FIRED: What Happens When Your Cafeteria Plan Fails — and Who Gets Blamed

Description:

• A failed Section 125 or 105(h) test doesn’t just create a tax problem — it creates a paper trail, and someone has to explain to leadership how pre-tax elections became taxable income for your highly compensated employees after the plan year already closed. KC Rippstein, BSI’s Lead Compliance Consultant, unpacks how these tests actually work, the plan design choices that most often trigger a failure, and the corrective options still on the table if you catch the problem early. Kevin Newby, Account Director, joins to lead live Q&A, drawing on his experience helping clients navigate these situations in real time.

Walk Away With:

• A working understanding of how Section 125 and 105(h) nondiscrimination tests actually work — and why they fail
• The plan design choices most likely to trigger a failed test
• The corrective options still available if you catch a failure early — before the plan year closes

This is session 3 of 3 in our renewal season series, “Fined. Sued. Fired. The 2027 BSI Compliance Playbook Series.

Speakers:

KC Rippstein, Lead Compliance Consultant, BSI Corporate Benefits

• KC has over 20 years of experience in employee benefits, with 15 of those years focused on building a dedicated compliance practice for a large national brokerage. In this role, his leadership was central to scaling brokerage operations during periods of massive regulatory change. His knowledge of health and welfare compliance is among the best in the nation – but his greatest skillset is a knack for making difficult topics easy to understand and apply. He is a licensed life and health professional with CEBS, GBA, RHU, REBC, and ChHC designations and HIPAA, Self-Funded, Single Payer and PPACA professional certifications.

Kevin Newby, Account Director, BSI Corporate Benefits

• As an account director, Kevin oversees the strategic management and delivery of employee benefit programs for assigned clients at BSI. His role involves ensuring exceptional service, client satisfaction, and the achievement of specific goals and objectives. Leading a team that includes an account manager and client service coordinator, Kevin provides strategic guidance and nurtures strong client relationships. As the primary point of contact, he acts as a trusted advisor to clients, offering expertise on benefit strategies, compliance, and industry trends. Proactively engaging with clients to understand their needs, challenges, and goals related to employee benefits, Kevin meets with clients quarterly to develop and implement strategic plans for client benefit programs. This alignment with client objectives, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements is crucial for success. Kevin brings over ten years of industry experience, having previously worked for Independence Blue Cross and United Healthcare. His expertise allows him to provide expert guidance and consultation to clients on benefit plan design, funding strategies, compliance issues, and cost management solutions. By offering insights into industry trends, benchmarking data, and emerging best practices, Kevin helps clients make informed decisions to ensure that their benefit programs remain competitive, cost-effective, and aligned with their needs and budgetary constraints.