| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
August 17, 2004
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Text: HHS's Efforts to Promote Health Information Technology and Legal Barriers to Its Adoption
64 pages. Excerpt: "Various laws present barriers to adoption of health IT, and at the time of our review HHS's efforts to address these barriers had been limited in scope. Experts we interviewed indicated that beyond legal issues related to the privacy and security of health information, there are various laws-- some specifically health related and some not-- that present barriers to the adoption of health IT." (U.S. General Accounting Office)
Legal Issues Might Block Digital Health Records, GAO Report Says
Excerpt: "Uncertainty surrounding a host of legal issues may stall adoption of electronic medical records and U.S. officials have done little to address the problem, a congressional watchdog agency said Monday." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Fitness on the Job
Excerpt: "More and More Companies Offer Wellness Programs Meant to Trim Employee Waistlines And Pare Health Costs. Why Is It So Hard to Prove the Incentives Work?" (Washington Post; one-time registration required)
Illinois Governor Launching Program to Reimport Drugs
Excerpt: "Despite opposition from a federal agency, Illinois will soon become the nation's first government to help residents buy cheaper drugs not only from Canada but from the United Kingdom and Ireland as well." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)
Evaluating Patient Compliance With Nurse Advice Line Recommendations; the Impact on Healthcare Costs
Excerpt: "The simple act of calling a nurse triage and advice line corresponds with a change in the reported actions of uninsured and managed care patients and a potential reduction in costs to the safety net system providing their healthcare." (American Journal of Managed Care)
98 Out of 108 Lumber Yard Employees Choose Health Savings Account (PDF)
11 pages. Excerpt: "At some point the employer was asking why don't we just do this with an HRA? The difference is, with a HRA, the employees really have no incentive to spend the money wisely." (HSA Insider)
Caterpillar and its Employees at Loggerheads Over Health Costs
Excerpt: "Employees at Caterpillar and company negotiators are butting heads over the manufacturer's proposal to shift some health costs to employees. Employees say they're 'being asked to concede too much considering Caterpillar's record profits the last two quarters,' according to the Associated Press." (Workforce Management)
Opinion: Pharmacy Benefit Managers-- Cost Containment or Consumer Rip-Off?
Excerpt: "PBMs do not manufacture, distribute, prescribe, or ultimately even pay for pres.cription drugs, yet they often determine what drug a patient will receive and at what price." (USAction via Physicians for a National Health Plan)
Opinion: What Managed Care CEOs Get When They Leave Is Real Eye-Opener
Excerpt: "The high salaries of managed care executives have stirred controversy and caused consternation among doctors. But what's getting some regulators and physicians even more upset these days are the enormous sums insurance chieftains are being paid not to work." (American Medical News)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Transcript of Washington Post Online Discussion of Executive Compensation
Excerpt: "The Washington Post on Monday published its annual look at compensation levels of the region's top executives. It shows that pay for the Washington area's top executives rose significantly last year, reversing the downward trend that set in with the recession in 2001. Washington Post staff writer David Hilzenrath and editor Mike Flagg, who compiled the compensation data, [went online] to discuss the package." (Washington Post; one-time registration required)
Newly Posted Events
A Day with Sal Tripodi
in California on August 31, 2004
presented by San Diego County Chapter of NIPA
HSAs: The Latest Tricks
Nationwide on August 24, 2004
presented by ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
401(k)/Defined Contribution or Defined Benefit Compliance Analyst
for National Retirement Services, Inc.
in
401(k) Enroller/Contractor
for Transamerica-The Winning Organization
in FL
401(k)/Defined Contribution or Defined Benefit Account Manager
for National Retirement Services, Inc. (NRS)
in CA, NC
401(k) Enroller/Contractor - Bilingual
for Transamerica
in FL
Director, PNC Advisors Sales and Client Service Support
for PNC Advisors
in PA
401(k) Plan Administrator
for Employee Administration and Consulting Company
in MN
Pre-retirement Benefits Counselor
for Kansas City Missouri Public School Retirement System
in MO
Paralegal
for American International Group, Inc.
in NY
Qualified Plan Administrator
for High End Small Plan TPA
in FL
Pension Sales
for The Pension Service, LLC
in MA
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
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