Director of Human Resources and Training
for IAM National Pension Fund in DC

Retirement Plan Administrator
for Fred S. Shapiro & Associates, Inc. in MD

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How Large and Self-Funded Employers Can Satisfy ACA's 'Minimum Value' Requirements
"Minimum value will be determined using a standard population that is based upon large self-insured group health plans. Employer contributions to an HSA or HRA will count toward minimum value. Your plan is not required to offer all categories of essential health benefits (EHBs) or conform to any of the EHB benchmarks -- although EHBs are allowed to be taken into account in determining minimum value." (McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP)

[Advert.]

Nat'l Health Benefits Conf & Expo (HBCE) Jan.29-30, 2013 -- Clearwater Beach, FL

Speakers wrote the books on wellness, onsite clinics, disease management, obesity and health reform. Hear from public employers, universities, Boeing, FirstEnergy, JetBlue, Mayo Clinic, many more. Low cost, high quality! HBCE.com Ph: 941-484-1430 info@HBCE.com

Small Businesses Look for Ways to Cope with Health Coverage Mandate
"Splitting [his Chicago parts-assembly] business into two would be a 'headache,' [the owner] acknowledges. But with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees in each half of this business, he hopes to avoid paying the penalties that otherwise could amount to at least $40,000 a year. His firm hasn't offered health-insurance benefits since 2003, when premiums jumped 50%, bringing his yearly outlay for coverage for his staff of 20 people to about $40,000 total." (The Wall Street Journal)

Nonprofit Organization Provides Education About ACA But Finds Widespread Confusion by Individuals
"With incomes below 400 percent of the poverty level, or $92,200 for a family of four this year, [members of a recent] focus group ... will qualify for federal subsidies to help cover the cost of private insurance starting in 2014. The sessions confirmed a daunting reality: Many of those the law is supposed to help have no idea what it could do for them. In the Miami focus group, a few participants knew only that they could face a fine if they did not buy coverage." (The New York Times; free registration required)

Administration Wants Courts to Put Hold on Challenges to Contraceptives Mandate
"[HHS] will release a proposed rule by next March that will address the reform law's requirement that employers include contraceptive coverage in health plans offered to their workers ... Since that rule will be finalized by August, [administration] attorneys argued there's no reason to move forward cases that challenge the mandate. But the attorney for religious colleges Wheaton and Belmont Abbey said they are challenging the mandate on the issue's 'rightness,' not its timeliness. Plus, he said there's no guarantee that HHS will finalize the rule by August[.]" (FierceHealthPayer)

Consumers Saw Nearly $1.5 Billion Financial Benefit From ACA's Medical Loss Ratio Requirement In 2011
"[I]n the small-group market, administrative costs were reduced by $190 million, profits increased by $226 million, and the medical loss ratio remained at 83 percent, unchanged from 2010. In the large-group market, insurers reduced administrative costs by $785 million, increased profits by $959 million, and kept their medical loss ratio at 89 percent, also unchanged from 2010." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)

[Advert.]

Alternative Models for Health Benefit Financing - February 21-22, 2013 - Orlando, FL

Forward-looking employers and brokers, along with key innovators in the self-funding industry, explore financial strategies that achieve sustainability for the employer in a post-PPACA climate.

Most Employees Would Look for Alternatives if Health Benefits Are Taxed (PDF)
"[I]f current tax preferences were to change and employment-based coverage became taxable to workers, 26 percent would want to switch to a less costly plan, 21 percent say they would want to shop for coverage directly from insurers, and 9 percent say they would want to drop coverage altogether. However, nearly 4 in 10 (39 percent) individuals say they would continue with their current level of coverage, up 10 percentage points from last year's ... findings." (EBRI)

ACA Bringing Significant Gains In Health Insurance and Access to Care for Young Adults
"Using data from two nationally representative surveys, comparing young adults who gained access to dependent coverage to a control group (adults ages 26-34) who were not affected by the new policy, we found sizable coverage gains for adults ages 19-25. The gains continued to grow throughout 2011 (up 6.7 percentage points from September 2010 to September 2011), with the largest gains seen in unmarried adults, nonstudents, and men." (Health Affairs)

Roster of Types of Health Insurance Exchanges Chosen by the States
"[An] interactive state map provides a picture as of December 2012 of what type of exchange consumers can expect to be running in their states when open enrollment begins next October.... Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have submitted applications to HHS to operate a state-run exchange in 2014.... Six states are pursuing a state-federal partnership exchange: Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, and West Virginia.... Twenty-three states have indicated that they will not operate their own exchanges and have yet to say whether they would pursue a state-federal partnership." (The Commonwealth Fund)

