| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
June 11, 2003 - 8,276 subscribers
Today's sponsor: BenefitsLink Yellow Pages
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Outsource benefits tasks by selecting a vendor from our online directory Your employee benefits service or product can be advertised in an online directory sponsored by the nation's leading employee benefits web site-- BenefitsLink. Your listing can take readers directly to your web site, or to a full-page advertisement we'll create. Just $200 per year (or $400 per year for a premium listing)!
Small-Business Lobbying Group Warns Against Association Health Plans Bill
Excerpt: "Health insurance premiums would increase by an average of 6% in the small-business market and the number of uninsured would rise by more than 1 million if association health plans were exempted from state regulation, according to National Small Business United, a lobbying group." (Modern Healthcare)
Health Insurers, Drug Companies Wary of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Proposals
Excerpt: "The government is facing considerable skepticism from managed care companies and drug makers as chances grow that Congress will pass legislation to provide prescription drug coverage to the elderly." (New York Times; one-time registration required)
Retiree Health Coverage Cut for Ohio Teachers
Excerpt: "STRS is the pension fund for Ohio's public school teachers and administrators. For years, retired teachers also have received generous health care coverage through the fund. But on May 16, STRS board members approved major changes to the health care coverage, citing rising medical costs and declining revenues. These changes include requiring teachers with fewer than 15 years teaching to pay their full premiums-- which can cost $500 to $600 a month." (The [Akron, Oh.] Beacon Journal)
Health Care Costs Stabilize But Remain High In 2002
Excerpt: "Health care spending per privately insured person increased 9.6 percent in 2002, a slight reduction from the 10 percent increase in 2001. This is the first time in five years that the spending trend did not accelerate. Nonetheless, health care spending grew nearly four times faster than the U.S. economy grew in 2002." (Health Affairs)
Medicare Q&A
Excerpt: "What is the current Medicare debate all about?" (Washington Post)
Overview: DOL Proposed Regulations Clarify, Expand COBRA Notice Obligations
Excerpt: "If a plan fails to establish reasonable procedures for the furnishing of notices of qualifying events, a covered employee's or qualified beneficiary's written or oral notification of a specific qualifying event to any officer of the employer or any other employee who customarily handles employee benefits matters of the employer will be considered valid notice to the plan administrator and binding upon the plan." (McDermott, Will & Emery)
Ways & Means Chairman Proposes Expanding MSAs, Combining Them with FSAs
Excerpt: "The bill makes most of the long overdo corrections to existing MSA law. It is permanent. There is no enrollment cap or employer-size limit. In fact, it appears that any individual with a qualifying insurance plan may set up his own 'Health Savings Account (HSA),' with or without employer involvement." (The Galen Institute)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution Account Manager
for National Retirement Services, Inc.
in CA, NC
Retirement Plan Administrator
for InWest Pension Management, Inc.
in TX
Assistant Vice President of Compliance Testing
for CitiStreet (a State Street and Citigroup Company)
in MA
FSA Claims Administrator
for Complink
in TX
401K Account Manager
for Management Recruiters of Wildwood
in MO
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)
USERRA: Troubleshooting the HR Implications of Military Leave
in ALL STATES
July 2, 2003
Thompson Publishing Group
Newly Posted Press Releases
(Post Yours!)
Sentinel’s Growth Spurt Continues
(Sentinel Benefits)
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
Copyright 2003 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you can forward this email in full (including this boilerplate part) or otherwise reprint this email in full (including this boilerplate part) without obtaining our permission.
Published by:
BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
https://benefitslink.com/about.html
1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H
Winter Park FL 32789
(407) 644-4146
Fax: (407) 644-2151
Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D.
Housekeeping: