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October 10, 2001 - 6,365 subscribers
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Supreme Court Lets California HMO Ruling Stand
Excerpt: "The Supreme Court will not block a ruling that lets California Medicare recipients sue their HMOs in state court, but expressed possible interest Tuesday in a Maine case over prescription drug costs. Justices asked the federal government for its views about a Maine law that would allow states to negotiate for lower prescription costs for the poor. Drug companies are challenging the law, which is on hold." (Associated Press via Excite News)
Monterey County [Calif.] Approves Domestic Partner Benefits
Excerpt: "Monterey County supervisors approved a measure Tuesday that provides health benefits to domestic partners. The measure was approved in a unanimous vote." (MSNBC.com)
Job-Based Health Insurance In 2001: Inflation Hits Double Digits, Managed Care Retreats
September/October 2001 issue. Excerpt: "Drawing on the results of a national survey of 1,907 firms with three or more workers, this paper reports on several facets of job-based health insurance, including the cost to employers and workers; plan offerings and enrollments; patient cost sharing and benefits; eligibility, coverage, and take-up rates; and results from questions about employers' knowledge of market trends and health policy initiatives." (Health Affairs)
Organization Encourages Small Employers to Choose Managed Care Providers Based on Quality Rankings
Excerpt: "The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced the start of a national 'Choose Quality' campaign designed to encourage more consumers and small businesses to purchase health care the same way the nation's large employers do--based on quality." (National Committee for Quality Assurance)
North Carolina House of Representatives Approves Compromise Patients' Rights Legislation
Excerpt: "The General Assembly gave final approval to sweeping health-care legislation Tuesday that has the potential to significantly alter the relationships between some patients and their insurers." (The Raleigh [N.C.] News & Observer)
Misinterpretation of Permissible Top Hat Group Costs Employer $13.6 Million
Excerpt: "Neither ERISA nor the regulations thereunder define the phrase 'primarily for a select group of management or highly compensated employees.' The interpretation of this phrase in the absence of substantial guidance is problematic for companies sponsoring top hat plans and, as evidenced by the holding in Carrabba v. Randalls Food Markets ... (5th Cir. 2001) which is discussed in greater detail below, being 'wrong' could cost the employer dearly (e.g., $13.6 million in Carrabba)." (White & Case, L.L.P.)
Employers Embrace Options Despite Stock-Market Slide
Excerpt: "Even though many options have no current value because they're underwater, employers aren't about to abandon stock options as a mean of compensation. That's the consensus of more than 200 human-resources and compensation executives from primarily high-tech firms who late last month attended a Silicon Valley conference sponsored by iQuantic Buck." (CareerJournal.com)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
| Manager, Retirement Plan Division | for Brady, Ware & Schoenfeld, Inc. in OH |
| Pension Administrator | for Thomas, Doll & Company, CPAs in CA |
| Enrolled Pension Actuary | for New England Financial/MetLife in MA |
| Associate Actuary | for Northern Trust Retirement Consulting, L.L.C. in GA |
| Actuarial Analyst | for Northern Trust Retirement Consulting, L.L.C. in GA |
Newly Posted Conferences (Post Yours!)
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Grand Rapids | in MI on January 8, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Long Island | in NY on January 8, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - San Diego | in CA on January 8, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Green Bay | in WI on January 8, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Baltimore | in MD on January 15, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Portland | in OR on January 15, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Oklahoma City | in OK on January 15, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Hartford | in CT on January 15, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Milwaukee | in WI on January 22, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Detroit | in MI on January 22, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Parsippany | in NJ on January 22, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Seattle | in WA on January 22, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - New York | in NY on January 29, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Washington | in DC on January 29, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| FMLA; Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Comp; COBRA; HIPAA; and Section 125 - Little Rock | in AR on January 29, 2002 presented by A.E. Roberts Company |
| Ask the Expert Version 2002 (including "What's New with EGTRRA") | in PA on December 12, 2001 presented by ASPA Benefits Council of Western Pennsylvania |
| Invesmart Explains the benefits of Pension Reform | in MA on October 18, 2001 presented by Invesmart |
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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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