| The BenefitsLink Newsletter - Welfare Plans Edition |  |
February 28, 2001
Today's sponsor: The International Quality & Productivity Center (click)
BENEFITS 2001 CONGRESS: How to Increase Customer Satisfaction & Leverage Your Benefits Dollars March 26-27, 2001 Scottsdale, AZ For more information call 1-800-882-8684 or visit: http://www.iqpc.com/b156benefits2001
Health Insurers Slowly Go Online
Excerpt: "Despite society's feverish embrace of the Internet and despite the huge cost savings anticipated when the health-care industry goes online, Web transactions between physicians and insurance companies have been slow in coming." (Philadelphia Inquirer)
A Plan to Send Prescriptions Electronically
Excerpt: "Three companies that operate most of the nation's managed care drug plans agreed [on February 22] to establish a joint system to make it easier for doctors to send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically or over the Internet." (New York Times; free registration required)
Delay in Implementing HIPAA Regs Threatens Consumer Privacy Rights, Group Says
Excerpt: "While the medical information privacy regulations issued by the Clinton administration last December contained significant flaws, they also created an important baseline of privacy protection for consumers. For the first time, federal regulations required patient consent before medical information could be released. Recent announcements by the Bush administration signal that the new regulations may be altered to weaken essential consumer privacy rights." (National Coalition for Patients Rights)
HHS to Permit Additional 30 Days for Public Comments on HIPAA Data Privacy Rules (PDF)
In Adobe Acrobat Reader format, from the Federal Register for February 28, 2001; over 52,000 comments were received during the earlier comment period (!) (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Lawmakers Propose New Health Reform Approach
Excerpt: "A conservative Republican lawmaker has joined forces with a liberal Democrat to develop a plan that would guarantee universal health insurance coverage based on a series of government-provided tax credits." (Medscape; free registration required)
AMA Lays Out Ambitious Legislative Agenda, Including Patients' Bill of Rights
Excerpt: "The American Medical Association (AMA) has placed a patients' bill of rights, giving physicians a more equal footing with insurance companies, and providing health insurance to the more than 43 million Americans who currently lack it, on top of its legislative agenda for 2001." (New York Times; free registration required)
Senators Sour on Bipartisan Managed Care Bill
Excerpt: "Moderate Senators expressed doubt Tuesday that the compromise managed care reform bill introduced by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) will become law unless members of Congress can agree to tighter restrictions on the damages health plans must pay if they are sued for denying care." (New York Times; free registration required)
Minnesota Lawmakers Introduce Patient Bill of Rights, By Another Name
Excerpt: "Lawmakers vowed Tuesday to try again to pass a bill giving patients more power over the decisions of health maintenance organizations." (StarTribune.com)
Witness List and Links to Transcripts for Medicare Reform Committee Hearing Held February 28, 2001
Subcommittee on Health on Medicare Reform. (U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means)
72-Page Outline of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Arrangements (PDF)
This prominent law firm's publication provides a splendid overview of all of the principal kinds of deferred compensation, equity compensation, qualified retirement plans and welfare benefit plans. (Venable, Baetjer, Howard & Civiletti, LLP)
Text of DOL Guidance on Delinquent Filer Program
Excerpt: "Plan administrators should continue to comply with the DFVC Program requirements published ... April 27, 1995 ... except to the extent otherwise provided below.... [F]ilers who are using the 1999 or a subsequent version of the [Form 5500] should include a copy of all the pages of the Form 5500 (dated with original signature(s) but without any schedules and attachments)." (U.S. Department of Labor press release)
DOL Announces Guidance on Delinquent Filer Program
Excerpt: "The DFVC Program was started in 1995 to assist plan administrators who are delinquent in filing Form 5500 Series annual reports with the federal government. The guidance clarifies procedures for filers using the 1999 and subsequent years Form 5500 under the DFVC Program. The guidance is provided in response to questions from plan administrators about participation in the program." (U.S. Department of Labor press release)
Turbo Tax Estimator: How would President Bush's Tax Plan Affect You?
Excerpt: "On February 8, 2001, President Bush laid out his proposal for a $1.6 trillion tax cut. Now you can see how his tax proposals would affect YOUR taxes for 2001! We've updated our estimator to show you how you fare under current rules, and how you would fare if President Bush's proposals passed without any changes." (Quicken TurboTax)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
| 401(k)/DC Pension Consultant | for CBIZ Retirement Services Inc. in NY |
| 401(k) Retirement Plan Administrators | for Third Party Administrative Firms in CA |
| Employee Benefit Tax Manager | for Deloitte & Touche, a Professional Services Firm in OH |
| Benefits Specialist Paralegal | for Powell Goldstein Frazer & Murphy LLP (A National Law Firm) in GA |
| Benefits Administrator | for Vinings Management Corporation in GA |
| Managing Consultant | for The O'Quinn Group, Inc. in MA |
| Client Service Manager, Health and Welfare Benefits Outsourcing | for Benefits Outsourcing Company in MA, NH |
| Marketing Project Manager | for Transamerica in CA |
Newly Posted Press Releases
| Still River Retirement Planning Software, Inc. Takes New Approach to Analyzing Roth IRA Rollovers (Still River Retirement Planning Software, Inc.) |
Subscribe to the Retirement Plans Edition, too (click)
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