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March 6, 2003 - 8,066 subscribers
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Businesses Consider the Cost of the Uninsured
Excerpt: "With rising health costs squeezing profits, and growing numbers of people without insurance pushing costs even higher, employers are beginning to call for ways to deal with the problem of the uninsured." (New York Times; one-time registration required)

75 Million People Were Without Health Insurance at Some Point in 2001-2002, Study Says
Excerpt: "An estimated 75 million U.S. residents, about one-third of those younger than age 65, lacked health insurance for at least part of the past two years, according to a study released March 5, the New York Times reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)

Foundation Establishes Website to Promote 'Cover the Uninsured Week'
covertheuninsuredweek.org - Cover the Uninsured Week is March 10 through 16, 2003. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

Bethlehem Steel Formally Files Notice of Intent to Cease Retiree Health Benefits at Month's End
Excerpt: "Bethlehem Steel Corp. put into motion its plans to stop paying retiree benefits as of March 31 by filing a court motion this week in bankruptcy court." (PennLive.com)

Contraceptive Coverage Case Settled in Seattle
Press release. Excerpt: "Under the settlement, the drug store chain has agreed to continue to offer insurance coverage for prescription contraceptive drugs and devices and related clinical services, which it began doing after the [district] court's June 2001 decision. In addition, Bartell has agreed to give each class member still employed at Bartell all prescription contraceptives and related clinical services with no co-pay through 2006." (Planned Parenthood)

Health Care Plans Did Not Violate ADA By Refusing To Cover Speech Therapy Services
Separate health care plans administered or underwritten by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to reimburse participants for speech therapy services provided to the participants' children. This was the decision of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Kolling, et al. v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan (No. 01-2117). (SpencerNet)

Living Together Can Now Mean Living Large
Excerpt: "As more people from college grads to grandparents are living together without getting married, they are starting to benefit from an increasing array of perks and protections." (The Wall Street Journal via the San Francisco Chronicle)

Medicare Head Tells Doctors Not to Prescribe Nexium
Excerpt: "Thomas Scully, who heads the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services tore into the company over the purple pill, suggesting to doctors at an American Medical Association conference that the company was using the drug to rip off consumers and the government." (Reuters Health via Medscape; one-time registration required)

Texas/Federal HIPAA Privacy Law Preemption Manual Available (PDF)
3 pages; see item number 4 of the law firm's newsletter. Excerpt: "On February 12th the Texas Hospital Association and Jenkens & Gilchrist released a comprehensive HIPAA preemption manual. The 300+ page compendium provides an analysis of both federal and Texas health care privacy laws.... The manual is available ... at a price of $295 for THA members and $350 for non-members." (Jenkens & Gilchrist)

Employers Get Nosy About Workers' Health
Excerpt: "Don't be surprised if your employer wants you to disclose what you eat and drink, how much you weigh or whether you have high cholesterol. With insurance premiums rising at their fastest clip in a decade, employers are increasingly nosing into their workers' health habits." (USA Today)

Doctor's Opinion: Nationalize Health Care
Excerpt: "Single-payer national health insurance ... would slow the growth of health-care costs well into the future. And it would ensure that everyone has access to comprehensive health care services. What do we really want out of our health care system?" (USA Today)

USA Today Features Stories on Medical Malpractice Issue
Excerpt: "The March 5 USA Today features several articles on the nationwide debate over medical malpractice reform." (KaiserNetwork.org)

U.S. Surgeon General: We Shouldn't Be Paying for Americans' Bad Health Habits
Excerpt: "Poor health choices and a lack of personal responsibility are overburdening the U.S. health system with high costs, Surgeon General Richard Carmona told doctors Wednesday." (Reuters Health via Medscape; one-time registration required)

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Approves Bill Capping Awards in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Excerpt: "The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on March 4 approved a bill (HR 5) that would limit noneconomic damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000, CongressDaily/AM reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)


Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General

Eighth Circuit Upholds Award of Unpaid Contributions To Union Pension and Welfare Funds
The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld an award of $143,843 to a number of union pension and welfare funds for unpaid contributions owed by two 'alter-ego' companies. The case is Operating Engineers Local No. 101 Pension Fund, et al. v. K.C. Excavating & Grading, Inc. and G&C Excavating (No. 02-1988). (SpencerNet)

Design and Implementation Issues for Eligible Deferred Comp Plans After EGTRRA and the Proposed Regs
Excerpt: "Section 457(b) ... permits governmental and tax-exempt employers to offer an additional tax-advantaged employee benefit plan to their employees. [EGTRRA] and recently proposed regulations under Code section 457 provide significant additional guidance for employers who maintain or are considering adopting 457(b) plans. This article highlights some key issues facing plan sponsors in light of this new guidance." (Groom Law Group)

Silicon Valley Companies Lobbying Furiously Against Requirement to Expense Stock Options
Excerpt: "But there's widespread doubt that the hobbled tech industry still has the clout to counter the mounting pressure for companies to count options as an expense. Because stock options are now linked in the public's mind with executive excess and corporate scandal, it's unclear that the tech industry can repeat the success it had in fighting back a similar effort in 1995." (The [San Jose, Calif.] Mercury News)


Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Post a Help Wanted Ad

Pension Administrator
for Suburban /PA Montgomery County Pension Firm
in PA

Pension Sales Design Specialist
for American National Insurance Company
in TX

Pension Conversion Specialist
for Long Island Employee Benefits Group Ltd
in NY

Client Services Consultant
for American United Life Insurance Company - Retirement Services Division
in MA

ERISA Pension Analyst / Paralegal / Plan Administrator
for Retirement Plan Administration and ERISA Specialists
in IL
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)

PenServ's 13th Annual Academy 2003
in CA, NV, TX
April 22, 2003
PenServ, Inc.

Reconciling Federal and State COBRA Laws
in ALL STATES
March 25, 2003
Thompson Publishing Group

AICPA National Conference on Employee Benefit Plans
in TX
May 5, 2003
AICPA - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Newly Posted Press Releases
(Post Yours!)

SunGard Corbel Introduces New Catch-up Contributions Pamphlet
(SunGard Corbel)

New conneKt(tm) alert system: the next generation of retirement plan information management
(DailyAccess.Com, Inc.)


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