| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
August 5, 2004
Today's sponsor: IQPC
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Conference on Healthcare Cost Containment Strategies for Employers Proven Strategies for Reducing your Healthcare Costs, Maintaining Healthy Employees and Sustaining a Competitive Benefits Package October 25 - 27th, 2004 * Chateau Sonesta Hotel * New Orleans, LA This must-attend event will provide you with real-time strategies and solutions in lowering your healthcare costs. Hear first-hand case studies on how to implement innovative techniques to ensure healthy employees while maintaining a competitive benefits package, and walk away with practical knowledge enabling your company to become a market leader in healthcare cost containment.
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
HR, Benefits Professionals Rate Addressing Health Care and Drug Costs As Top Priority
Excerpt: "[A]ddressing the rising cost of medical and prescription drug coverage ranked high among respondents, 76% of whom rated it as 'extremely important.'" (BenefitNews.com)
68% of U.S. Workers Report Burnout Symptoms
Excerpt: "Today's work culture of heavy workloads, longer days at the office, less time spent at home and fewer vacation days taken is causing rampant job burnout. In fact, 68 percent of workers report feeling burned out at the office, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey." (Mercer)
Issue Brief: How Genetic Discrimination Affects Real People (PDF)
29 pages. Excerpt: "The Coalition for Genetic Fairness is an alliance of civil rights, patients' and health care organizations created to urge Congress to pass comprehensive federal legislation outlawing genetic discrimination. Current federal and state laws do not provide the protections needed to prevent employers and insurers from denying health coverage or job opportunities on the basis of genetic information.' (National Partnership for Women & Families on behalf of the Coalition for Genetic Fairness)
Overview: DOL Issues Final Regs on COBRA Notices (PDF)
6 pages. (Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP)
Overview: Contractors with New York City Soon Must Provide Domestic Partner Benefits (PDF)
Excerpt: "This new law ... will apply to 'covered contracts' issued or renewed 120 days after June 28 [2004]." (The Segal Company)
California Paid Family Leave Began July 1, 2004
Excerpt: "Employees in California, beginning July 1, 2004, are eligible for paid family leave benefits, for which they have been contributing through payroll deductions since the beginning of this year. The paid family leave ('PFL') program will apply to all employers who participate in the California State Disability Insurance ('CSDI') program either through the CSDI fund or through voluntary self-funded accounts. In other words, virtually all private-sector employers are covered." (Pillsbury Winthrop LLP)
2003 Towers Perrin Talent Report (Canada): Understanding What Drives Employee Engagement (PDF)
40 pages. Excerpt: "Despite repeated business and economic blows over the last two years, ranging from sharp declines in the stock market and continuing job layoffs to corporate fraud and bankruptcies, workers remain surprisingly resilient -- even resolute in their focus on getting the job done." (Towers Perrin)
PEO Health Plans -- MEWAs or Not?
Excerpt: "In this article, Tess Ferrera discusses the status of PEO health plans and the issue of whether or not they fall under the ERISA (Employment Retirement Income Security Act) category called MEWAs (multiple employer welfare arrangements).... This article gives an overview of the current regulatory situation, a detailed analysis of the MEWA rules and their origin, and makes observations about practical implications for PEOs." (Kilpatrick Stockton LLP)
Full Text of HSA Insider, August 10, 2004 Issue (PDF)
Includes 'A Look Under the Hood: Investment HSAs." (HSA Insider)
Opinion: HSC's Strange Study on Consumer-Driven Health Care
Scroll down a bit to the relevant headline. Excerpt: "The 'new national study' by [the Center for Studying Health System Change] is a curious piece of work. It was published in July, 2004, but is based on interviews conducted in 2002-2003, some presumably before the IRS guidance on HRAs was issued on June 26, 2002, and well before the HSA legislation became effective on January 1, 2004 -- and of course well before any of the current products were available." (Galen Institute)
Newspapers, Broadcast Program Examine Bush, Kerry Health Care Plans
Excerpt: "Two recent newspaper articles examined the health plans proposed by President Bush and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.). Bush has proposed a plan that would cost about $90.5 billion over 10 years and would extend health coverage to an estimated 2.1 million U.S. residents. Kerry has proposed a plan that would cost about $653 billion over 10 years and would expand health coverage to an estimated 26.7 million residents." (KaiserNetwork.org)
San Francisco Mayor Discusses Employer-Sponsored, Universal Health Coverage in Interview
Excerpt: "San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle published Sunday said that he supports a law (SB 2) that will require some employers in the state to provide health insurance to their employees and their dependents." (California Healthline)
Healing the System: the AMA Plan to Rescue U.S. Medicine
Excerpt: "The American Medical Association (AMA) believes we must begin to rebuild our faltering health care system. Although trained and willing to provide the world's best health care to our patients, a growing number of issues have combined to adversely affect patients and physicians." (American Medical Association)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Immediate Disclosure of Executive Compensation Arrangements Now Required
Excerpt: "Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will require public companies to disclose management contracts and compensation plans for, and awards to, their senior executives within four business days of entering into the contract or agreement. This [issue of Mercer Human Resource Consulting's] Perspective discusses the substance of the new disclosures and how they may affect executive compensation decisions." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting)
Washington State Backs Same-Sex Marriage
Excerpt: "Gay and lesbian couples can marry under Washington state law because denying them that right is unconstitutional, a judge ruled Wednesday.... If sustained, the ruling would go beyond the law in Massachusetts because Washington has no residency requirements and would allow out-of-state couples to wed." (Los Angeles Times via Yahoo! News)
ERISA Geeks on the Move: Trucker Huss Firm Walks for Charity, Raises $9,200 (PDF)
At page 5 of 5-page document; way to go, Brad et alia! (Trucker Huss)
Newly Posted Events
23rd Annual ISCEBS Employee Benefits Symposium
in Nevada on October 3, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series - 401(k) Plans
in Arizona on October 6, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series - Basic Compensation Concepts
in Arizona on October 6, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series - Choice-Based Benefits
in Arizona on October 6, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series - Health Care Cost Management
in Arizona on October 8, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series - Retirement Plan Basics
in Arizona on October 8, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series-Health Benefit Plan Basics
in Arizona on October 4, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Certificate Series-Investment Basics
in Arizona on October 4, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Health Care as a Campaign Issue: Ready to Rally?
Nationwide on August 4, 2004
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation
Portfolio Concepts and Management
in Pennsylvania on October 4, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Strategic HR: Aligning With the Business to Drive Results
in California on October 12, 2004
presented by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Workplace Diversity Conference & Exposition
in Illinois on October 25, 2004
presented by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Newly Posted Press Releases
OppenheimerFunds, Inc. Joins CPI Platinum Partner Retirement Plan Platform
(CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.)
Drug Company Front Group -- "CURES" -- Opposes Drug Reimportation Legislation
(Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
401(k) Sr Plan Specialist
for BISYS Retirement Services
in PA
Vice President, Group Insurance Operations
for The Pyramids Group
in VA
Retirement Services District Manager (Sales) upstate NY
for ADP
in NY
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