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December 16, 2003 - 8,712 subscribers
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New HSAs in Medicare Act Boost CDHC for All Employers: An Interactive Audio Conference, December 18, 2003, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. ET President Bush has signed legislation that will re-vamp Medicare, including prescription drug coverage and offer all Americans - retirees AND active employees - new "health savings accounts" (HSA) available alongside high-deductible health plans. What are the requirements for the new HSAs? How will the new law affect consumer driven health care options? Will this new law make medical savings accounts (MSA) and health retirement accounts (HRA) obsolete? How can you integrate these accounts with your current health care plan? Get expert answers to these questions as well as your own specific ones at this timely audio conference!
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Insurers Rush to Introduce Products Based on Medicare Law's Health Savings Accounts
Excerpt: "HSAs may be far more popular than MSAs, experts predict, in part because the Medicare reform legislation reduces the minimum deductible. An individual must have a deductible of just $1,000 to qualify for an HSA, while the Archer MSA requires individuals to have a deductible of at least $1,700." (Managed Care Week via AISHealth.com)
FDA Seeks Information From Credit Card, Shipping Companies To Help Limit Drug Reimportation
Excerpt: "FDA officials are seeking help from major package carriers and credit card companies in 'cracking down' on companies that reimport large amounts of pr*scription drugs from Canada, the Wall Street Journal reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)
IRS Releases 2004 Archer MSA Form 5498
Excerpt: "The IRS has released the 2004 Form 5498-MSA (Archer MSA or Medicare+Choice MSA Information), which is used to report the amount of contributions a participant has made to an Archer MSA. There were no significant changes from the 2003 version of this form." (Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA))
How Employer's Size and Sector Affect Benefits
Excerpt: "Innovative benefits may be more prevalent among small employers, and the manufacturing sector -- not the transportation industry -- most frequently offers several forms of relocation assistance. These findings may be unexpected and may not even seem logical; nonetheless, they are among the results of recent benefits studies." (Thompson Publishing Group)
No Remedy for Inadequate COBRA Election Notice Under the Public Health Service Act
Thomas v. Town of Hammonton (3rd Cir. 2003). Excerpt: "The employer in this case, a town in New Jersey, terminated an employee's employment and notified her in her termination letter that her health benefits would end if she did not return an enclosed COBRA election form 'as soon as possible' with a monthly COBRA payment. The employee did not elect COBRA coverage but later sued the town for (among other things) violation of her COBRA rights ..." (Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA))
Overview: S. Court to Review 5th Circuit Rulings Setting Narrow Preemption Test for Mixed Decisions
Excerpt: "The essence of HMO utilization review may be at stake in two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. The two closely related 5th Circuit decisions involve state malpractice claims against HMOs that are charged with negligence in making decisions that altered levels of treatment." (Thompson Publishing Group)
Employer Did Not Violate ERISA, LMRA By Terminating Retiree Health Benefits: Seventh Circuit
An employer did not violate ERISA or the Labor-Management Relations Act (LMRA) when it reduced and later terminated retiree health care benefits. This was the decision of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in International Union of United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, et al. v. Rockford Powertrain, Inc. (No. 03-1855). (Spencer Benefits Reports)
California Paid Sick Leave Law Goes Into Effect
Excerpt: "Effective January 1, 2004, California will become the first state in the country to offer wage replacement benefits for employees who take time off from their jobs in order to care for a family member or child with a serious health condition." (Perkins Coie)
The Rise of Health Benefits Costs Moderated In 2003, But Employees' Share Jumps
Recent surveys from Mercer Human Resource Consulting and the Segal Company confirm that this year's health care cost increases are less than last year's and that 2004 should continue that trend, but both surveys also confirm that system-wide health care cost increases have yet to be controlled. (Spencer Benefits Reports)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
New Jersey Assembly OKs Benefits for Same-Sex Couples
Excerpt: "The state Assembly narrowly approved a bill that gives g*y couples the opportunity for health and pension benefits, exemption from the inheritance tax, hospital visitation rights and the ability to make decisions for incapacitated partners. The bill passed 41-38, with one abstention." (PressofAtlanticCity.com)
Newly Posted Events
National Health Policy Conference 2004
in District of Columbia on January 28, 2004
presented by AcademyHealth and Health Affairs
Newly Posted Press Releases
Court Orders California Employer To Withhold Federal Taxes From Employees' Wages
(Internal Revenue Service (IRS))
Gilsbar, Inc. Named Administrator for Thibodaux Regional Medical Center's Employee Health Plan
(Gilsbar, Inc.)
New Product Announced by Market Clarity Firm – QuickQuestion™ from Metrics Partners
(Metrics Partners)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Customer Service Manager
for Benefit Equity, Inc.
in CA
Senior Analyst - Planning, Compliance, and Benefits
for Capital One
in VA
Sales Position
for Tax Sheltered Compensation, Inc.
in MN
Senior Compliance
for Financial Services Company
in MA
Project Manager
for Transamerica-The Winning Organization
in CA
Business Development Position
for Retirement Alliance Inc.
in CA
Plan Administrator (Client Service Manager)
for ADP Retirement Services
in NH
Operations Specialist for Daily-Valued Defined Contribution Plans
for The Heintzberger Company
in OR
Investor Services Associates
for ICMA Retirement Corporation
in DC
Employee Benefits Associate Attorney
for Full-service, international law firm (offices across the US and in Europe)
in DC
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
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