welcome welcome Dear Member, Welcome to ECFC.

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1 welcome Dear, Welcome to ECFC. You have joined the single organization that focuses its efforts on preserving, protecting and defending the tax advantaged programs currently available to working families through employer plan sponsors. Inside you will find an overview of our mission that champions choice in benefit solutions through advocacy and education. This is just the beginning of a robust partnership, and we will continue to provide more detailed plans, updates and action items throughout the year. Martin Trussell Executive Director mtrussell@ecfc.org Karen Raudabaugh Operations Director kraudabaugh@ecfc.org Thank you for joining and adding your voice to policy makers and regulators on benefits issues and solutions. Together, we can continue our commitment to advancing healthcare consumerism! Martin Trussell welcome ECFC STAFF William Sweetnam Legislative & Technical Director wsweetnam@ecfc.org Donna Crisalli Technical Advisor dcrisalli@ecfc.org Executive Director

the board Mr. William C. Short AmeriFlex Chair Ms.

Vice-Chair Government Relations & Interpretations

Reed Erickson SelectAccount Treasurer Finance &

Compensation [ECFC] Staff Coordinator Executive

, CFCI Alston & Bird LLP Government Relations &

Advisory Group Chair Mr. Jason R. Ainge Esq.

Davis Esq. Anderson, Helgen, Davis & Cefalu Ms.

Robert Natt Alegeus Technologies Mr. John J.

2 the board Mr. William C. Short AmeriFlex Chair Ms. Jody L. Dietel ACFCI, CAS WageWorks, Inc. Vice-Chair Government Relations & Interpretations Committee Co-Chair Mr. Reed Erickson SelectAccount Treasurer Finance & Audit Committee Chair Ms. Karen F. Frost CEBS Aon Hewitt, Secretary Mr. Dennis Triplett UMB Healthcare Services Immediate Past Chair Ms. Suzanne Rehr CFCI Discovery Benefits, Inc. Director-at-Large Mr. Martin Trussell Employers Council on Flexible Compensation [ECFC] Staff Coordinator Executive Director Mr. John R. Hickman Esq., CFCI Alston & Bird LLP Government Relations & Interpretations Committee Co-Chair Technical Advisory Group Chair Mr. Jason R. Ainge Esq. CFC TRI-AD Actuaries ship Committee Chair Mr. Christopher M. Byrd WEX Health Ms. Joan Christensen First Data Corporation Ms. Cindy L. Davis Esq. Anderson, Helgen, Davis & Cefalu Ms. Kimberly A Kaczmarek CFCI MasterCard Worldwide Ms Gayle McCann North Risk Partners Mr. Jeremy Miller FSAstore.com Mr. Robert Natt Alegeus Technologies Mr. John J. Robbins Jr. DataPath, Inc. Mr. Mark J Schmersahl FCS BeneFLEX HR Resources, Inc. Mr. Charles Zelazny CFCI Taxsaver Plan the board ECFC celebrates 35 years empowering employees to take control of their healthcare dollars and helping employers to provides benefits programs to advance healthcare consumerism.

3 members members

in the news The Employers Council on Flexible Compensation is calling for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act s 40% excise tax and, at the very least, working for a fix to the loophole that

Employee Benefit Advisor Health savings accounts and flexible savings accounts should also be viewed as voluntary benefits, says Martin Trussell, executive director at ECF

Such plans offer significant tax savings when dollars are set aside for future medical care, he says.

4 in the news The Employers Council on Flexible Compensation is calling for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act s 40% excise tax and, at the very least, working for a fix to the loophole that includes individual contributions to HSAs and FSAs from the tax s calculation. Employee Benefit Advisor Health savings accounts and flexible savings accounts should also be viewed as voluntary benefits, says Martin Trussell, executive director at ECFC, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit for the education and advocacy of account-based health plans. Such plans offer significant tax savings when dollars are set aside for future medical care, he says. Benefits Pro Health care consumerism has flourished over the last decade, but its continued success depends heavily on providing American workers with the ability to set aside funds to account based health plans and not worry that these accounts might be subjected to taxations. Let s not throw away out progress. Martin Trussell, THE CADILLAC TAX: HOW IT S THREATENING HEALTH CARE CONSUMERISM IHC in the news Employers were concerned that if they opted to provide the carryover, they might have to maintain small account balances over long periods of time, and that would raise their administrative fees, added Bill Sweetnam, legislative and technical director at the Washington, D.C.-based Employers Council on Flexible Compensation, which represents employers that sponsor tax-advantaged benefit programs. SHRM

5 advancing advocacy ECFC respectfully requests Congress to consider the recommendations below during the remainder of the 114th Congress. Repeal the Excise Tax/Cadillac Tax and Remove Individual Contributions to Health Accounts from the Tax s Calculation. Preserve the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored accident or health insurance. Allow small employers to provide pre-tax reimbursement of individual medical policies. Promote more efficient use of prescribed healthcare by modifying the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement to obtain a prescription in order to receive reimbursement for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines through an FSA, HSA, or HRA. Increase dependent care FSA contribution amounts and apply an inflation adjuster. Increase the amount of compensation that can be disregarded when conducting the average benefits test for a dependent care FSA. advancing advocacy September 16, 2016 Anti-Cadillac Tax fly-in on the Hill today. The effort's backed by the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation, with members hitting over 35 House and Senate offices and urging lawmakers to protect FSAs and HSAs from the Cadillac Tax. Since 1981, the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC) has worked on behalf of its 115 member companies to promote and protect the availability of benefit choices for working Americans through accountbased benefit plans. ECFC believes that additional steps can and should be taken to safeguard employee s benefits and further enhance their value.

