Paralegal

Western Growers; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 82,000 - 106,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit-sharing

Job summary

Western Growers Health in Irvine, CA seeks an experienced Paralegal to draft and manage ERISA health plan documents and related materials. You will amend, update, and track SPDs, SBCs, and wrap documents while ensuring compliance with ACA, ERISA, COBRA and HIPAA.

Active Paralegal Certification is required, with 10+ years in self-insured benefits. Strong drafting, writing, and research skills are essential for this role in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in health care administration, English, or legal studies, or equivalent concentration preferred.
• Active Paralegal Certification required.
• Ten years' experience in the self-insured health benefits industry with prior work history at a TPA, insurer or brokerage.
• Ten years' experience drafting, amending, and tracking health plan documents and SPDs.
• Certification as health benefits specialist preferred.
• Understanding ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and IRC sections 105 & 125.
• Experience with 5500 forms and MEWA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Draft customized ERISA plan documents, SPDs, SBCs, and related materials.
• Adhere to document production timelines to ensure timely delivery.
• Develop audit protocol to ensure accuracy of documentation.
• Complete continuing education credits to stay current on best practices.

Skills

Analytical skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Organizational skills

Customer service

Research abilities

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in health care administration, English, or legal studies

Paralegal Certification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Western Growers Health─ a part of Western Growers Family of Companies provides employer-sponsored health benefit plans to meet the needs of those working for the agriculture industry. The unmatched benefit options provided by Western Growers Health stem from the core mission of Western Growers Association (est. 1926) to support the business interests of employers in the agriculture industry. Our mission at Western Growers Health is to deliver value to employers by offering robust health plans that meet the needs of a diverse workforce. By working at Western Growers Health, you will join a dedicated team of employees who care about offering quality health benefits and excellent customer service to plan participants.

Compensation

Compensation: $81,624.24- $106,110.27 with a rich benefits package that includes profit-sharing.

Job Description Summary

This position reports to the Vice President of Compliance and is responsible for drafting, amending, and tracking changes to ERISA and non-ERISA health plan coverage documentation including, but not limited to, summary plan descriptions, summaries of benefits and coverage, amendments, summaries of material modification and ERISA wrap documents.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in health care administration, English, or legal studies, or equivalent concentration preferred.
• Active Paralegal Certification required.
• Ten years' experience in the self-insured health benefits industry with prior work history at a third-party administrator, sophisticated health insurance brokerage house, or insurer providing Administrative Services Only (ASO) arrangements.
• Ten years' experience drafting, amending, and tracking changes to self-insured health benefit plan documents, summary plan descriptions, and summaries of benefits and coverage.
• Certification as health benefits specialist preferred.
• Detailed understanding of laws governing self-insured health plans including: Affordable Care Act, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and applicable Internal Revenue Code Sections 105 &125.
• Understanding of cafeteria plans, section 125 flexible spending arrangements, and health savings accounts.
• Experience filing form 5500s preferred.
• Understanding of multiple employer welfare arrangements preferred.
• Expertise with Microsoft Office software programs including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Excellent analytical, writing and verbal skills.
• Outstanding organizational skills, customer service, phone and email communication and research abilities.

Duties And Responsibilities

Drafting Documents

• Draft customized comprehensive ERISA plan documents, summary plan descriptions, summary of benefits and coverage, material modifications, and ERISA wrap documents.
• Adhere to document production timelines to ensure efficiency and timely document production.
• Develop audit protocol to ensure accuracy of documentation.
• Complete continuing education credits through an approved and accredited institution or vendor to stay up to date on latest documentation technique and best practices to ensure that our organizations are using cutting edge language.

Sales Support & Internal Client Communication

• Work directly with the account management and sales team to manage and facilitate the sales process with clients by describing document production services, turn-around times, and availability of customization.
• Provide technical guidance regarding plan language and training for prospects, clients, brokers, consultants and the internal team as needed. Provide assistance when a client or team member requires assistance understanding the plan language or the underlying legal requirement giving rise to the language.
• Provide annual amendment recommendations based on changes in the laws/regulations or best practice changes in the self-insurance industry.
• Develop and implement interdepartmental guidelines as needed to improve turnaround time of requests for information from key contacts.

Record Keeping

• Maintain client order log including status of open, pending, and completed orders.
• Develop expertise with legal department document retention software in order to maintain compliance with document retention policies.
• Maintain version control of documentation including original, modifications, and amendments.
• Maintain record of plan notices, summaries of material modifications, and client communications.

Other

• Keep abreast of laws and regulations impacting employee benefits, claims procedures, and notice requirements by using our legal database subscriptions to research, analyze and understand changes in the law and/or regulations.
• Utilize all capabilities to satisfy one mission — to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of our members. Do everything possible to help members succeed by being curious and striving to understand what others are trying to achieve, planning, and executing work helpfully and collaboratively. Be willing to adjust efforts to ensure that work and attitude are helpful to others, being self-accountable, creating a positive impact, and being diligent in delivering results.
• Maintain an active Paralegal Certification.
• All other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with others. The employee frequently is required to move around the office. The employee is often required to use tools, objects, and controls. This noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.