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January 24, 2012 Get Retirement News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

Employee Benefits Jobs

Benefits Analyst
for Chugach Alaska Corporation in VA

Health and Welfare Benefits Specialist
for Swerdlin & Company in GA

Sr. Compensation Manager / HR Business Partner
for Financial Engines, Inc. in MA

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Webcasts and Conferences

"Earned Income: Computing Compensation for the Self-Employed" Web Seminar - Still time to register
Nationwide on January 31, 2012 presented by SunGard Relius

Defined Benefit Plan Basics Webcast
Nationwide on February 6, 2012 presented by American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA)

Distribution Basics Webcast
Nationwide on February 27, 2012 presented by American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA)

Medical Loss Ratios: Final Regulations and Repercussions for the Health Insurance Marketplace Webcast
Nationwide on February 8, 2012 presented by Society of Actuaries

Plan Qualification and Document Language Basics Webcast
Nationwide on February 13, 2012 presented by American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA)


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[Guidance Overview]
Internal Claims, Appeals and External Review: a Refresher for 2012
"The new year brings new claims and appeals obligations for non-grandfathered group health plan sponsors, as the enforcement grace periods established over the past two years begin to expire. Let's start 2012 with a refresher on what's new and what's ahead." (Beyond Health Care Reform Blog)


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[Guidance Overview]
ERRP Reminder: March 30 Deadline for Submission of Full-Replacement Claim List
"Last month the CMS announced that the ERRP would be closed for claims incurred after December 31, 2011, due to the projected exhaustion of funds." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com)

[Guidance Overview]
HHS Extension of Compliance Date for Contraceptives Coverage for Certain Nonprofit Employers
"The delayed implementation rule does not expand the scope of religious employers who are exempt from the requirement to cover contraceptives under earlier guidance." (Practical Law Company)

U.S. Consumers Tell Insurers to Cover Experimental Drugs
"62% of Americans 'oppose decisions by the government or health insurance plans' to deny care if those entities determine that the benefits of that care do not justify its costs." (Reuters via Employee Benefit News)

High Court Rejects Request for Debate Over Elena Kagan's Recusal from Health Law Review
"The justices, who are scheduled to hear more than five hours of arguments challenging the health law, turned down the request without comment. Kagan did not participate in the decision." (Kaiser Health News)


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Health Care Reform: Small Health Insurance Companies Feel Squeezed By New Law
"Critics say the administration's stepped-up reviews and heightened scrutiny are more about showcasing the value of the new health law in the run-up to the 2012 elections, a charge the Department of Health and Human Services denies." (Chicagotribune.com)

Child Care Subsidies, Maternal Well-Being, and Child-Parent Interactions
"[The] findings suggest that work-based public policies aimed at economically disadvantaged mothers may ultimately undermine family well-being." (National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve fulltext)

Self-Insured Group Health Plans: Stop-Loss Insurance and Adverse Selection (PDF)
Published October 4, 2011. "In the course of considering changes to its Stop-Loss Model Act, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has received formal comments containing substantive inaccuracies regarding self-insured group health plans, stop-loss insurance, and how smaller self-insured group health plans may contribute to adverse selection in the health insurance marketplace. Similar comments have been made by federal regulators responsible for implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This White Paper identifies and corrects several inaccurate comments in order to assist policy-makers at both the state and federal level to properly assess legislative/regulatory proposals related to self-insured group health plans." (Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc.)

