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January 22, 2004 - 8,783 subscribers
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Bush Fires First With Health Care Proposals
Excerpt: "Health care for the uninsured is shaping up to be the next big issue this election year, and President Bush staked his claim on Tuesday, outlining a handful of proposals to help the uninsured get medical coverage." (Washington Times)
Association Health Plans Touted by Bush Raise Issues of Fairness
Excerpt: "When President Bush urged Congress during his State of the Union address to give small businesses more freedom to 'band together' to negotiate lower health insurance rates, some lobbyists rejoiced while others were distressed." (Washington Post)
ERIC Calls for Greater Health Care System Reforms to Expand Access, Lower Costs
Press release. Excerpt: "The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today applauded the President's emphasis on strengthening the private health care system by reducing health care costs, expanding coverage for the uninsured, and creating opportunities for small employer group purchasing. Nevertheless, ERIC expressed the concern of major employers that the fundamental causes of high health care costs and eroding coverage need to be addressed." (ERISA Industry Committee)
Opinion: Bush's Healthcare Proposals
Excerpt: "President Bush offered a skimpy menu of warmed-over health care proposals in his State of the Union address this week, evidently hoping to convince voters that he is doing something about the millions of Americans who have joined the ranks of the uninsured during his administration." (New York Times; one-time registration required)
Sen. Kennedy to Propose Universal Healthcare
Excerpt: "In a speech to health care advocates today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts plans to propose legislation to provide health insurance to all Americans at a federal price tag of $100 billion a year." (Boston Globe)
Study: Taxes Pay for Most Obesity Costs
Excerpt: "Taxpayers foot the doctor's bill for more than half of obesity-related medical costs, which reached a total of $75 billion in 2003, according to a new study." (Washington Post)
Opinion: Health Savings Accounts Will Revolutionize American Health Care
Excerpt: " Health Savings Accounts are designed to help correct a major flaw in tax law that distorts our entire health care system. Every dollar an employer pays for employee health insurance premiums avoids income and payroll taxes. For a middle-income employee, this generous tax subsidy means that government is effectively paying for almost half the cost of the health insurance." (National Center for Policy Analysis)
Health Plan-Provider Contract Showdowns Subside
Excerpt: "Although contract negotiations between health plans and providers have remained tense during the past two years, overt impasses have declined, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2002-03 site visits to 12 nationally representative communities." (Center for Studying Health System Change)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Message From Employees to Management: Tell It to Us Straight
Excerpt: "[C]an companies do a better job of communicating credibly with their employees? Most probably can, according to a new Towers Perrin survey of 1,000 Americans working in a broad cross section of industries. These employees have some simple advice to management: 'Tell it like it is.'" (Towers Perrin)
Opinion: Don't Give Us Too Many Choices
Excerpt: "The value of choice has been a consistent theme for the president and his administration. Problems in education, health care and a host of other issues, Mr. Bush has repeatedly argued, can be addressed in large measure by expanding the options available to people.... [F]or many people, increased choice can lead to a decrease in satisfaction. Too many options can result in paralysis, not liberation. Here is some of the evidence:" (New York Times; one-time registration required)
The Rise of Restricted-Stock Grants
Excerpt: "A 2003 PricewaterhouseCoopers human resource services survey shows that 15 percent more companies use restricted stock than in 2002. Switching from options to restricted stock is not necessarily all that easy to pull off." (Workforce.com)
IRS Compensation Audit: Are Fringe Benefits Next?
Excerpt: "As the IRS examines executive compensation, it will pay attention to large paychecks, deferred compensation arrangements and stock options.... But these are not the only forms of compensation receiving IRS scrutiny: Fringe benefits including some of those provided to less highly compensated employees are in the IRS' sights, as well." (Thompson Publishing Group)
Newly Posted Events
Online Training & Certification Program On Employment Closure: Handling Health, Cafeteria, and Retirement Benefits Upon Termination
Nationwide on January 23, 2004
presented by HRcertification.com
Controlling Disability Benefits Cost
in New York on January 29, 2004
presented by New York Metropolitan Area Chapter - ISCEBS
403(b) Plans - Intermediate Level (Two Days)
Nationwide on March 2, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Plan Freezes, Terminations, and Mergers
Nationwide on March 18, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Coordinating FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Compensation
Nationwide on February 5, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Introduction To Defined Benefit Plans
Nationwide on February 3, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Required Minimum Distribution Rules
Nationwide on February 1, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Participant Loans - Working with the Final Regulations
Nationwide on February 12, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Current Issues With 401(k) Plans
Nationwide on February 19, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Certificate in Employee Benefits Law Seminar
in California on February 23, 2004
presented by Institute for Applied Management & Law, Inc.
Advanced Certificate in Employee Benefits Law Seminar
in Nevada on May 19, 2004
presented by Institute for Applied Management & Law, Inc.
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Plan Administrator
for Benefit Resources, Inc.
in CA
Client Services Specialist
for Expertplan, Inc.
in NJ
Compliance and Reporting Department Manager
for Phoenix Area TPA
in AZ
Employee Benefits Tax Senior Manager
for Deloitte & Touche USA LLP
in TX
Qualified Plan Sales Representative
for Metavante 401(k) Services
in CA
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