| The BenefitsLink Newsletter - Welfare Plans Edition |  |
April 24, 2001
Today's sponsor: Employee Benefits Webcast (click)
Determination of Required Minimum Retirement and Death Distributions from Qualified Plans, IRAs, 457(b) Plans and 403(b) Plans - Instructor: Larry Grudzien of Buck Consultants Presented LIVE on Monday May 14th at 1 p.m. EST by Technical Answer Group. Available for purchase through BenefitsLink - click to register!
Federal Agencies Plan Medical Errors Database
Excerpt: "The federal government plans to create a vast medical-errors database, pulling from 10 existing federal databases and perhaps from state and private data sources as well." (Modern Healthcare)
Employee Portals: Embracing 'Disruptive Technology'
Excerpt: "While individual dot-coms have fallen by the wayside, their 'disruptive technology' -- innovation that upends traditional ways of thinking and operating -- flourishes. Today, health plans, purchasers, and providers are implementing Internet and intranet innovations to revitalize their most basic work processes." (Medscape; free registration required)
Railroad To Settle Genetic Testing Lawsuit
Excerpt: "The railroad settled the lawsuit, agreed to stop genetic tests and promised not to discipline workers who'd complained about the practice. 'I hope the railroad will be held accountable for the way they treated us,' said Avary, who is lobbying for federal legislation to limit the scope of the practice by employers." (Associated Press, via Findlaw)
Managed Care Litigation Review
Outline of upcoming presentation. Excerpt: "Participants, health care providers, associations, and even a state attorney general are suing under [ERISA] over issues such as disclosure, provider discounts, drug formularies, and data used to calculate reasonable and customary charges. Courts also continue to grapple with fundamental issues such as preemption and standing in ERISA health care litigation. In the background, Congress continues to debate patients' rights legislation ..." (Gary M. Ford and Jennifer E. Eller of the Groom Law Group)
Study Finds Worker LTD Coverage Lacking
Excerpt: "Forty percent of workers have no long-term disability coverage, and 41 percent of those who do consider their coverage inadequate, a survey shows. The Consumer Federation of America and the American Council of Life Insurers, which released the survey Monday, say they hope to persuade employers to offer the coverage and workers to take advantage of it" (Associated Press, via Excite News)
Childless Employees Want Equal Flextime and More
Excerpt: "Three decades after mothers with small children began entering the workforce in large numbers, struggling to win workplace benefits and the flexibility to help them balance the demands of job and home, [Ford Motor Company worker Myles] Romero and other childless workers nationwide have begun pressing companies for similar breaks." (Washington Post)
American Airlines Decision on Trans World Airlines Worker Perks Angers Some
Excerpt: "American Airlines will honor the travel passes of Trans World Airlines workers who retired from the bankrupt St. Louis-based carrier. But it has ended the benefit to employees who left the old TWA through buyout and severance programs." (Knight Ridder/Tribune)
Time: the Ultimate Employee Benefit
Excerpt: "Overall productivity may have skyrocketed, but what employers who promote these behaviors may not realize is that their overworked employees are under excessive pressure. And since stress detracts from individual productivity and creativity as well as personal well-being, these corporations are inadvertently promoting burnout, absenteeism and employee turnover." (The National Underwriter Company)
Witness List for Subcommittee Hearing on Patients Rights Legislation
Hearing scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday April 24; this link to the subcommittee's web site eventually should contain links to written testimony produced by the witnesses. (U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health)
Flight Attendant Files Bias Charge Over Contraceptives
Excerpt: "A flight attendant filed federal discrimination charges against American Airlines on Monday, saying her employee health plan does not cover reproductive care for women but provides Viagra for men." (Washington Post)
Flight Attendant Files Complaint Charging Reproductive Health Coverage Discrimination
Excerpt: " Flight attendant Martina Alexander has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against American Airlines saying that the company discriminates against women by not covering prescription birth control, infertility treatments and routine Pap tests in its employee health plan, the Los Angeles Times reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)
