I still remember that day over a decade ago, when I was opened my mail. Invoices … advertisements … a few benefit issues … and then wham! I held an official-looking letter from the Department of Labor. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner — I’d won the privilege of a health plan audit!
Despite digging up six years’ worth of documents (from mounds of storage boxes in the attic), constant communications with legal, copies and more copies, plus interviews that made me nervous, it was one of the most positive and influential moments in my career. The field auditor assigned was not only knowledgeable, but helpful, too. Yes, you read that correctly: Helpful. The auditor took the time to explain the reasoning behind regulatory requirements (such as summary plan description language), self-insured plan designs and required ERISA lingo. The audit turned out well, but more importantly I discovered a new knowledge resource I could count on.
