Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION A, LINE 2 | BECAUSE THE PLAN IS JOINTLY OPERATED AND ADMINISTERED BY THE NBPA AND THE NBA, (I) GARY ARRICK IS IN A "BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP" WITH EACH OF RON KLEMPNER AND PURVIS SHORT BY VIRTUE OF RON KLEMPNER AND PURVIS SHORT EACH BEING EMPLOYED BY THE NBPA, OF WHICH GARY ARRICK IS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND (II) THE NBA TRUSTEES ARE IN A "BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP" WITH EACH OTHER BY VIRTUE OF ALL BEING OFFICERS OF THE NBA. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION A, LINE 5 | THE DIVERSION IN QUESTION WAS THE USE BY FIVE PLAN PARTICIPANTS OF HEALTH REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT ("HRA") ASSETS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIATION ADEQUATE TO VERIFY THAT THE FUNDS WERE PROPERLY SOUGHT AND DISBURSED. IN OR ABOUT MAY 2019, THE PLAN'S THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATOR IDENTIFIED CERTAIN IRREGULARITIES IN CONNECTION WITH SEVERAL PARTICIPANT CLAIM SUBMISSIONS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FROM THEIR HRAS, SOME OF WHICH HAD BEEN PAID AND OTHERS FOR WHICH PAYMENT WAS PENDING. TO EXAMINE MORE CLOSELY THE IRREGULARITIES DESCRIBED ABOVE, AND TO ENSURE FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR OBLIGATIONS, THE TRUSTEES PROMPTLY RETAINED TWO INDEPENDENT AND HIGHLY-QUALIFIED NATIONAL LAW FIRMS TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE IRREGULAR CLAIMS AND OTHER CURRENT AND HISTORICAL CLAIMS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CASES OF DISBURSEMENT OF HRA FUNDS OTHER THAN FOR ELIGIBLE EXPENSES. THE REVIEW IDENTIFIED REIMBURSEMENT PAYMENTS MADE IN CONNECTION WITH CLAIMS SUBMITTED BY THE FIVE PLAN PARTICIPANTS REFERENCED ABOVE FOR SERVICES THAT COULD NOT BE VERIFIED AS HAVING ACTUALLY BEEN RECEIVED BY THE PARTICIPANTS. THE AMOUNT OF THE PAYMENTS MADE FOR THESE UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS IS $1,327,677 IN THE AGGREGATE. A PAYMENT TO A SIXTH PARTICIPANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $37,790 WAS IDENTIFIED DURING THE NEXT TAX YEAR. THE TRUSTEES TOOK IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE AND PREVENTATIVE STEPS. THE PLAN FOLLOWED IRS CORRECTION PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO THE IMPERMISSIBLE PAYMENTS, INCLUDING SEEKING RECOUPMENT FROM THE SIX PLAN PARTICIPANTS FOR PAID AMOUNTS TO WHICH THEY WERE NOT ENTITLED, FREEZING THE HRAS OF THE PARTICIPANTS UNTIL SUCH AMOUNTS ARE RECOUPED, AND TREATING AND REPORTING THE AMOUNTS AS TAXABLE DISTRIBUTIONS TO THE EXTENT THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE NOT REPAID OR ARE NOT IN THE PROCESS OF REPAYING SUCH AMOUNTS. TO DATE, THE TRUSTEES HAVE SUCCEEDED IN RECOUPING $387,865 ($350,075 OF WHICH IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE 2018-19 TAX YEAR) AND CONTINUE TO TAKE ACTIONS TO RECOUP THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE. THE TRUSTEES ALSO IMPLEMENTED ADDITIONAL DETECTION PROCEDURES AND MORE STRINGENT SUBSTANTIATION REQUIREMENTS AND TOOK OTHER ACTIONS TO FORTIFY THE PLAN'S EXISTING INTERNAL CONTROLS. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION A, LINE 7A | THE NBA HAS THE RIGHT TO APPOINT AND REMOVE THREE NBA TRUSTEES, AND THE NBPA HAS THE RIGHT TO APPOINT AND REMOVE THREE NBPA TRUSTEES, EACH PURSUANT TO THE TRUST AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING THE PLAN. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B | THE FORM 990 IS REVIEWED AND COMMENTED ON BY PLAN COUNSEL AND THE TRUSTEES. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C | EACH TRUSTEE ANNUALLY SIGNS A STATEMENT THAT AFFIRMS SUCH PERSON'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUND'S CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY; THIS CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY WAS PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO BY THE TRUSTEES. PRIOR TO THE SIGNING OF THE MOST RECENT STATEMENT, PLAN COUNSEL ADVISED THE TRUSTEES THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OR POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THAT INVOLVE THE TRUSTEES. THE TRUSTEES ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY CONFLICT OR POSSIBLE CONFLICT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY, AND ARE OTHERWISE PRECLUDED FROM ACTING AS A TRUSTEE WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER THAT WOULD POSE A CONFLICT OR POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY. TO ENSURE THE FUND OPERATES IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH ITS TAX EXEMPT STATUS AND DOES NOT ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES THAT COULD JEOPARDIZE ITS TAX EXEMPT STATUS, PERIODIC REVIEWS ARE CONDUCTED. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 | NO DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. |
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