| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
September 19, 2003 - 8,548 subscribers
Today's sponsor: EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Where the best benefits employers find the best candidates Fill your employee benefits job openings fast by advertising on BenefitsLink. What better place to find qualified candidates? Your help wanted ad will be listed in the BenefitsLink Newsletter (over 21,000 subscriptions to the two editions), will be seen by thousands of candidates who view our listings online, and will be emailed to over 3,100 job-seekers. Click to see how easy it is to place an ad!
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
One Year Later: a Look at Health Reimbursement Arrangements
Excerpt: "HRAs may get a further boost from an IRS private letter ruling issued last month approving an HRA that links the employees' reimbursement amount to their wages and personal exemptions reported on Form W-4." (Thompson Publishing Group)
Health Care Consumerism: Buzz Phrase or Effective Strategy?
Excerpt: "Positioned properly, a health care consumerism approach should empower employees to affect the rising cost of health care." (Aon Consulting)
Saving Money on Prescription Drug Plans (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "[S]everal clients asked us to examine their plans and determine if any basic design changes or participant communications would decrease costs without a major cut in benefits. After reviewing a number of plans, we found most share 4 areas where cost effectiveness might be improved: 1. Multiple prescriptions; 2. Copays for drug categories; 3. Mail order plans; [and] 4. Formularies." (Michael Greve, FLMI, CEBS)
OTC Meds in Cafeteria Plans: Some 'Under the Radar' Issues to Consider (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "A new IRS revenue ruling opens the door to employers allowing flexible spending accounts to reimburse employees' expenses for non-prescription medications. Though this change is appealing to employers, the ruling raises administrative issues that will require some careful consideration." (Gardner Carton Douglas LLP)
Overview: DOL Clarifies QMED Compliance in New Guidance
Excerpt: "Several issues that have plagued employers and other plan sponsors regarding how to administer qualified medical child support orders (QMEDs) were clarified in guidance issued Aug. 4 by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The Q&A guidance addresses both QMEDs and National Medical Support Notices (NMSNs) from state child-support enforcement agencies (SCSEAs)." (Thompson Publishing Group)
Overview: Recent IRS Guidance for Health FSAs and HRAs (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "Revenue Ruling 2003-43, issued on May 6, 2003, permits reimbursement of health care expenses under employee-funded flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and employer-funded health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) by means of debit cards and credit cards. Revenue Ruling 2003-102, issued on September 3, 2003, permits reimbursement of expenses for over-the-counter medications from FSAs and HRAs. This Alert briefly summarizes these two Revenue Rulings." (Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Senate Committee Proposal Taxes Certain COLI Policies
Excerpt: "Tacked onto the recent passage of a US Senate retirement reform bill was a requirement for companies to pay taxes on death benefits for corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) policies for employees who have been separated from employment with the company for at least one year." (PLANSPONSOR.com; one-time registration required)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Administrators
for Associated Pension Consultants
in CA
Compensation & Benefits Plan Administration Merger Analyst
for BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust)
in NC
Compensation & Benefits Audit & Government Filing Merger Analyst
for BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust)
in NC
Trust Operations Manager
for CNA Trust
in CA
Senior Payroll Analyst
for Fidelity Employer Services Company
in NH
Client Service Manager - Defined Benefit
for Fidelity Employer Service Company
in MA
Newly Posted Webcasts
(Post Yours!)
“Employer-Provided Benefits: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future”
on September 18, 2003
presented by KaiserNetwork.org
Prescription Drugs and Canada
on September 5, 2003
presented by KaiserNetwork.org
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)
Managed Change™ Workshop
in IL
October 27, 2003
LaMarsh / HRTrainingCenter.com
Managed Change™ Workshop
in IL
February 16, 2004
LaMarsh / HRTrainingCenter.com
Retirement Plan Insights (Two Days)
in CA
October 20, 2003
McKay Hochman / HRTrainingCenter.com
Retirement Plan Insights (Two Days)
in MD
November 24, 2003
McKay Hochman / HRTrainingCenter.com
COBRA
in AL
November 4, 2003
Infinisource / HRTrainingCenter.com
COBRA
in TX
November 4, 2003
Infinisource / HRTrainingCenter.com
COBRA
in TX
November 5, 2003
Infinisource / HRTrainingCenter.com
COBRA
in KS
November 11, 2003
Infinisource / HRTrainingCenter.com
COBRA
in OK
November 12, 2003
Infinisource / HRTrainingCenter.com
Health Care Coverage for Your Employees: Can You Afford It?
in NC
September 30, 2003
Southwestern Commission
Basics Of Wage & Salary Administration
in IL
November 5, 2003
EAConnect / HRTrainingCenter.com
The How-To's Of Workers' Comp & OSHA (for California)
in CA
September 25, 2003
California Assoc. of Employers / HRTrainingCenter.com
Disability Management Implementation
in CA
November 4, 2003
Insurance Educational Association / HRTrainingCenter.com
Health Care Cost Containment: Fraud Red Flags
in ALL STATES
September 23, 2003
IFEBP / HRTrainingCenter.com
The Four Roles of Effective Leadership
in ALL STATES
October 23, 2003
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Time Management
in ALL STATES
October 24, 2003
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Time Management
in ALL STATES
January 30, 2004
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Collaborative Conflict Resolution
in ALL STATES
January 18, 2004
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Leadership Savvy - Seeing Others With 20/20 Vision
in
October 14, 2003
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Leadership Savvy - Seeing Others With 20/20 Vision
in ALL STATES
November 10, 2003
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Leadership Savvy - Seeing Others With 20/20 Vision
in ALL STATES
December 12, 2003
WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Pension Issues for Multi-National Employers
in NY
November 13, 2003
The Society of Actuaries Retirement Systems Practice Area and Pension Section
Depression Disability Insurance Claims
in CA
December 8, 2003
American Conference Institute
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: