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March 31, 2003 - 8,069 subscribers
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Health Insurers Seek Clarity on Canadian Drug Import Ban
Excerpt: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent move to stiffen enforcement of a ban on U.S. imports of drugs from Canada has uncertain implications for health insurers, prompting at least one group to seek clarification. The concern is health plans could inadvertently flout FDA policy by reimbursing patients for prescriptions obtained while traveling abroad." (Reuters Health via Medscape; one-time registration required)
Federal Regulators Worry About HIPAA Transaction Compliance by Covered Entities
Excerpt: "As the Oct. 16, 2003, deadline draws near mandating the use of electronic claims transactions by health providers, health plans, data clearinghouses, and other 'covered entities' under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), federal regulators remain concerned about a low level of awareness that could interrupt cash flow or disrupt patient care." (Medscape Medical News; one-time registration required)
California Warns HMOs Not to Drop Drug Classes in Favor of OTCs
Excerpt: "California regulators this month cautioned health plans not to terminate coverage of entire classes of prescription medications when a drug in a class becomes available without a prescription, a move that some consumer advocates believe could have potentially sweeping implications for health plans everywhere. California ... is believed to be the first state in the nation to advise plans against pulling the plug on entire categories of medicines." (Reuters Health via Medscape; one-time registration required)
More Americans Looking to Canadian Suppliers for Drugs
Excerpt: "Just a few years ago, they took the bus to Canada-- mostly older Americans from northern states who knew that filling prescriptions at Canadian pharmacies could save them big money. But now people from all over the country are doing it, too-- by mail order via the Internet." (AARP Bulletin)
House Government Reform Committee Considers Regulation of Online Pharmacies
Excerpt: "The House Government Reform Committee on March 26 opened hearings to discuss prescription drug sales through online pharmacies, CongressDaily/AM reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)
Issue Spotlight: Prescription Drugs
Impressive collection of online resources. (KaiserNetwork.org)
Updated: Prescription Drug Trends
Excerpt: "This updated 2-page fact sheet provides trend data for prescription drug coverage, expenditures, and the key factors that contribute to rising prescription spending: increases in utilization and prices, and changes in drug use from older drugs to newer higher-priced drugs." (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Companies Look Beyond Stock Options to Find New Incentives for Employees
Excerpt: "With stock-option expensing almost a fait accompli, corporate America is already designing new, more elaborate types of equity compensation to motivate and reward employees. Whether these new incentives will go only to top executives or to rank-and-file workers remains to be seen." (The San Francisco Chronicle)
Secretary of Labor: Preserve Jobs of Active Duty Workers
Excerpt: "Now that America is at war with Iraq, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao reminds employers of their duty to preserve the jobs of the 178,000 Americans who have been called to active duty in the National Guard and military reserve units." (Orlando Business Journal via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required)
Some Employers Going Beyond Call of Duty to Provide Benefits for Reservists: the Top 10
Excerpt: "While the reservists are paid by the military, they often receive far less than they were earning in civilian life. Reservists' pensions are legally protected; beyond that, much is up to the employer. Some are more generous than others." (ABCNews.go.com)
Opinion: Is Diversity Overrated?
Excerpt: "The Supreme Court hears arguments next week in the cases that may determine whether racial and ethnic preferences in higher education admissions and hiring are preserved or discarded. Whatever it decides, the court should be skeptical of one of the most popular justifications for preferential treatment of minority applicants: that a diverse student body necessarily improves the quality of education for everyone." (Stanley Rothman in the New York Times; one-time registration required)
The Complicated Calculus of Stock Options: the Valuation Problem
Excerpt: "Lurking in the small type of corporate financial statements is a new problem that threatens the ability of investors to divine the true health of a company's earnings. Companies are taking widely varying approaches to estimating the cost of the stock options they award to their executives and employees, and the differences are sometimes large enough to make comparisons between companies difficult." (New York Times; one-time registration required)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Administrators
for Associated Pension Consultants
in CA
Plan Administrator
for HCH Companies, Inc.
in FL
Internal Sales Consultant
for New York Life Investment Management, LLC
in MA
Newly Posted Webcasts
(Post Yours!)
Managing Your Benefits Program to Control Costs
on April 4, 2003
presented by Inside Benefits and Technical Answer Group
Newly Posted Press Releases
(Post Yours!)
WEB Honors ERISA Founding Father John N. Erlenborn
(Worldwide Employee Benefits Network)
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
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