| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
August 25-26, 2004
Today's sponsor: Alexander Hamilton Institute
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Live Audio Conference. Get your HSA questions answered by our benefits expert. HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS: ARE THEY RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION? September 15, 2004 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern Time REGISTER TODAY Learn all about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), how they work, and whether they can reduce your organization's health care costs. Visit our website to read the course outline, register, or to order a conference recording if you are unable to participate in the live event.
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Valuing and Taxing Employment Based Medical Benefits Provided to Domestic Partners
Excerpt: "This advisory reviews the tax rules that apply to benefits provided to domestic partners and same-sex partners." (Mintz Levin)
Employers, Employees Get Creative in Use of Paid Time Off
Excerpt: "At Stanford Medical Center, when a nurse falls seriously ill or needs time off to care for an ailing parent, her colleagues can do more than just send flowers. They can donate some of their own vacation days." (Investor's Business Daily)
Health Insurers Face Same Issues Employer Clients Do When Providing Benefits to Staff
Excerpt: "Managed care plans may be experts in designing and administering health insurance products - but when it comes to providing company-sponsored health benefits to their own staff members, insurers face many of the same issues that employer clients struggle with." (Managed Care Week via AISHealth.com)
Wegesin Provides Comments on Welfare Plans' 5500 Filings
By Janice M. Wegesin. "Form 5500 filing requirements for a welfare benefit plan hinge on two things: (1) the number of covered employees and beneficiaries and (2) whether the plan is considered funded or unfunded, insured, or a combination of unfunded and insured. Three reporting patterns arise for filers of Form 5500 for large welfare benefit plans (more than 100 participants as of the first day of the plan year): ..." (ASPA)
Which Medical Conditions Account For the Rise In Health Care Spending?
Excerpt: "We calculate the level and growth in health care spending attributable to the fifteen most expensive medical conditions in 1987 and 2000." (Health Affairs)
Obesity Raises Risk for 9 Cancer Types
Excerpt: "Being overweight can make it harder to spot tumors early, catch recurrences, determine the best chemotherapy dose, even fit into radiation machines. That in turn hurts chances of survival. One major study last year estimated that excess weight may account for 14 percent to 20 percent of all cancer deaths -- 90,000 a year." (AP via New York Times; one-time registration required)
Tackling the High Cost of Health Benefits
Excerpt: "Dave Ratner, the owner of a small retail chain in western Massachusetts called Dave's Soda and Pet City, took a gamble with his firm's health insurance this year. To avert a 20 percent increase in his premium, or $8,000 in all, Mr. Ratner raised the deductible that his 17 covered employees must pay for hospital stays to $1,000 from $500." (The New York Times; one-time registration required)
Opinion: Kerry vs. Bush-- the Future of Health Care Reform? (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "It's a presidential election year again, and you know what that means: health care reform is back on the political agenda. Learn about Sen. Kerry and President Bush's proposals on health care." (Council for Affordable Health Insurance)
Opinion: How to Heal Health Care (Bill Frist and Hillary Clinton)
Excerpt: "At a time when much of our public discussion is riddled with disagreement, there is an emerging bipartisan consensus in one vitally important area: that the challenges facing U.S. health care require major, transformative change." (The Washington Post; one-time registration required)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide as of August 24, 2004
Excerpt: "Hewitt's Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law, regarding health and welfare benefit plans, retirement plans, and human resources and employment law." (Hewitt)
Overview: New DOL Fairplay Rules Change FLSA Overtime Exemption Tests
Excerpt: "In April, 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued new regulations for determining when 'white collar' employees may be treated as 'exempt' from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). The FLSA requires employers to pay employees, other than exempt employees, at least the minimum wage and overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular pay rate, for each hour worked over 40 hours in a workweek." (Hay Group)
Opinion: There's a Better Way to Handle Stock Options
By Graef Crystal. Excerpt: "It's time for U.S. companies to consider a better alternative to using free shares of stock or stock options as their long-term incentive plan: a combination of in-the-money and out-of-the-money stock options." (Bloomberg News)
Newly Posted Events
Consumer Health Care Breakthroughs -- Employees Can Save You Money
Nationwide on August 27, 2004
presented by WorldatWork
Mutual Fund Trading Rules
in California on September 23, 2004
presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - Orange County Chapter
QDROs - Bringing Clarity to Confrontation
Nationwide on September 14, 2004
presented by SunGard Corbel
The Monsanto Decision: What Does It Mean For Pension Plan Sponsors and Members?
Nationwide on September 10, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Washington Update
in Illinois on September 7, 2004
presented by ASPA Benefits Council of Chicago
What World Class Companies Spend on HR
Nationwide on September 15, 2004
presented by WorkWorlds / HRTrainingCenter.com
Newly Posted Press Releases
Arizona Company Honors Segal Co. with Supplier of the Year Award
(The Segal Company)
Lip Service: Big Government Republicans On Free Market Health Care Reform
(Americans for Free Choice in Medicine (AFCM))
Plan Sponsors Gain Advantage with New CPI Offering CPI - Envisage Team Enhances Plan Sponsor Web
(CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.)
Grassley Urges Rewrite of Rule Costing Employees Health Savings
(Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman, Finance Committee)
The CPA's Guide to Retirement Plans for Small Businesses
(American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA))
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Retirement Services Implementation Manager - Baltimore / Atlanta area
for ADP Retirement Services
in GA, MD
Inside Sales Representative
for ExpertPlan, Inc.
in NJ
Senior Advisor, Pension Design
for NRECA
in VA
Field Sales Coordinator
for Transamerica
in MA
Vice President - Relationship Management
for BISYS Retirement Services
in PA
Relationship Manager
for BISYS Retirement Services
in PA
401(k) Specialist - Client Service and Compliance Skills
for ADP TotalSource
in GA
Retirement Plans Sales Specialist
for Waddell & Reed Financial
in KS, MO
Pension Consultant/Administrator
for TPA in San Diego, California
in CA
Plan Administrator
for Susquehanna Bank
in PA
Receptionist
for Leggette Actuaries, Inc.
in TX
Senior 401(k) Plan Specialist
for CitiStreet - A State Street and Citigroup company
in MA
Pension Administrator
for Qualified Plan Consultants, LLC
in IA
Inside Sales Representative
for BISYS Retirement Services
in PA
Director of Marketing Communications
for AIG Workplace Solutions
in TX
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