If this message looks garbled to you or if the headlines in this message don't connect you to Web pages when you click on them, please request the "plain text" version of this newsletter ("Welfare Plans Edition") by emailing your request to publisher Dave Baker
Jobs | Today's Messages | Topical News | Q&A Columns | Services & Products | Search | Reference

The BenefitsLink Newsletter -
Welfare Plans Edition
Still flying!

September 17, 2001 - 6,306 subscribers
Today's sponsor: EBIA's HIPAA & Other Federal Mandates for Group Health Plans

(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)

   Written by two leading employee benefits attorneys, HIPAA & Other
   Federal Mandates for Group Health Plans is the authoritative
   HIPAA resource for employers, administrators and advisors. In
   addition to HIPAA, this 772-page manual covers a wide array of
   other federal mandates that group health plans must worry about.
   HIPAA & Other Federal Mandates has all the information you need
   to bring your group health plans into compliance with HIPAA and
   other federal mandates.  Click to order!

(Help BenefitsLink to provide this newsletter at no charge to you -- our sponsors pay our way. Remember to visit them periodically; we try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)

State Bad-Faith Claims Related to COBRA Coverage Are Preempted, Courts Rule
Excerpt: "In benefits disputes, some aggrieved qualified beneficiaries allege that an employer or insurer acted under the state-law concept of 'bad faith' and sue in state court. However, two recent court cases indicate that such claims are preempted by ERISA because they related to the COBRA coverage provided under an ERISA plan." (Thompson Publishing Group)

Talking With Kids About Terrorism
Excerpt: "Developed in consultation with top child development experts, the Talking with Kids web site has been updated with age-appropriate suggestions for responding to children's commonly asked questions about disasters, ten tips for talking with kids about the news, and techniques for initiating and sustaining healthy parent-child communication about difficult topics." (Talking With Kids About Tough Issues, supported by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)

GSA Relaxes Travel Policy to Help Stranded Federal Workers
Excerpt: "Federal workers stranded by airport closings resulting from Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., may use alternate modes of transportation to get home, but affected federal workers must still go through their agencies for approval and use their travel management centers to make reservations or changes to travel plans." (GovExec.com)

Employee Assistance Programs Poised for Growth
Excerpt: "At times, EAPs - employee assistance programs - have been considered a frivolous health benefit. Their 1-800 telephone counselors and other stress-coping services leave some bosses cold, especially if money's tight.... But that attitude seems to be evaporating since last week's catastrophes at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, said Dixon and other EAP professionals." (The Charlotte [N.C.] Observer)

As After Pearl Harbor, Terrorist Attacks Likely to Slow Health Policy Legislation, Expert Says
Excerpt: "Looking ahead, [Congressional Quarterly senior reporter Samuel] Goldreich says that Congress is unlikely to move this year on any of the health policy issues drawing attention before the attacks, such as patients' rights, stem cell research funding and a Medicare prescription drug benefit." (KaiserNetwork.org)

Norwood To Continue Patients' Rights Push, But Most Say National Security Will Trump Domestic Issues
Excerpt: "Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.) said Sept. 14 that work on a patients' bill of rights -- versions of which have passed both houses of Congress but have not reached a House-Senate conference -- should continue despite last week's terrorist attacks, CongressDaily reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)

(Following items are in both editions of the BenefitsLink Newsletter)


U.S. Department of Labor Extends Deadline for Employee Benefit Plan Filings and Provides Other ERISA Compliance Guidance
Excerpt: "The extension applies to plan administrators, employers and other entities who file the Form 5500 and Form 5500-EZ that are located in the areas designated as federal disaster areas because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The extension also applies to filers located outside the designated disaster areas who are unable to obtain the information necessary for filing from service providers, banks or insurance companies whose operations are directly affected by the disasters." (U.S. Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration)

Notice 2001-63 Grants Extension of Most September 10 - 23 Deadlines Until September 24 (PDF)
Excerpt: "The [IRS] has determined that the due date for all federal tax obligations falling between September 10, 2001, and September 24, 2001, is postponed to September 24, 2001. This postponement of time covers [all taxpayers regardless of their location, for] the filing of returns and claims for refund, the payment of tax (including estimated tax payments), making elections, and filing any other federal tax documents. The postponement does not apply to deposits of federal taxes." (Internal Revenue Service)

In Notice 2001-61 IRS Grants Additional Relief and Extensions for Persons in Federal Disaster Areas (PDF)
Excerpt: "Individuals located in the affected counties and other individuals who are 'affected taxpayers' ... that have extended the time for filing their tax year 2000 federal individual income tax return beyond September 10, 2001, will have a postponement to February 12, 2002 ... In addition, affected calendar year ... entities that are currently on a six-month extension of time to file their federal tax return ... will have an additional 120 days to file their returns ..." (Internal Revenue Service)

Another Question is Answered in the Stock Options, Restricted Stock and Other Long-Term Employment Incentives Q&A Column
What are the tax implications of restricted stock at time of forfeiture? (BenefitsLink.com)

EEOC's New York Office Destroyed In Attack On World Trade Center
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced that its New York district office, which was located on the 18th floor of the World Trade Center, Building 7, was destroyed in the terrorist attack on September 11. All of the EEOC's employees in the office have been accounted for. (Spencernet)




Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
Plan Administrator/Consultant for Simpkins & Associates
in TX
Education Specialist II for ADP
in NJ
Qualified Plan Documents Manager for MBM Advisors Inc.
in TX
Client Service Position for MBM Advisors Inc.
in TX
Sales Consultant for Associated Pension Consultants
in NY
New Business Specialist for Zurich Scudder Investments
in NH
Pension Administrator for PENSERVCO, Inc.
in FL
401(k)/DC Plan Administrator for Employee Benefit Consultants, Inc.
in MD
Defined Benefit Specialist for Paragon Consulting Group
in CA



Newly Posted Press Releases
U.S. Department of Labor Extends Deadline for Employee Benefit Plan Filings and Provides Other ERISA Compliance Guidance (U.S. Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration)

Subscribe to the Retirement Plans Edition, too (click)


Copyright 2001 BenefitsLink.com, Inc., but you may freely distribute this email newsletter in whole. This newsletter is edited by David Rhett Baker, J.D.