Which Benefits Does ERISA Cover?

April 13, 2006

	Visited: 144
	Not rated
	Rate:

Under ERISA, a welfare plan is any plan, program, or fund that an employer maintains to provide:

medical, surgical, or hospital care
benefits for sickness, accident, disability, or death
unemployment benefits
vacation benefits
apprenticeship and training programs
day care centers
scholarship funds
prepaid legal services
holiday or severance pay
retirement plans

If you are self-employed or if you have a partnership and only you and your partner are covered under the plan, you would not be subject to ERISA because no employees would be covered under the plan. However, even though your plan does not cover any employees, it must still satisfy all the applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code in order to qualify for employee benefit tax breaks.