Welfare Plans Edition
January 15, 2001
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Executive Loans: Owing More Than Loyalty to a Company You Run
Excerpt: "Jill E. Barad, former chief executive of Mattel, was forgiven $7.2 million in loans when she resigned last year. Many top executives are getting big loans from their companies." (New York Times; free registration required)
Bush Set to Back State Laws to Extend HMO Patients' Rights
Excerpt: "The Bush administration intends to support state laws expanding the rights of patients in disputes with health maintenance organizations, a matter that is before the Supreme Court, aides to President-elect George W. Bush say." (New York Times; free registration required)
Most People Continue To Think Well Of Their Health Plans
Excerpt: "The last two years have seen a sharp increase in public hostility to the health insurance and managed care industries. But a new Harris Poll shows that this decline is not based on the personal experiences of health plan members." (Lou Harris Poll for January 10, 2001)
Privacy Battle Still Raging
Excerpt: "New federal privacy rules give patients more control over their private medical information. But many groups criticize the regulation for the complexity and cost that they say will result from its implementation." (Medscape; free registration required)
New Jersey Enacts New Preventive Care Law
Excerpt: "Seeking a higher priority for health promotion, the law requires health plans to cover several tests in annual exams. While opposition has been muted, concerns remain about unfunded mandates and the appropriateness of some screening measures." (Medscape; free registration required)
Brief Overview: IRS Changes And Finalizes 2000 Cafeteria Plan Rules
Excerpt: "Final regulations for IRS Sec. 125 plans make several changes in the status change and cost and coverage rules published in March 2000. The 2001 final rules appeared in the Jan. 10, 2001, Federal Register." (Spencernet)
Brief Overview: IRS Changes And Finalizes 1999 COBRA Rules
Excerpt: "The Internal Revenue service has issued final regulations supplementing final regulations and finalizing and clarifying proposed regulations it released on Feb. 3, 1999, to implement COBRA continuation provisions. The final regulations were published in the Jan. 10, 2001, Federal Register." (Spencernet)
Study: HMOs Underreport Disputed Cases
Excerpt: "Although the majority of California's largest HMOs require patients to submit disputes to an arbitrator, many are not reporting the cases as required by law to the state, a study released Thursday concluded. The report by the California Research Bureau, an arm of the State Library that conducts studies for lawmakers, found the typical arbitration case costs $4,500-- with most health maintenance organizations requiring patients to split the tab." (Sacramento Bee)
Enthusiasm, at Least From Employees, Greets School Loan Repayment Benefit
Excerpt: "The Office of Personnel Management has given the green light to federal employees to ask agencies about their eligibility for student loan repayments." (Washington Post)
(Following also appears in Retirement Plans Edition)
Analysis: IRS Temporary "Intermediate Sanctions" Regulations Affect Non-Profit Org Executives
Excerpt: "In July 1998 the IRS issued proposed regulations to implement section 4958, and solicited public comments. The regulations published January 9 respond to many of these comments and reflect considerable effort by the IRS to guide tax exempt organizations and their advisors in the interpretation of the intermediate sanctions rules." (Faegre & Benson LLP)
IRS Expands Scope of Rules On Nonprofit Compensation
Excerpt: "Small businesses generally don't think of themselves as charities, despite the old joke about being an unintentional nonprofit, so most owners have little reason to notice new tax regulations issued last week governing compensation of executives of charities. The regulations implement 1996 legislation by Congress aimed at giving the Internal Revenue Service a practical mechanism for dealing with charities that abuse their tax benefits." (Washington Post)
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