| The BenefitsLink Newsletter - Welfare Plans Edition |  |
October 18, 2001 - 6,428 subscribers
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Bethlehem Steel Retirees Fear Blow to Benefits
Excerpt: "[R]etirees know that cheap health care benefits for 130,000 people, including 13,000 active workers, 74,000 retirees and their family members, may be one of the first costs cut as company and union officials and a bankruptcy judge try to keep Bethlehem Steel afloat. Robert S. Miller, chief executive officer, said after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday that he would push for government help with $3 billion in health care obligations." (Associated Press via Yahoo! News)
Companies Start to Reward Hospitals for Better Care
Excerpt: "Within days after the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences shocked policy makers in late 1999 by reporting that mistakes in hospitals were killing tens of thousands of Americans each year, some of the nation's largest companies met and agreed to throw their weight behind efforts to make hospitals safer." (New York Times; free registration required)
Healthcare Industry Launches Projects to Reduce Medical Errors
Excerpt: "[T]he AHA's Health Forum and the National Patient Safety Foundation have established a one-year fellowship program to bring together healthcare providers and executives through conferences and electronic meetings." (Modern Healthcare)
Several Houston Employers Announce Steps Towards Parity in Mental Health Coverage
Excerpt: "These companies were featured at a news conference by the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston, which hopes to encourage the small but growing number of businesses expanding their mental health coverage." (Houston Chronicle)
For Employees: Choosing a Health Plan
Excerpt: "For individuals choosing a health plan during open enrollment periods this fall, Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, has developed a list of questions to ask before signing up with any particular plan. While no list of recommendations can fully address the issues that consumers face, the following tips are an attempt to provide you with guidance as you make this important decision." (Consumers Union)
Senate Committee OKs Mental Health Measures
Excerpt: "The federal government would provide unspecified funding to address the mental health needs arising from the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center under legislation approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Tuesday. Without debate, the panel unanimously approved the 'Post Terrorism Mental Health Improvement Act' ... The measure would provide grants to state and local governments and other public entities ..." (Reuters Health via Yahoo! News)
New York State Requiring More Details from HMOs When Care Denied
Excerpt: "Attorney General Eliot Spitzer yesterday announced a legal agreement requiring seven of the state's largest HMOs to provide patients with much more detailed explanations when their requests for medical care are denied. Spitzer said the agreement was the result of a two-year investigation that found many HMO claim denials were so vague or perfunctory that patients could not fashion an effective appeal." (Newsday)
Wal-Mart Employee Sues for Contraceptive Coverage Benefit
Excerpt: "A Wal-Mart employee has filed a sex-discrimination lawsuit against the company, claiming that denial of health insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives is unfair to women workers." (Washington Post)
The Basics of Pregnancy Leave
Excerpt: "If you haven't already studied your employer's policy regarding pregnancy leave and other pregnancy-related benefits, now is the time to start cramming. The harsh reality is that your employer has broad discretion in which benefits to offer-- if any." (insure.com)
Collaborative Networks-- the Future of Retirement Technology
Excerpt: "The first-generation Internet applications for recordkeeping were primarily designed according to a 'one-to-one' model.... In the next-generation Internet, we will replace these 'one-to-one,' narrowly focused Web applications with powerful, user-centric, collaborative networks. These collaborative networks will be personalized and allow any user connected to the network to interact efficiently with any other user." (401kWire.com)
ERIC Itemizes Desired Relief for Plan Sponsors Due to September 11th Terrorist Attacks
Excerpt: "The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) has held several conversations with member companies affected by the September 11th terrorists attacks and has conveyed to relevant agencies and the Congress information regarding relief needed for various purposes. This letter expands on and summarizes the information ERIC has provided to date. We emphasize that while federal agencies have taken several helpful actions following September 11th, more relief is required ..." (ERISA Industry Committee)
ERISA Industry Committee Says Plan Sponsors, Workers Need Broader Disaster Relief
Excerpt: "[ERIC President Mark] Ugoretz pointed out that the relief provided thus far from the agencies has largely been restricted to a confined geographic area, but that plan sponsors were hit hard by the attacks and resulting disruptions." (ERISA Industry Committee)
Employers Respond to Disaster: Online Resources and Information from BNA
Excerpt: "This collection of information and resources is provided as a service to employers to help them deal with issues arising in the wake of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.' Includes Questions and Answers About Military Leave Obligations; Helping Employees Cope: A Supervisors' Checklist; Summaries of State Military Leave Laws; State Tax Relief Comparison Chart. (Bureau of National Affairs)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
| 401(k) Pension Administrator | for Kibble & Prentice, Inc. in WA |
| Health and Welfare Consultants - Staff/Senior | for Ernst & Young LLP in NY |
| Disbursement Specialist | for ICMA Retirement Corporation in DC |
| Actuary - Senior Consultant | for Global HR Consulting Firm in DC |
| Pension Plan Administrator | for The Michigan Pension Group, Inc. in MI |
Newly Posted Conferences (Post Yours!)
| Private Money Managers for Individuals and Fiduciaries | in DC, MD, VA on November 28, 2001 presented by Morgan Stanley |
| Private Money Managers for Individuals and Fiduciaries | in DC, MD, VA on December 12, 2001 presented by Morgan Stanley |
Newly Posted Press Releases
| Benefit Software Inc. Announces New Fringe Facts® Personalized Employee Benefit Statement Service (Benefit Software Inc.) |
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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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