Numerous 'Friend of the Court' Briefs Filed in Support of PPACA's Individual Mandate
"On the central issue of whether the individual mandate / minimum coverage requirements of the PPACA are valid, over two dozen amicus briefs were filed in support of the provisions, including briefs by constitutional law scholars, health law scholars, civil rights organizations . . ., health provider organizations . . ., and small business organizations . . . ." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com)

Five Reasons to Offer LTC Insurance in 2012
"According to EM-Power Services, a provider of long-term care insurance and employee benefits services, LTCI is an important benefit that should be offered by employers in 2012, especially as the U.S. is expected to face rapid growth among the age 65 and older population." (BenefitsPro)

The Calculating Required Before Buying a Long-Term Care Policy
"The question of whether to get long-term care insurance bedevils consumers and their advisers. Unlike medical insurance, it is intended primarily to cover people who need assistance with so-called activities of daily living . . . ." (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)

Wellness Incentives, Equity, and the Five Groups Problem
"Wellness incentives are an increasingly popular way for employers to encourage participation in prevention programs, which can both improve workers' overall health and reduce costs. Employees may receive a discount on premium costs for participating in an exercise, weight loss, or smoking cessation program, for instance. Or, alternatively, incentives, such as premium reductions, may be linked to meeting certain targets, like appropriate body mass index (BMI) or blood pressure. With provisions in the Affordable Care Act designed to increase employers' ability to use wellness incentives, some are questioning whether these programs may lead to equity concerns." (The Commonwealth Fund)

Litigation and Compliance Risks for Plan Sponsors in the New Health Reform Environment
"This article addresses five aspects of [PPACA] that could result in significant costs to a plan sponsor if steps are not taken to ensure compliance: plan design mandates, internal and external claims review, enhanced notification requirements, nondiscrimination, and play or pay." (Paul Hastings LLP)

IRS 2011 Version of Publication 969 on HSAs, HRAs, Health FSAs, and MSAs
"Publication 969 provides a convenient overview of the basic features of various consumer-driven health care vehicles without getting into too much detail." (Thomson Reuters/EBIA)

[Opinion]
U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Comments on Final HHS Regs for Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Requirements Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
"[T]he Chamber . . . offers the following suggestions to further improve the rule with regard to rebate distribution requirements: 1. Simplify the rebate distribution rules for the group markets; 2. Extend the time frame during which rebates can be applied to premiums; and 3. Simplify rebate notice requirements." (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

Seniors Decide Retirement Doesn't Suit Them, Keep Working
"Baby Boomers are starting to . . . work past conventional retirement age, a trend fueled by an uncertain economy, improved health in older life and an understanding that staying engaged leads to a better sense of well-being. . . . The percentage of people who work and people who want to work . . . for 65 and older was 17.9% [in 2011] compared with 10.8% in 1985. For 75 and older, the rate jumped from 4.3% in 1990 to 7.5% in 2011. (USATODAY.com)

Which Governments Pay Public Employees the Most? (PDF)
"New Jersey and Michigan had the narrowest range of salaries for top salaries for public officials. . . . In New Jersey, top salaries range from $180 thousand a year to $275 thousand a year. For Michigan employees, high earners made between $120 thousand a year and $235 thousand a year." (Sunshine Review)

Press Releases

Segal Expands East Region and National Public Sector Health Practice
(The Segal Company)

Benefit Plans Inc. Is Certified To Industry Best Practices
(Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX))

Paychex Expands Retirement Services Offering to Fee-based Financial Advisors with Paychex Advisor Select 401(k)
(Paychex)

AIG's Chartis and American General Merge Group Benefits Units To Form AIG Benefit Solutions
(American International Group, Inc. (AIG))

McGraw Wentworth Launches Annual Survey to Benchmark Benefits Trends, Employers’ Plans for Health Care Reform
(McGraw Wentworth)

Michael White/Meyer-Chatfield Report 3Q YTD BOLI Assets Continue to Climb, Favoring Hybrid Accounts
(Meyer-Chatfield)

Flexible Benefit Service Corporation Introduces FSA and HRA Enhancements As More Employers Prepare for Health Care Reform
(Flexible Benefit Service Corporation (Flex))

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Seeks Input on National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda
(Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute)



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Jeanette Hull, News Editor
David Rhett Baker, J.D., Editor and Publisher
Lois Baker, J.D., President
Holly Horton, Business Manager

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