More Signs of Health Insurance Rate Shock and Awe, Especially Among the Young
"[The author] found baseline individual rates are likely to rise 30% to 40% with younger people's rates doubling because of the change in age-rating to 3:1 that will drive substantial rate compression ... [with] small group rates increasing by about half this.... [R]ates in a few states that have already had significant market reforms and already have the most mandates -- Massachusetts and New Jersey, for example -- will see little change. But for the vast majority of states there will be rate shock." (The Health Care Blog)

[Opinion]

Affordable Care Act Fills Need in Mental Health Care
"Untreated mental health and substance-use disorders cost American employers an estimated $17 billion annually in absenteeism and lost productivity. Studies have shown that every dollar spent on mental health care results in a savings of $12.... While health care reform is designed to address these obstacles, unfortunately, there are many opportunities for this historic achievement to be derailed." (Politico)

[Opinion]

Text of Comments on Proposed HHS Standards for Essential Health Benefits, Actuarial Value, and Accreditation (PDF)
"In general, the data and methods used to develop the AV calculator and continuance tables appear reasonable. However, ... additional information [is needed] regarding the details that underlie the calculator in order ... for actuaries to have the information they need to perform any required actuarial certifications.... Given the Affordable Care Act (ACA) maximum deductible and out-of-pocket limitations, it could be difficult for plans to achieve required AV levels. In particular, it could be difficult to achieve an AV as low as 60 percent -- that is, a bronze tier level.... More information is needed ... that clearly defines both the actual medical services that are included in each of the benefit categories and the fields in the continuance tables." (American Academy of Actuaries, Actuarial Value Subgroup)

Improving Retirement Savings for Executives
"Over the years, the 'pay for performance' trend has led many companies to institute stock options and other equity awards for wealth creation. But with market volatility and stock options 'under water' ... there are significant variations in these benefits. Some companies have even incurred a compensation expense and then been unable to award that compensation." (PLANSPONSOR.com)

Can an Executive Cancel an Election to Defer This Year's Earnings in Order to Take Advantage of This Year's Lower Tax Rates?
"As tax rates are likely to rise after 2012 ... many people are looking at ways to accelerate income into 2012 to get the lower tax rates available now.... It is crucial to understand that NQDC deferrals already made for 2012 income cannot be shifted into 2012. Instead, keeping tax increases in mind, now is the time to focus on deferring 2013 compensation income, as deferral elections for next year must be made before year-end." (myStockOptions.com)

Additional Medicare Tax and New Tax on Net Investment Income Start in January 2013: Year-End Tax Planning by Employers
"Before December 31, employees and employers should consider tax strategies for reducing the effect of the new Medicare taxes including: [1] Accelerating income to 2012 that would otherwise be subject to the new tax rate in later years [2] Redirecting income to the few types of income exempt from either of the new taxes [3] Deferring for as long as possible income receivable after 2013 and not exempt from the new taxes." (Polsinelli Shughart)

Unlimited Time-Off Policies Attract Passionate Supporters
"[B]eginning in October 1, OutcomesMTM officially launched 'MyTime,' an unlimited time-off program ... [The company's CEO] says the company is interested in outcomes and results, not artificially tracking employees' time.... While extremely rare -- a 2010 study by WorldatWork found that only 1 percent of companies embrace such an approach -- the concept is being tested in certain sectors, especially in high tech. Netflix is another company that hasn't had a vacation policy since 2004." (Human Resource Executive Online)

Litigation Outlook for 2013: Obamacare, Banking Regulations, Pension Underfunding Will Make Lawyers Rich
"For lawyers next year, Obamacare will be the gift that keeps on giving. The hastily drafted, 2000-page law that virtually no one read in its entirety before voting on it left so many details to government bureaucrats that it will provide grist for litigation for years to come." (Forbes)

BLS Report on Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, September 2012
"In September 2012, wages and salaries of all civilian workers accounted for 69.2 percent of employer costs for employee compensation and averaged $21.32 per hour worked. Benefits accounted for the remaining 30.8 percent of employer compensation costs and averaged $9.48 per hour worked. For private industry workers, wages and salaries accounted for 70.3 percent of employer compensation costs in September 2012 and averaged $20.36 per hour worked. Benefits accounted for the remaining 29.7 percent of employer compensations costs and averaged $8.58 per hour worked. The largest components of benefit costs were insurance and legally required benefits, each representing 8.2 percent of total benefit costs. Retirement and savings accounted for 3.6 percent of total employer compensation." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Human Resource Executive� Health & Benefits Leadership Conference & Expo Focuses on Healthcare Reform for Employers
Human Resource Executive Magazine

Hyatt Legal Plans, America�s Largest Provider of Group Legal Plans, Adds 159 Clients, Including 4 Fortune 500s�
Hyatt Legal Plans, a MetLife company

Walgreens Worksite Health Centers Receive Accreditation as Patient-Centered Medical Homes from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
Walgreens

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