| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
July 30, 2004
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Bush Plans Flextime Proposal
Excerpt: "His aides did not give details about what he will propose beyond saying that he wants to give parents more chances to participate in their children's lives by letting workers accrue hours that they could take off later. President Bill Clinton pushed the issue in his reelection campaign of 1996." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)
GASB's Final Standards for Accounting and Reporting for Postemployment Benefits Other Than Pensions (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "All public sector plans that cover postemployment benefits (other than pensions) -- and the sponsoring entities -- will be required to report the cost of these benefits on their balance sheets. Postemployment benefits include health, prescription drug, dental, vision and life insurance coverage for retirees; long-term care coverage, life insurance and death benefits that are not offered as part of a pension plan; and long-term disability insurance for employees." (The Segal Company)
Analysis: Treasury Guidance Clears Much Confusion on HSA Issues (PDF)
15 pages. Excerpt: "The guidance consists of 88 questions and answers that favorably address a wide array of outstanding HSA issues including the following: ... The extent to which cafeteria plan rules (e.g. benefit election change rules, cafeteria plan non-discrimination rules, etc.) apply to HSA contributions made through a cafeteria plan ..." (Employers Council on Flexible Compensation)
Overview: Aetna Health Inc. v. Davila
Excerpt: "Davila is obviously a positive development for health care plans. Following Davila, a plan should not be subject to a state tort (or other) claims for a benefit denial, unless the plan actually employs the treating physician." (Groom Law Group)
Going for Brokers: Spitzer Rides Again
Excerpt: "Three giant insurers -- Aetna, Cigna, and MetLife -- all confirmed last June that Spitzer's office has been issuing subpoenas as part of an ongoing probe into the financial ties they have with brokers who handle health, disability, and group life accounts. That move came after Spitzer had handed out subpoenas to some of the biggest names in commercial brokerage: Marsh & McLennan, Aon, and Willis Group Holdings, among others." (Managed Care Magazine)
Drug Benefits Generating Fierce Debate in Milwaukee
Excerpt: "A proposal to save about $120,000 by encouraging some city employees to use generic drugs instead of name-brand drugs is causing an intense debate in the city of Milwaukee." (Workforce.com)
10 Things You Want from Your Pharmacy Benefit Manager
Excerpt: "PBMs want consumers to use more medication because they are paid by prescription; plans want less medication dispensed to keep costs down . Still, these divergent interests are forced to work together because, as one PBM consultant noted, 'there isn't a lot of choice unless a company is big enough to start its own PBM.'" (Managed Care Magazine)
The Weight Debate
Excerpt: "This is one health care frenzy that shows every sign of heating up even more ... And [managed care organizations] have responded in anything but uniform fashion." (Managed Care Magazine)
Opinion: HHS Made Wrong Decision in Covering Obesity
Excerpt: "Compassionate conservatism' is apparently the Republican version of being generous with other people's money. The most recent example is the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to broaden Medicare coverage to include weight-loss therapies ... [O]besity is a condition that is expensive to insure because insurance reduces the cost of irresponsible life-style choices and is likely to increase the incidence of the insured condition." (William Niskanen published by the Cato Institute)
Opinion: Medicare Shift on Obesity Cost Coverage Could be Heavy Burden on Taxpayers
Excerpt: "[I]f all the taxpayer-financed surgeries, diet programs and counseling actually work (a big if) the upshot could be lower taxpayer costs.... In the case of smokers, economic analyses indicate taxpayer savings from less health care in old age and fewer Social Security payments (because of shorter life expectancies) outweigh the costs of treating tobacco-related diseases. Something similar could be true of obesity." (Washington Times)
Opinion: Kerry vs. Health Care
Excerpt: "Prominent liberal columnist Paul Krugman recently wrote that 'considering its scope, [John] Kerry's health plan has received remarkably little attention.' Krugman may not enjoy watching it get the attention it deserves: The Kerry health plan would undermine health coverage and reform more than any proposal since President Clinton's Health Security Act, and deserves as much scrutiny." (Michael Cannon published by the Cato Institute)
Long-Distance Elder Care Can Be Full-Time Responsibility
Excerpt: "An estimated seven million Americans are long-distance caregivers, defined as someone who cares from afar for a chronically ailing person.... The cost is high in both money and time. Among the 80% of long-distance caregivers who are employed, 44% have rearranged their work schedules and 36% missed days of work, with an average of 20 work hours a month lost to caregiving duties." (CareerJournal.com)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Policy Brief: New Social Security Display Ban Bill Provides Less Burden on Plan Administration (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "H.R. 2971 Prohibits Social Security Numbers on Employee IDs, Allows Exemptions" (HR Policy Association)
CEO Pay Continues to Rise, Despite Calls for Restraint
Excerpt: "The median pay for U.S. chief executives increased 15% last year and rose even more -- 22% -- for those at larger companies, according to a survey by Corporate Library, a corporate governance research firm." (Los Angeles Times; one-time registration required)
Benefit Costs Keep Surging At 14-Yr High
Excerpt: "Employee benefit costs continued to soar in the second quarter, while slim wage gains failed to keep pace with inflation." (Investor's Business Daily)
Newly Posted Events
Discover2005
in Colorado on February 25, 2005
presented by First Trust, Lincoln Trust and Resources Trust
Healthcare Cost Containment Strategies For Employers
in Louisiana on October 26, 2004
presented by International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC)
Life Insurance Company Products - Current Securities, Tax, ERISA, and State Regulatory Issues
in District of Columbia on November 4, 2004
presented by ALI-ABA (American Law Institute-American Bar Association)
Managing Critical HR Issues During Divestitures and Spin-Offs
Nationwide on July 30, 2004
presented by Hewitt Associates LLC
Pay For Quality & Provider Scorecards For Employers
in Massachusetts on September 30, 2004
presented by International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC)
Newly Posted Press Releases
Federal Insurer Will Pay Pensions At Kaiser Aluminum
(Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC))
Employer-Sponsored Investment Advice Survey Report
(Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM))
ERISA Advisory Council to Hold Working Group Meetings in August
(U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.)
Retirement Industry Expert Delivers Leading Edge Insights to Top CPA Firm
(White Horse Advisors)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Administrator
for A Leading Accounting and Consulting Firm
in MN
Pension Administrator
for New England Pension
in RI
Client Delivery Team Leader
for Towers Perrin
in VA
401(k) / ESOP Plan Administrator
for Employee Administration and Consulting Company
in MN
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