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July 23, 2004
Today's sponsor: NCEO

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Check out the publications by the NCEO in the BenefitsLink Bookstore!
The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), a nonprofit
membership and research organization that provides information on
broad-based employee stock plans, now has over a dozen of its
most popular publications available for purchase in the
BenefitsLink bookstore. Topics range from employee stock
ownership plans (ESOPs) to stock options to employee stock
purchase plans (ESPPs).

(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Text of Notice 2004-50 Providing 88 Q&As on Health Savings Accounts (PDF)
30 pages. Excerpt: "This notice provides guidance on Health Savings Accounts.... Notice 2004-2, 2004-2 I.R.B. 269, provides certain basic information on HSAs in question and answer format. This notice addresses additional questions relating to HSAs." (Internal Revenue Service)

Public Fear of Genetic Discrimination Grows
Excerpt: "While science is moving rapidly to develop more tests to detect genetic abnormalities that can lead to disease, the public is growing more wary about the possibility of their genetic information falling into the wrong hands, witnesses told a U.S. House subcommittee Thursday." (Reuters via Medscape; one-time registration required)

Health Insurer Changing Participants' Numbers; Moving Away from Use of Social Security Numbers
Excerpt: "Most health insurers have long used enrollees' Social Security numbers on their membership cards, but are changing that. If the cards are lost or stolen, people can use the Social Security numbers to hijack a member's identity to fraudulently obtain credit and merchandise. Aetna and CIGNA began converting to different identification numbers on Jan. 1." (CTNow.com)

Senate-Passed Bill Creates System for Tracking Expensive Medical Errors
Excerpt: "Legislation approved by the Senate Thursday would set up a confidential, voluntary reporting system under which doctors and hospitals could disclose information on medical errors without fear of legal repercussions." (AP via Washington Post; one-time registration required)

Working Group on Health and Welfare Form 5500 Requirements to Meet August 3
Excerpt: "The session will take place in Room N3437 A-C, U.S. Department of Labor Building, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. The purpose of the meeting, which will begin at 9 a.m. and end at approximately 3 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break at noon, is for the working group to hear from select witnesses on the issue." (U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefit Security Administration, Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans)

States Struggle With Rising Health Benefits Costs' Impact On Budgets, Employee Cost Share
In 2004, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire had the highest average costs for employees' family health insurance coverage at $1,355, $1,330, and $1,304, respectively, according to a study recently released by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Massachusetts and New Hampshire also experienced among the largest cost increases (29% and 27%, respectively) for family health benefits from 2003; while Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia had slight decreases. (Spencer Benefits Reports)

Boston Mayor Releases Details for Prescription Drug Reimportation Pilot Program
Excerpt: "Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) on Wednesday unveiled a plan to launch a pilot program in August that would allow some city employees and retirees to reimport lower-cost, U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada, the Boston Herald reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)

Speeding the Adoption of Innovative Health Care Programs (PDF)
12 pages. Excerpt: "For this study, the authors conducted case studies of four varied clinical programs to learn key factors influencing the diffusion and adoption of evidence-based innovations in health care. They found that the success and speed of the adoption/diffusion process depend on: ..." (The Commonwealth Fund)

CMS Extends Mental Health Parity Sunset Date (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "This document contains an amendment to the interim final regulation that implements the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) to conform the sunset date of the regulation to the sunset date of the statute under legislation passed by the 108th Congress." (The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

Opinion: New Retirement Medical Account Proposal Would Create Tax Shelter, Swell Deficits
Excerpt: "In a major health policy address on July 12, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist promoted a proposal to create new, tax-advantaged 'Lifetime Health IRAs.' Also known as Retirement Medical Benefit Accounts (RMBAs), these accounts are intended to encourage financial security for retirees by helping them pay for long-term care costs and other health care expenses." (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Opinion: Kerry-Krugman Healthcare?
Excerpt: "[C]ontrary to [New York Times columnist Paul] Krugman's contention, HSA policies are likely to encourage more companies to provide health insurance.... What is it with liberals and health care? Every time they don't achieve their desired policy, they act as though no one, except them, took the preceding debate seriously." (The American Spectator)

Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General

Same Sex Marriages Present Challenges to Retirement Plan Sponsors (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "This conflict between federal law and some state and local laws creates concerns for sponsors of retirement plans that are generally subject to federal law. For example, to what extent must they, or may they, recognize same-sex marriages when applying survivor benefit and spousal consent rules?" (Prudential Retirement's Pension Analyst)

Couple Files Suit in Florida for Recognition of Massachusetts Same-Sex Marriage
Excerpt: "They filed a lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court in Tampa to challenge the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which says states don't have to recognize one another's same-sex unions, and a Florida law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman." (Washington Times)

Marriage Protection Act Passes House
Excerpt: "The House approved a bill yesterday to strip the federal courts of jurisdiction over same-sex marriage cases, despite warnings by opponents that the measure is unconstitutional and would open the floodgates for efforts to prevent judges from ruling on other issues, from gun control to abortion." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)

Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 3313 - Marriage Protection Act of 2004 (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 3313, which would ensure that Federal courts could not invalidate the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)." (White House)

Corporate Reforms Reassessed
Excerpt: "Also under attack is a provision that prohibits companies from making loans to top executives -- an idea that picked up momentum after disclosures that WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers accepted $408 million in loans when the company's earnings were being misrepresented. Business executives now complain that the law went too far by prohibiting relocation loans and insurance payments that are common in business." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)

Opinion: When Politicians Write Accounting Rules, Reality Can Be Forgotten
Excerpt: "[T]he House of Representatives voted 312 to 111 in favor of a bill that Warren Buffett has called 'lunacy' but that the sponsors called the Stock Option Accounting Reform Act. The bill would overrule the Financial Accounting Standards Board and let companies go on ignoring the value of options they give out." (Floyd Norris in the New York Times; one-time registration required)

Tech Industry Learns Give-and-Take in Stock Options Bill
Excerpt: "Silicon Valley is as close as it's ever been to seeing its position on stock options enacted into law, thanks to a little political compromise." (eWeek)

ERISA Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans to Meet August 4
Excerpt: "The purpose of the meeting, which will begin at 9 a.m. and end at approximately 10:30 a.m., is for the chairpersons of the Council's working groups to provide progress reports; for Council members to discuss suggestions for the next National Summit on Retirement Savings; and to receive an update on the activities of the [EBSA]. Organizations or members of the public wishing to submit a written statement pertaining to any topics under consideration by the Advisory Council may do so ..." (U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefit Security Administration, Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans)

Newly Posted Events

Hearing on Genetic Non-Discrimination: Examining the Implications for Workers and Employers
Nationwide on July 22, 2004
presented by U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee, Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee

Looking Under the Hood of Prescription Drug Importation
Nationwide on July 22, 2004
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation

Plan Terminations, Mergers, and the 204(h) Notice Web Seminar
Nationwide on August 24, 2004
presented by SunGard Corbel
Newly Posted Press Releases

Treasury Issues Comprehensive Health Savings Account Guidance
(U.S. Department of Treasury)

ARAG Adds Caregiving Services To Its Legal Plan To Meet Growing Need Of Today’s Workforce
(ARAG North America)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
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Regional Benefits Services Manager
for HEREIU Welfare-Pension Funds
in IL

Enrollment Coordinator (Rochester, NY and Tampa, FL)
for Manulife Financial
in FL, NY

Chief Executive Officer, SamCERA
for County of San Mateo
in CA

Pension Analyst
for REPTECH
in CO

Claims Auditor
for Lindquist LLP
in CA, WA

Business Development Consultant, MFG
for KeyBank
in OH

Sales Assistant
for Great-West Healthcare
in CA

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