6 events calendar Teleconference Series Dates All Conferences are 1-2 p.m. ET The monthly series of ECFC teleconferences provide a unique and valuable opportunity for association members to receive in-depth briefings on important and timely topics by experts from ECFC s Technical Advisory Committee and key decision-makers in government. ECFC s top experts work through difficult and delicate topics in one-hour sessions. Topics are appropriate to the month and many will elaborate and further discuss ECFC FLEX Reporter articles and answer questions. The sessions are designed to pass on up-to-the minute information as well as technical expertise.* Legislative Update Call Schedule Stay informed about policy changes and understand the latest technical and regulatory developments and how they affect your business by participating in the ECFC Legislative & Regulatory Updates. ECFC Webinar Series April - July ECFC offers online study courses for the Flexible Compensation Specialist (FCS), the Certified in Flexible Compensation (CFC), the COBRA Administration Specialist (CAS), and our newest study course, the Advanced Certified in Flexible Compensation (ACFC) designations. Each study course is designed as teach to the test to help candidates prepare for the FCS, CFC, CAS and/or the ACFC exams.* Annual Conference The 36th Annual Conference and Capitol Hill visits will happen March 8-10 in Washington, DC. The conference will take place at the Hyatt Capitol Hill and will feature congressional speakers, in-depth briefings by the ECFC lobbying team, inside the beltway keynote speakers, regulatory agency and technical panels, scheduled meetings on Capitol Hill with congressional members and staffers, and more. To learn more visit: Administrators Symposium The 30th Administrators' Symposium: Advancing Healthcare Consumerism is scheduled for August 2-4 and will take place at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. The Administrators Symposium is THE premier networking and professional development event for employers, plan sponsors, third party administrators and other service providers involved in advancing healthcare consumerism. This Symposium is your annual opportunity for practical advice, technical education, and Congressional and regulatory updates from industry leaders. Please make you plans now to attend both of these exciting events and be watching for more details on how to register and about sponsorship opportunities. Events Calendar March th Annual Conference and Capitol Hill Washington, DC ECFC WEBINAR SERIES ECFC WEBINAR SERIES ECFC WEBINAR SERIES events calendar 01 JAN ECFC WEBINAR SERIES 02 FEB 03 MAR 04 APR 05 MAY 06 JUN August th Administrators' Symposium: Advancing Healthcare Consumerism Kansas City, MO 07 JUL 08 AUG 09 SEP 10 OCT 11 NOV 12 DEC * Additional fees may apply for teleconference series participation.

7 FCI Flexible Compensation Institute certifications Professional Certification Programs The ECFC, now offers six levels of certification. All certifications are administered by the Flexible Compensation Institute, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ECFC. FCS The Flexible Compensation Specialist (FCS) designation: The FCS designation serves as a stepping stone for new professionals. The FCS exam covers flexible spending accounts, claims management and payment cards, and consumer driven healthcare (HRAs and HSAs). CFC The Certified in Flexible Compensation (CFC) designation: Designed for professionals who are involved in all aspects of the flexible compensation field. The Certified in Flexible Compensation designation requires an understanding of the eight main topics within flexible compensation.* CAS The COBRA Administration Specialist (CAS) designation: The COBRA Administration Specialist designation is the first specialty designation offered by the FCI, LLC, and deals specifically with the challenges of administering COBRA and its myriad rules and regulations. This designation is designed for professionals who frequently engage in COBRA administration and desire to denote their expertise in the topic. ACFC Advanced Certification in Flexible Compensation (ACFC): Designed for professionals involved in all aspects of the flexible compensation field who have mastered the advanced technical areas of the industry. ACFC Advanced Certification in Flexible Compensation certifications CFCI ACFCI Certified Flexible Compensation Instructor (CFCI) designation: In addition, for those professionals committed to training future leaders in the field of flexible compensation, the ECFC offers an upgrade from the CFC designation to Certified Flexible Compensation Instructor (CFCI). Courses led by those certified as CFCIs will be recognized as eligible to provide continuing education units to both the instructor and attendees. Advanced Certification in Flexible Compensation Instruction(ACFCI) designation: The field of the Advanced Certification in Flexible Compensation Instruction (ACFCI) designations are for those who are committed to training future leaders through courses that provide continuing education. ACFCI *Visit for the latest information, requirements, and registration. Certification in Flexible Compensation Instructor Advanced Certification in Flexible Compensation Instructor

checklist ECFC Checklist: Click Each Icon to Take Action!

8 checklist ECFC Checklist: Click Each Icon to Take Action! Join ECFC Add our logo to your site and/or signature. Join our group on LinkedIn. Go to My profile and enroll staff.* Get involved, join a committee to get to know ECFC. Sign up for our monthly teleconference.** checklist BONUS Say hi on Twitter and we ll follow you back! Download ECFC Annual Conference mobile app. * Industry members only. ** Additional fees may apply.

Founder and CEO FSAstore.com HSAstore.com 240 W. 37 th St, 6 th Floor, New York, NY e. d c.

Jeremy Miller Founder and CEO FSAstore.com HSAstore.com 240 W. 37 th St, 6 th Floor, New York, NY 10018 e. jeremym@fsastore.com d. 646-795-6910 c. 917-921-9931 Fellow ECFC Members, I am writing to express