Kaiser Network to Provide Webcast of House Hearing on Patient Protections in Managed Care
Scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24, 2001. Excerpt: "A Health Subcommittee hearing on managed care and how to ensure quality and affordable care is available to America's patients." (KaiserNetwork.org)
Soaring Drug Costs Alter Benefit Plans
Excerpt: "Prompted by industry projections that anticipate increases for health care premiums reaching 13% or higher this year, largely due to soaring drug costs, employee benefit managers are taking steps to limit drug benefits and force workers and their covered dependents to pick up more of the expense load, industry sources say." (The National Underwriter Company)
For Insurance Agents: Teaming Up with an LTC Specialist
Excerpt: "All agents in the employee benefits market need to decide how to handle long-term care insurance. Your clients are interested in LTC insurance, for themselves and their employees, yet few have it. If you do sell LTC insurance to an existing client, you further solidify your relationship. If you don't sell it, someone else will, and that agent may take away other policies." (The National Underwriter Company)
Worksite LTC Good Value For Boomers
Excerpt: "The baby boomers are aging, and so are their parents. One way insurance agents and brokers can help workers--and their employers--is to set up voluntary, employee-paid long-term care insurance programs at the worksite." (The National Underwriter Company)
Managers Begin To See Plus Side of Work/Life Programs
Excerpt: "Employees get it. Even CEOs get it. But when it comes to work/life benefits, many managers just don't get it. And that's why employees who utilize their companies' programs often feel they pay for it with a stalled career." (Chicago Tribune)
Another Question is Answered in the COBRA Q&A Column
We are a small company of 40 employees. Do we have to mail the COBRA notices out, or can we simply physically hand them to our employees? (BenefitsLink.com)
Another Question is Answered in the COBRA Q&A Column
Does an employer sponsored plan that is not subject to ERISA required to provide COBRA's 11-month disability extension? (BenefitsLink.com)
Another Question is Answered in the COBRA Q&A Column
We have an active employee who is entitled to Medicare and getting ready to stop working. Is he eligible to elect COBRA coverage because he is entitled to Medicare now? What's his maximum coverage period? (BenefitsLink.com)
Another Question is Answered in the COBRA Q&A Column
If a COBRA participant gets married, is the new spouse eligible for the COBRA plan? (BenefitsLink.com)
Another Question is Answered in the COBRA Q&A Column
A dependent is covered under her parent's health insurance. She reaches age 21 and is not a student; therefore she is no longer an eligible dependent and begins COBRA coverage. Later she enrolls as a full time student and again becomes an eligible dependent and is enrolled in her parent's coverage. At age 23, when she no longer qualifies as an eligible dependent, does she begin a new 36-month COBRA eligibility period? (BenefitsLink.com)
Another Question is Answered in the COBRA Q&A Column
Group health coverage is canceled until the qualified beneficiary elects COBRA coverage. Does COBRA coverage have to be reinstated (retroactive to the qualifying event date) when the election is received or when the premium is received? (BenefitsLink.com)
Graef Crystal: Raytheon Rewards CEO for a Pitiful Performance
Excerpt: "Whenever I see a newly recruited executive taking free shares instead of option shares, I figure he's a wimp with little faith in his ability to perform. Raytheon Co. CEO Daniel Burnham's underwhelming performance over the past two years has confirmed my low expectations, and probably his own." (Graef Crystal, on Bloomberg.com)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
| Health and Welfare Associate | for Towers Perrin in CA, MA, MO, NJ, NY |
| Health and Welfare Consultant | for Towers Perrin in CA, CT, IL, MA |
| Plan Administrator | for Benefit Resources, Inc. in CA |
| Defined Contribution Plan Administrator | for Texas Benefit Planning, Inc. in TX |
| Sales - Employee Benefits | for Patterson//Smith Associates in DC, MD, VA |
| Benefits Specialist | for Administaff in GA |
| Relationship Manager | for Fidelity Investments in UT |
| BENEFITS SPECIALIST | for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated in NJ |
Newly Posted Conferences (Post Yours!)
| 5500's - A Practical Guide and Workshop | in MD on May 17, 2001 presented by The Baltimore Chapter, ISCEBS |
Newly Posted Press Releases
| Financial Planning Interactive and 401kExchange Announce Alliance (401kExchange.com) |
| MyBenefitSource Launches Broker Referral Program (MyBenefitSource) |
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