Title: ERISA and plan documents for Employers
Source: https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/erisa
Publisher: Ethos Benefits
Summary: How ERISA applies to your health and welfare plans: plan documents, SPDs, wrap documents, bonding, Form 5500 and audits, explained for employers.

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# ERISA and plan documents. What the law asks of your plan.

How ERISA applies to your health and welfare plans: plan documents, SPDs, wrap documents, bonding, Form 5500 and audits, explained for employers.

Start with the main guide

## [Who is subject to ERISA?](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/who-is-subject-to-erisa)

ERISA applies to almost every health and welfare plan sponsored by a private-sector employer or union, whatever the company's size and whether the plan is insured or self-funded. Government plans, most church plans, plans kept only to comply with workers' compensation, unemployment or disability laws, plans abroad for nonresident aliens, and unfunded excess benefit plans are exempt.

[Read the guide](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/who-is-subject-to-erisa)

In this guide

1.  Who Is Subject to ERISA for Health and Welfare Plans?
2.  What Is ERISA, and How Does It Apply to Health Plans?
3.  What Is the Purpose of ERISA for Health and Welfare Plans?
4.  Which Employers and Plans Does ERISA Cover?
5.  Who Is Exempt from ERISA Health and Welfare Plan Requirements?
6.  What Are the Most Common ERISA Compliance Challenges?
7.  How Do You Stay Compliant If You’re Subject to ERISA?

## Guides 8

-   [**ERISA bond cost** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/erisa-bond-cost)
-   [**ERISA bond requirements** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/erisa-bond)
-   [**ERISA vs. non-ERISA** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/erisa-vs-non-erisa)
-   [**ERISA wrap documents** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/erisa-wrap-document)
-   [**The employee benefit plan audit** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/employee-benefit-plan-audit)
-   [**The ERISA compliance checklist** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/erisa-compliance-checklist)
-   [**The Form 5500 deadline and extension** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/form-5500-deadline)
-   [**The summary plan description** ERISA and plan documents _Guide_](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/summary-plan-description)

[How Ethos Benefits helps **ERISA compliance**](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/erisa-compliance) [See it in practice **How the Fiduciary Framework™ works**](https://ethosbenefits.com/fiduciary-framework)

Other topics [ACA reporting](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/aca-reporting) [Compliance rules and deadlines](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/compliance) [Plan financing](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/plan-financing) [Stop-loss insurance](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/stop-loss) [Pharmacy and PBMs](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/pharmacy) [Fiduciary duty and advisor pay](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/fiduciary-duty) [Benefits strategy and administration](https://ethosbenefits.com/topics/benefits-strategy) [A to Z glossary](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/glossary)

## See what your plan is really costing you.

A Strategic Analysis starts with your plan documents and your broker agreement, then shows you what your plan costs, where the risk sits, and what a committee would decide with the full picture.

[Request a Strategic Analysis](https://ethosbenefits.com/strategic-analysis) [Call (407) 803-4710](tel:+14078034710)