| The BenefitsLink Newsletter - Welfare Plans Edition |  |
September 19, 2001 - 6,306 subscribers
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District Court Improperly Dismissed Plaintiff's State Law Claims Against HMO
A federal district court improperly dismissed a chiropractor's state law claims against an HMO and a physician management company following its dismissal of her ERISA claims because the court lacked jurisdiction over the state law claims. This was the decision of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Ward v. Alternative Health Delivery Systems, Inc. and Physicians Consultant & Management Corporation (No. 99-5860). (Spencernet)
Coping With Disaster: a Compendium of Resources
Excerpt: "The American Psychiatric Association contains information concerning the psychiatric dimensions of disaster, coping with the aftermath of disaster and other psychiatric aspects of disaster and trauma. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is offering physicians, health professionals, schools and others to freely reprint two selections from its Facts for Families series 'Children and Grief' and 'Helping Children After a Disaster.'" (American Medical Association)
Finding Ways to Reassure Employees
Excerpt: "A measure of a good manager is knowing how to respond to the needs of employees. But how do you respond to their fears if the worst terrorist attack in American history just happened in your backyard?" (New York Times; free registration required)
Measuring the Value of Health Innovation: the Policy Implications of New Medical Technologies
Free audio recorded webcast of September 7, 2001 conference, including slide presentations. Excerpt: "The Impact of Innovation; Dealing with Innovation." (Alliance for Health Reform)
U.S. Backs Florida Plan to Cut Drug Costs; Discounts Required if Maker Wants to be on Formulary
Excerpt: "The Bush administration approved an innovative Florida program today to lower prescription drug costs for people on Medicaid and Medicare. Under a new Florida law, signed in June by Gov. Jeb Bush, drug manufacturers must provide discounts if they want their products included on a list of preferred drugs for recipients of Medicaid, the joint federal- state health program for the poor." (New York Times; free registration required)
Association Health Plans Could Lower Premiums for Small Businesses, Supporters Say
Excerpt: "The proposal for so-called association health plans is included in the House version of the patients-bill-of-rights legislation. It would allow trade groups-- such as the National Restaurant Association-- to sell health insurance to their small-business members. Small-business owners that banded together would create a single, large group. In theory, it would have the same purchasing clout of an outfit with many more employees. Yet passage of the measure is by no means guaranteed." (Orlando Sentinel via IFEBP)
Comment Letter to FASB on Accounting for Reload Stock Options (PDF)
Excerpt: "As advisors to management and boards of directors on matters of stock compensation, we are knowledgeable about the design of reload stock options and familiar with the accounting guidance (and underlying rationale) prescribed in Issue 90-7, FAS 123, and FIN 44. We are writing to respectfully request that the EITF not overturn the fixed award accounting treatment for the limited fact pattern in Issue 90-7 for the reasons set forth below." (Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc.)
Welcome to new BenefitsLink advertiser the Benefit Services Group, Inc.
Excerpt: "The Benefit Services Group, Inc. (BSG®) stands out among brokers because of its commitment to technology, which includes full self-service capabilities and a comprehensive suite of plan management and data analysis tools. Through a Web site, call centers and interactive phone services, BSG® enables employees to have access to accurate, consistent and up-to-date information about their specific benefits plan with the option to change or update benefit information as needed."
Reporting and Disclosure Guide for Retirement and Welfare Plans (PDF)
Issued August, 2001. Excerpt: "This Reference Guideis designed to help plan administrators meet the requirements discussed by the appropriate deadlines. The charts on pages 2 through 6 cover rules for retirement plans, welfare benefit plans and specified fringe benefit plans. Employers that do not meet these requirements are subject to penalties, which have become more severe in recent years. Pages 1, 7 and 8 of this Reference Guide list major penalties for noncompliance." (Hay Group)
Analysis: Various Deadlines Extended Due to Terrorist Attack
Published September 17, 2001. Excerpt: "The Treasury and DOL have quickly issued guidance regarding the extension of various deadlines due to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The following have been issued: 1) Notice 2001-61 (extension of various tax code deadlines), 2) Notice 2001-63 (blanket short-term extension for all taxpayers with respect to certain tax code deadlines), and 3) PWBA News Release 01-36 (extension of Form 5500 deadlines)." (TRI Pension Services, Inc.)
Separate Reporting of Nonstatutory Stock Option Income on Form W-2 is Optional for 2002, IRS Says
IRS Announcement 2001-92. Excerpt: "This announcement extends through year 2002, the relief from mandatory reporting of compensation resulting from employer- provided nonstatutory stock options in box 12 of the Form W-2, using Code V. In particular, this announcement provides that, with respect to Forms W-2 issued for the year 2002, the use of Code V is optional." (Internal Revenue Service)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
| 401(k) Senior Administrator | for Brewster & Brewster, Inc. in OH |
| Plan Administrator (Small Plans) | for Jay C. Kaufman, P.C. in IL |
Newly Posted Conferences (Post Yours!)
| Advanced Pension Conference | in IL on November 28, 2001 presented by SunGard Corbel |
Newly Posted Press Releases
| SunGard Corbel Reduces Document Preparation Time with Relius(tm) Documents Internet System (SunGard Corbel) |
| SunGard Corbel Wins Volume Submitter and Prototype Approval (SunGard Corbel) |
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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.
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