Program Details

9:45-10:00 am—Registration and Check-in at Brea Civic and Cultural Center, Second Floor

10:00-12:00 noon— Health Plan Cost Containment—David Franklin, EBA&M, Anne Kelly, Patrick & Patrick Insurance Services, Dorothy Cociu, Advanced Benefit Consulting, Don Anderson, OrionRx.  We will discuss the latest and best health plan cost containment ideas for fully insured, level funded and self-funded health plans, including but not limited to fully insured discussions on High Deductible Health Plans with HRA Wraps, HSAs, ICHRAs, carrier current strategies in cost containment and carrier Pharmacy Benefit Cost Containment; Level Funding; Self-Funding Key Savings Features; How to Manage Pharmacy Benefit Costs in Self-Funded Plans, with a look at GLP1 drug and Specialty Drug costs. “This has been approved for 2 HR (General) Recertification Credit Hours toward aPHR®, aPHRi®, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi®, and SPHRi® recertification through HRCI.” 

12:00-12:45 pm Lunch

12:45-2:15– ERISA DOL Cybersecurity Requirements & Tools To Help You Comply –Dorothy Cociu, Advanced Benefit Consulting, Carl Grifka, AlphaSecure, LLP. We will discuss the ERISA fiduciary requirements within the US Department of Labor’s Cybersecurity Guidance, how to comply with targeted tools, including our Cybersecurity Program Guide Workshop Walk-Through, and will review the anticipated HIPAA Security Final Rules.  “This Program has been approved for 1.25 HR (General) Recertification Credit Hours toward aPHR®, aPHRi®, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi®, and SPHRi® recertification through HRCI.” 

2:15-2:30 Attendee Q& A

2:30 pm—Program Concludes

Speaker Biographies can be found on our website on the event page for this program.   

Speaker Bios

Dorothy Cociu

Dorothy Cociu RHU, REBC, GBA, RPA, is the President of Advanced Benefit Consulting and has 35+ years of experience in the operations, sales and administration of employee benefit programs and compliance related to health plan administration, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA and other laws, such as ACA, FFCRA, CARES Act, and Transparency in Coverage Rules (2020), Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA), and One Big Beautiful Act.  Dorothy began her administrative experience began in the Taft-Hartley marketplace, then moved to self-funded administration after three years. She spent nearly a decade in the TPA business, primarily for Taft Hartley then self-funded administration.  She began as an auditor, where she was trained on all audit procedures, which are consistent with current government audits.  She then moved to a health insurance General Agency, and later, developed Advanced Benefit Consulting, where she is the President and primary consultant for plan sponsor clients on employee benefits and benefit compliance.

Anne T. Kelly

Anne T. Kelly is President of Kelly & Kelly Insurance Services/Patrick & Patrick Insurance Services. Her formal education as a Cost Accountant gives her a distinctive framework for interpreting the financial and compliance implications of employee benefits, including the Affordable Care Act’s Employer Shared Responsibility rules. She has more than 25 years of experience in the sales and administration of employee benefit programs, with particular expertise in eligibility, employer reporting and ACA compliance.

Anne is a frequent speaker and educator for CAHIP and ADOMA, presenting on topics including Healthcare Affordability and the forces driving medical premiums; the Affordable Care Act and employer reporting requirements; tax write-offs and the tax treatment of benefits through payroll versus individual tax returns; and California Pay Transparency requirements. She is also an approved California Department of Insurance instructor on Disability Insurance and Section 125 plans, as well as Healthcare Cost crisis and has spoken to insurance-industry and employer groups throughout California.

David Franklin

David Franklin is a California-based Executive Sales Consultant and Senior Account Manager at EBA&M, a boutique third-party administrator known for creative, compliant benefit strategies. With over 15 years in the employee benefits industry and more than a decade at EBA&M, he partners with brokers and employers to design efficient health plan solutions, specializing in HRA strategies, Individual Coverage HRAs, and level-funded arrangements. David is known for identifying inefficiencies in traditional plan design and helping employers get more value from their benefit dollars without adding complexity.

