer-driven health care programs, including coordination of health flexible spending accounts, health reimbursement accounts, and health savings accounts in compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, and implementation of wellness programs in compliance with HIPAA's nondiscrimination provisions\nServed as general counsel to a third-party administrator of self-funded and multi-employer health plans, advising the client regarding issues related to claims payment and administration, ERISA reporting and disclosure, stop-loss policy coverage, and issues related to general corporate and employment law\nAssisted plan sponsor of multiple welfare benefit programs complete a comprehensive health and welfare compliance audit to ensure all aspects of legal compliance\n

Jewell Lim Esposito, Esq., has devoted close to two decades in ERISA and Executive Compensation solely, where she has examined hundreds of 401(k), 403(b), pension, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans for public, private, and tax-exempt companies. Such companies hire her to vet out regulatory compliance issues (both on the tax and fiduciary side). She structures settlements with the IRS and DOL to minimize the financial penalty for companies and civil\/criminal actions against plan fiduciaries. She also structures pension plan investment in proper vehicles to ensure compliance with the plan asset rules. A frequent lecturer nationally and regionally, Ms. Esposito has authored employee benefits, fiduciary, executive compensation, and payroll tax publications. She is Editor of, and frequent Author to, www.EmployeeBenefitsUnplugged.com. Ms Esposito can be reached at 571.522.6100 and jesposito@constangy.com.