Welfare Plans Edition
February 1, 2001
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AMA Releases New Guidelines to Protect Privacy of Medical Records
Excerpt: "The American Medical Association and other groups released a report here Tuesday that recommends more than 30 specific measures for protecting patient privacy. 'The most important thing about this document is it brings together for the first time all of the stakeholders who have created a consensus on privacy protection,' Myrl Weinberg told Reuters Health." (Medscape; free registration required)
'Soft' Benefits Drive Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For
Excerpt: "If Fortune magazine's list of 100 best U.S. companies to work for is a bellwether for the rest of us mere mortals, then the lesson is this: Benefits still count, even in the face of staffing cuts and financial shortfalls." (IOMA's Report on Managing Benefits Plans)
Health Benefit Claims Procedures Expedited Under New Rules
Excerpt: "ERISA's claims and appeals processes for health and disability benefit determinations will be expedited significantly under the new final regulations released by the Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefit Administration. The new regulations will apply to claims filed on or after January 1, 2002, giving most employers, plans, and providers sufficient time to comply with the rules." (Deloitte & Touche's Human Capital I.Q.)
Medicaid Patients' Rights Rule on Hold
Excerpt: "States and HMOs are lobbying the Bush administration to undo last-minute Clinton era regulations that gave Medicaid patients new rights in dealing with their health insurance plans." (Washington Post)
(Following also appears in Retirement Plans Edition)
Employee Benefits News Alert: Winter 2001
Well written! Topics: HIPAA nondiscrimination rules clarified, compliance now mandatory; IRS finalizes 1999 proposed COBRA regulations without many changes; new claims procedure rules mean drastic changes for group health plans and disability plans; new SPD content rules require numerous changes to SPDs; IRS gives its final word on cafeteria plan election changes; IRS finalizes regulations on qualified transportation fringe benefits; new minimum distribution rules: easier, cheaper, and safer. (Davis Wright Tremaine LLP)
Supreme Court Denies Review of Three Employee Benefits Cases
Excerpt: "The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear three cases involving employee benefits that were decided by appellate courts last year. The Court denied a petition to review the decision of the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in CBS, Inc. v. Bellas [and] the decision of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Thorpe Holding Co. Profit Sharing Plan v. Stewart [and] the Ninth Circuit's decision in Simon v. Value Behavioral Health, Inc." (Spencernet)
New Summary Plan Description Rules
Excerpt: "The new rules for a summary plan description (SPD) primarily focus on changes required for group health plans, but also add a few new requirements for pension plans and modify the standard ERISA disclosure notice for SPDs. The rules will apply to SPDs for calendar year plans as of the first day of the second plan year beginning on or after January 22, 2001 ..." (Deloitte & Touche's Human Capital I.Q.)
Reporting Stock Option Income On W-2: IRS Backs Off (pdf)
Excerpt: "The IRS announced on December 21, 2000 that the new separate reporting requirement for box 12 described below would be optional for 2001." (Kilpatrick Stockton LLP)
Data Reveal Workers with Health and Retirement Benefits Less Likely to Leave
Excerpt: "Human resources officers now have data to back up what they have always known: employee benefits are good retention devices. Workers covered by employer-provided health and retirement plans are far less likely to be looking for new jobs than those without such benefits ..." (Deloitte & Touche's Human Capital I.Q.)
SEC Says Option Deals Must Be Made Public
Excerpt: "Companies that allowed executives to walk away from the purchase of stock late last year will have to disclose that fact to their shareholders in footnotes to their annual reports, the Securities and Exchange Commission told accountants Wednesday." (Chicago Tribune)
| Pension Administrator | for Mark A. Schwab & Associates, Inc. in FL |
| Senior Project Analyst | for ICMA Retirement Corporation in DC |
| ERISA Specialist | for Zurich Scudder Investments in NH |
| Pension Enrollment Specialist | for Diversified Investment Advisors in MD |
| Pension Enrollment Specialist | for Diversified Investment Advisors in NV |
| ERISA Paralegal | for Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP in GA |
| 401(k) Account Processor | for Invesmart, Austin, Texas in TX |
| Communications Writer for Employee Benefits Outsourcing | for Unifi Network a division of PricewaterhouseCoopers in NJ |
| Health & Welfare Consultants & Senior Consultants - Technical & Administrative | for Unifi Network a division of PricewaterhouseCoopers in NJ |
| Health, Pensions and Retirement Savings Policy in the 107th Congress | in CA on February 28, 2001 presented by LA/ISCEBS, the LA Employers Health Care Coalition and the EBPA |
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