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July 13, 2004
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(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
The Retiree Health Benefits Trap
Excerpt: "Old-line companies have pledged a trillion dollars to retirees. Now they're struggling to compete with new rivals, and many can't pay the bill." (BusinessWeek)

Newt Gingrich Aims to Transform Health Care
Excerpt: "We are heading for a future in which we not only spend more money on health care, but the nation as a whole gets sicker, receives inferior care and loses its competitive edge. Reforming the system will not do, according to Gingrich. It must be transformed." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)

To Bridge the Skills Gap, Corporations Turn to After-School Learning Programs
Excerpt: "Employers have long complained about workers whose education has ill prepared them for the job market. Now companies are trying to fix the problem with the next generation of employees via after-school programs. IBM offers tutoring and mentoring sessions. Dell hosts courses in which students learn how to assemble computers." (Workforce.com)

ERIC Policy Statement: Mental Health Parity (PDF)
Excerpt: "The Domenici-Kennedy Bill's substitute amendment has some remaining problem areas from the employer prospective. These issues are: 1) lack of clear federal preemption; 2) lack of protection for medical management practices; 3) an ambiguous parity test; 4) no protections from loss of health coverage or increased costs; 5) lack of a sunset provision; 6) bill should not apply to federal or state mandated mental health coverage; and 7) the bill should not apply to out-of-network benefits." (ERISA Industry Committee)

Critics, Supporters Debate Effects of Health Savings Accounts
Excerpt: "HSA supporters say the accounts will offer new chances to expand coverage to the self-employed, owners of small businesses and people whose employers do not offer health insurance. But critics say the accounts will segment the market, enabling the wealthy and healthy to enjoy tax breaks, while low-income and less healthy people remain in the traditional insurance pool." (California Healthline)

Attacking Rise In Health Costs, Big Company Meets Resistance
Excerpt: "What Pitney Bowes learned tells the larger story of why health costs keep rising in America: A dysfunctional market creates few incentives for any of its participants to deliver efficient care. In fact, competition among insurers, health-care providers and producers of drugs and equipment can often lead to higher, not lower prices." (Wall Street Journal via SFGate.com)

House Expected To Pass Agriculture Appropriations Bill That Blocks FDA Ban on Reimportation
Excerpt: "The House this week likely will pass the fiscal year 2005 agriculture appropriations bill (HR 4766), despite a provision that would block FDA enforcement of a ban on prescription drug reimportation, CQ Today reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)

Administration Seeks Trade Policy Fix for Drug Imports
Excerpt: "President George W. Bush has turned to international trade policy as he looks for ways to protect the U.S. pharmaceutical industry from importation of cheaper prescriptions from countries with price controls." (Boston Globe)

Sen. Frist Proposes Health Insurance Reform
Excerpt: "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), in a wide-ranging health policy speech yesterday, said he wants to use the federal tax code to force wealthy uninsured Americans to enroll in high-deductible 'catastrophic' plans that would cover the most severe illnesses or injuries." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)

Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General

Massachusetts Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Leaves Uncertainty for Plan Sponsors
Excerpt: "When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled last year, by a slim 4-to-3 margin, that barring same-sex marriage was violative of the Bay State's constitution, it cited an interest in affording those couples 'the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage' ... However, for plan sponsors who administer many of those 'benefits,' the impact is anything but clear, particularly outside the Bay State ..." (PLANSPONSOR.com; one-time registration required)

FASB Might Delay Stock Compensation Expensing Rule
Excerpt: "The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) may delay the effective date of its proposed rules requiring fair value expensing for stock options and other equity awards. This Perspective Alert! discusses factors that may lead to the delay and suggests how companies should address the uncertainty." (Mercer)

Newly Posted Events

Consumer-Directed Health Care: The Next Big Thing?
Nationwide on July 9, 2004
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation

Don't Get Nailed In Court By Your Performance Reviews
Nationwide on August 5, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com

Employee Surveys: The Action Management Challenge
Nationwide on July 22, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com

Managed Accounts: What Plan Sponsors Need To Know
Nationwide on July 28, 2004
presented by Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America (PSCA)

Fearless and Persuasive Speaking
Nationwide on July 20, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com

Improving Employee Performance
Nationwide on July 26, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com

Measuring Return on Investment from HR Initiatives
Nationwide on September 9, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com

PHR / SPHR Recertification Suite
Nationwide on July 12, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com

Setting and Managing 2005 Compensation Conference
in New York on September 19, 2004
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com
Newly Posted Press Releases

New Hay Group Study Finds Twenty-Five Percent of Companies Do Not Have Executive Severance Policies: Almost One-Third of CEOs Lack Employment Contracts
(Hay Group)

Responding to Urgent Need, Fee-only Retirement Plan Consulting Association Forms
(Revere Coalition)

National Benefit Advisors Group Hosts National Advisor Summit
(National Benefit Advisors Group)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Post a Help Wanted Ad

Benefits Manager (Service Delivery Manager)
for Towers Perrin
in VA

Motivated Sales Representatives (3 positions open)
for Primark Benefits
in CA

Account/Client Services Manager
for Zenith Administrators
in CA, WA

Plan Contributions Services Specialist
for ICMA Retirement Corporation
in DC

Pension Administrator
for San Luis Pension Consultants, Inc.
in CA

401K Wholesaler
for Fortune 500 Insurance Carrier
in NY, TX

Senior Plan Administrator
for RSM McGladrey
in MN

Analyst/Consultant
for ESOP Economics, Inc.
in PA

Client Service Rep. - Defined Contribution Plans (401(k)/Profit Sharing)
for Decimal, Inc. (www.theonline401k.com/schwab)
in CA

Third Party Pension Administrator
for Karr Barth Pension Administration, Inc.
in PA

Employee Benefit Trust Officer I
for Regions Financial Corp.
in AL

Sr. Health & Welfare Consultant
for Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions
in TX

Director, Health & Welfare Consulting
for Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions
in TX

Pension Administrator
for The Nolan Company
in KS

Retirement Plan Consultant
for Metavante Corporation
in CA

Benefits Administrator
for Education Management Corp.
in PA

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