What Does ERISA Cover?
Knowing what ERISA covers is important for protecting your rights and knowing when you can take steps to defend your rights to employee benefits. ERISA is designed to help employees receive minimal equal coverage for various things like retirement and welfare benefits. When your ERISA benefits are undermined by your employer, you could be left without sufficient coverage. Be sure to talk to a Delaware disability benefits attorney if you feel like you have been wrongfully denied work benefits under ERISA.
WHAT ERISA COVERS
ERISA coverage includes a variety of employee benefits, but it is important to know the limitations as well. For example, ERISA only applies for non-government and private-industry employers that already provide work benefits like health insurance to their employees. This means that employers who do not offer any work benefits are not required to comply with ERISA laws. This is because ERISA only aims to maintain minimum work benefits for those who 
offer work benefits.
To be specific, some examples of what ERISA covers are:
- Health insurance benefits
- Welfare benefit plans
- Life insurance plans
- Disability insurance benefits
- Retirement and pension plans
- Apprenticeship plans
ERISA only applies to the insurance plans and benefits listed that are provided directly by your employer, but ERISA does not apply to private insurance plans and benefits that you have purchased on your own. This is important to know when you are trying to determine whether your employer can be sued for wrongfully denying you benefits. If you ever have any questions about ERISA laws, then be sure to reach out to a disability benefits lawyer.
A lawyer will be able to walk you through the various laws and rights you have as an employer in addition to what your legal limitations are. If you and your lawyer do happen to discover an instance where you were cheated out of your rights under ERISA, then your lawyer can help you take the steps necessary to sue.
WHAT IF MY ERISA BENEFITS ARE DENIED?
ERISA is legally enforced by the Treasury Department’s Internal Revenue Service, the Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. If you were wrongfully denied ERISA benefits, then you have the option to file a complaint and sue. Seeking lawyer help in this situation can often be helpful due to the unique complexity of civil lawsuits with ERISA.
You may only be able to sue when your fiduciary mismanaged your plans, and this directly resulted in a loss of benefits on your part. Other instances where you can file a civil lawsuit are complicated and depend on many additional factors.
DISABILITY INSURANCE BENEFITS LAWYER IN DELAWARE
When you have been denied the ERISA benefits you need, consider seeking guidance from an experienced Disability benefits lawyer in Delaware to obtain the benefits you need. You can call Edelstein Martin & Nelson at (302) 295-5050 for a free consultation today. Our legal team of ERISA lawyers is located in Wilmington, Delaware and is prepared to investigate your situation to defend your rights.