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August 14, 2003 - 8,445 subscribers
Today's sponsor: Thompson Publishing Group, Inc.
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“Cash-Balance Pension Plans – Opportunities and Challenges
for Employers and Plan Sponsors”
Audio Conference 8/20/03 * 2:00 p.m. ET Many employers are changing their pension plans to cash balance plans. These plans are attractive and can save the company money. But in some instances, the conversion has triggered disputes. . .and companies have found themselves in court! Don't let this happen to you! Register today for this interactive audio conference featuring employee benefits expert, Charles D. Lockwood, J.D. and LL.M. (Taxation).
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Creating the New Healthcare Consumer
Excerpt: "A recent survey commissioned by CIGNA HealthCare indicates that 92 percent of Americans want to be more informed health consumers. However, more than one-third say they lack the information or understanding needed to make the best choices." (Healthplan via Medscape; one-time registration required)
Healthcare, Heal Thyself
Excerpt: "Consumer-directed health care is hot. But is it a danger to the medical-insurance system?" (CFO.com)
DaimlerChrysler Still Faces Lawsuit after Adding Birth Control to Health Plan
Excerpt: "A month after DaimlerChrysler Corp. was sued for not having prescription contraceptive coverage in its health plan, the automaker stepped up to provide the coverage, but it now faces paying for the past exclusion." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch via International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)
Tiered Networks for Hospital and Physician Health Care Services
Excerpt: "The purpose of this Issue Brief is to provide an understanding of tiered provider networks and the issues involved, with an emphasis on tiered hospital networks. Under a tiered provider network benefit structure, employees pay different cost-sharing rates for different tiers of providers.' Full brief available for purchasing from EBRI at http://www.ebri.org/store/ebriib.htm (Employee Benefit Research Institute)
Facts from EBRI: Health Insurance and the Elderly (PDF)
4 pages. Overview of key provisions and statistics for both Medicare and employment-based retiree health insurance. (Employee Benefit Research Institute)
Who's Counted for Purposes of the Under-50-Participants HIPAA Privacy Exception?
Excerpt: "I have heard that HIPAA's privacy requirements don't apply to self-administered group health plans with fewer than 50 participants. But I'm confused about who counts as a participant for this purpose. Our company has 60 employees, all of whom are eligible for our self-administered health FSA. However, only 40 employees have elected to participate. Does the exclusion apply to our plan?" (EBIA Weekly (Question of the Week))
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry (2000)
Excerpt: "Paid time off continued to be the most prevalent benefit available to workers in private establishments in 2000. Paid vacations were available to 80% of employees and paid holidays to 77% of employees in private industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. These data are from the National Compensation Survey (NCS), which provides comprehensive measures of occupational earnings, compensation cost trends, and details of benefit provisions." (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Benefits Analyst
for City Colleges of Chicago
in IL
Sr. Plan Administrator
for Actuarial Benefits Co
in CA
Employee Benefits Managing Consultant (03-0001054)
for Wachovia Corporation
in NC
ERISA Corporate Counsel
for ADP
in NJ
Manager, Compensation & Benefits
for RS Information Systems
in VA
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)
The Health Care Cost Crisis and Strategies That Work
in RI
October 7, 2003
New England Employee Benefits Council
Retirement Plan Compliance Testing: What Every Benefits Professional Needs to Know
in MA
September 17, 2003
New England Employee Benefits Council
ERISA Litigation Conference
in NY
September 22, 2003
Glasser LegalWorks
ERISA Litigation Conference
in CA
October 16, 2003
Glasser LegalWorks
Newly Posted Press Releases
(Post Yours!)
Evolution Benefits and WiredCommute Announce Agreement
(Evolution Benefits)
SunGard Corbel Introduces Relius Government Forms 1099/W-2 Batch Import
(SunGard Corbel)
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
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Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D.
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