Don Anderson

Don is the VP of Pharmacy at OrionRx, and has nearly 20 years of experience in pharmacy benefit management and medication-focused patient outcomes. He spends much of his time working on population health management and strategic initiatives that improve member health across a broad spectrum of diseases.

Don has developed numerous in-house pharmacy programs and customized network solutions that have delivered proven savings. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2002 from the University of the Pacific, where he continues to serve as a preceptor and mentor for graduate students and residents.

Carl Grifka

Carl is a Principal at Newport Consulting LLC and Alpha Secure LLP, and is a dynamic finance and IT thought leader with experience within public accounting, a global cinema technology leader, and a global Fortune 100 company. Carl leverages his deep IT and business process background in his role as a technology and process risk adviser to CFO’s, CIO’s, CISOs and CEO’s of SEC filers and private businesses. Carl maintains his CISSP, CISA, CISM, PMP, CDPSE, and lean six sigma green belt certifications.

Carl and his team guide clients through complex systems initiatives leveraging their vast business and technology experience to govern, deploy, and manage these initiatives. Carl also advises members of management, boards and executives regarding SOX (business and IT), IT planning and IT assurance, cybersecurity, SOC, and organizational change management. Carl serves on the Board of ISACA LA and maintains a solid understanding of new and emerging topics impacting the profession.

What It Means to Be an ERISA Plan Fiduciary: The Responsibilities, and Potential Liability

Webinar Tuesday, September 22, 2026
10 am – 11:45 am
Offering 1.5 Hours of HRCI General Credit

Presenters: Marilyn A. Monahan, Monahan Law Office & Dorothy Cociu, Advanced Benefit Consulting

Under ERISA, those who manage employee benefit plans are fiduciaries. Understanding what it means to be a fiduciary, and what responsibilities a fiduciary has to plan participants, is a critical part of plan administration. This program will provide an overview of who qualifies as a fiduciary, what it means to be a fiduciary, and what actions fiduciaries should (and cannot) take. We will also cover the recent legislative and regulatory actions regarding fiduciaries, as well as potential liability of fiduciaries for actions they take. A discussion of tips, best practices, and resources will be included. In addition, we will discuss the US Department of Labor cybersecurity requirements for fiduciaries, and the CAA 2021 and CAA 2026 disclosure requirements and potential liability for insurance brokers, TPAs, and PBMs.

This program has been pre-approved for 1.5 Hours of HRCI General Credit
Toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™
recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).
The use of this official seal confirms that this activity has met HRCI
Certification Institute’s (HRCI®) criteria for re-certification credit pre-approval.

ABC Group Clients and Broker Co-Op Members No Charge. All Others $35.

What Employers Need to Know About Long Term Care and The Gaps in Medicare and Medicaid;
Is Group or Voluntary Coverage an Affordable Option?

Zoom Webinar Tuesday, July 21, 2026
10 am – 11:15 am
Guest Presenter: Stan Israel, Long-Term Care Expert
Moderated By Dorothy Cociu

Human Resources is often tasked with finding solutions to healthcare concerns of their elderly employees and their dependents, and at times, a large portion of those employees are key employees; owners, officers, C-Suite members and others. Many employers think that if their employees enroll in Medicare, all of their long-term care needs will be met. That simply isn’t true. This webinar dives into the costs and the need for long-term care with an aging population, and how employers can look into long-term care group and voluntary coverages to support that aging population, while providing very needed education in these benefits for everyone.

This program has been pre-approved for 1 Hour of HRCI General Credit
Toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™
recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).
The use of this official seal confirms that this activity has met HRCI
Certification Institute’s (HRCI®) criteria for re-certification credit pre-approval.

ABC Group Clients and Broker Co-Op Members No Charge. All Others $29.

California Privacy Training, including new AI Legislation & regulations

(part 2 of a 3-part series)

June 10, 2026, 10 am – 11:15 am
Zoom Webinar

Register for REMOTE / ZOOM attendance $30 each.

ABC Group Benefits Clients & ABC Broker Co-Op Members Complimentary
(subject to verification)

An In-Depth Overview of HIPAA Privacy & Security Laws

(part 1 of a 3-part series)
Tuesday April 21, 2026
9am – 12:15pm
Zoom Webinar

Electronic Security, HITECH, Cybersecurity, AI Security

(part 3 of a 3-part series)

March 25, 2026, 10 am – 12 pm
Zoom Webinar

This course is good for 2 hours of HRCI General Credit

This program has been pre-approved for 2 Hours HRCI General Credit toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).

CA Agent CE Also Available: 2 Hours L&H or 2 Hours P&C

Register for REMOTE / ZOOM attendance $49 each.

ABC Group Benefits Clients & ABC Broker Co-Op Members Complimentary
(subject to verification)

Zoom Webinar, Wednesday, February 4, 2026 10 am – 12:15 pm

Zoom Webinar, Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10 am – 12:15 pm

​Featuring Marilyn Monahan, Monahan Law Office

The course will cover

• A roundup of new federal developments impacting employee benefits, including status updates on new developments from the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services relating to the design and implementation of health and welfare plans, including (as applicable) updates on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), and related federal benefit laws and regulations
• Upcoming deadlines
• An update on ACA compliance, including section 4980H and the IRS Forms 1094/1095
• A summary of the bills recently passed by the California legislature which will impact benefits and the workplace

This program has been pre-approved for 2 Hours of HRCI General Credit toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)

ABC Clients and Broker Co-Op Members No Charge. All others $49.

Register Now!

Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 10 am to 12:15 pm
Featuring Dorothy Cociu and Marilyn Monahan

Clients and Broker Co-Op Members No Charge.  All others $49.

Offering 2 Hours of HRCI General Credit  + Agent CE credit has also applied for

We will cover the health benefits and HR provisions of the OBBBB Act, including:

• Changes impacting HSA eligibility, including first dollar telehealth coverage, bronze and catastrophic compatible plans, and reimbursements for Direct Primary Care
• Changes to Medicaid/MediCal and ACA Marketplace changes related to PTCs
• Increase to Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts contribution limits, and an expansion of benefits available under educational assistance programs
• Administrative and legal requirements surrounding these benefit changes
• No tax on tips and no tax on overtime provisions
• Exclusion for employer-provided meals and other employment-related provisions
• New Trump Accounts and Employer-allowed contributions to them
• No interest on car loans
• Continuation of employer tax credits for paid family and medical leave
• Important deductions for seniors.
• Update on other essential developments at the federal and state level affecting employee benefit plans.

Speaker Mini-Bios

Marilyn Monahan, Esq, Monahan Law Office

Marilyn A. Monahan is the owner of the Monahan Law Office in San Marcos.  Marilyn focuses her law practice on advising employers and consultants on compliance with employee benefit and insurance laws, including ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, and COBRA.  Her volunteer activities include serving as Secretary of the Employee Benefit Planning Association (EBPA).  Marilyn has also served on the Board of Directors of the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) (2008-2018).  She has represented Advanced Benefit Consulting since its inception in 1995.

Dorothy M. Cociu, RHU, REBC, GBA, RPA, President, Advanced Benefit Consulting

Dorothy Cociu is the President of Advanced Benefit Consulting & Insurance Services, Inc..  She is a leading compliance consultant in the areas of ERISA, HIPAA Privacy & Security, The Affordable Care Act, CAA, Transparency in Coverage and other federal laws and regulations.  She is a published author, with a compliance manual (The ABC’s of HIPAA Compliance, published 2000, with updates), and over 95 articles published on the topics above, plus self-funding, cost containment, reference based pricing, and other employee benefits and compliance topics.  Her firm specializes in large group employee benefits programs and benefits compliance.

This program has been pre-approved for 2 hours of HRCI General Credit  toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).

For Questions or Seminar Reservations, Please Call  (714) 693-9754 x 2, or Toll-Free at (866)  658-3835.

Register Below for this Important and Timely Webinar!