| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
September 1, 2004
Today's sponsor: World Congress
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
The 2nd Annual WORLD HEALTH CARE CONGRESS January 30 – February 1, 2005 ~ Washington DC ~ Marriot Wardman Park Hotel The 2nd Annual 2005 World Health Care Congress is the most progressive forum to achieve an affordable, accountable U.S. health care system. Co-sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, the 2004 executive conference initiated a dialog of national significance. The 2005 conference achieves significant strides in implementing actionable solutions as it will convene all stakeholders - over 1500 CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the nation’s largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and leading government officials.
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Health Policy Experts Discuss Healthcare Industry Outlook for Rest of 2004
Excerpt: "While health care cost trends likely will continue slowing through the end of 2004, the longer-term outlook for a sustained slowdown in underlying costs and private health insurance premiums largely depends on the strength of the economy, according to market and health policy experts at the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) ninth annual Wall Street roundtable." (Center for Studying Health System Change)
Overview: California Repeals Senior COBRA Program
Excerpt: "On June 23, 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law legislation repealing the Senior COBRA program in California. After January 1, 2005, terminating employees and their spouses will not be able to extend their health care coverage through Senior COBRA once federal or Cal-COBRA is exhausted. Older workers may instead be eligible for guaranteed individual health care coverage under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ('HIPAA')." (Trucker Huss)
Pet Insurance at Home Depot Provides Opening for Domestic Partner Benefit Advocates
Excerpt: "When Home Depot added pet insurance to its lineup of employee benefits in June, the Atlanta-based home improvement giant thought it was giving a feel-good perk to its workers. But members of the g.ay community, including some Home Depot workers, don't see it that way. They question how a company that doesn't insure domestic partners can provide hospitalization and other medical coverage for dogs, cats ..." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution; obnoxious one-time registration required)
Opinion: Stop Restricting Access to Mental Health Drugs
Excerpt: "By restricting access to mental-health medications, the state [of Illinois] actually increases treatment costs over the long run and endangers patient health.... There is no one-size-fits-all approach for treating depression. Not all medications work for all people. Physicians need to have the latitude to prescribe the most appropriate medication for their patients." (Chicago Tribune; one-time registration required)
Analysis: Everything You Wanted to Know About HSAs, and Then Some (PDF)
20 pages. Excerpt: "According to Treasury, Notice 2004-50 will 'help providers to establish HSAs and consumers to enjoy their benefits.' The guidance consists of 88 questions and answers that address a wide array of outstanding HSA issues. Our primary goal in this article is to provide an integrated discussion of the myriad sources of guidance -- i.e., legislative history, the statute and agency releases." (Alston & Bird)
Pres.cription Drug Formularies: Fears for Tiers
Excerpt: "Although formularies with several levels are here to stay, recent studies suggest that they still need considerable refinement. Compliance suffers when out-of-pocket costs rise. There is a point where enrollees decide they'd rather do without." (Managed Care Magazine)
Healthcare Cost-Cutting Over the Long Term: Keeping Healthy Employees Healthy
Excerpt: "Not many people receive congratulatory letters from their health plans about their good cholesterol levels, but some Wisconsin teachers have. Earlier this year, the WEA Trust, which offers health insurance to public school employees, began sending off such notes ..." (Managed Care Magazine)
Issue Brief: Ending Small Business Disadvantages with Association Health Plans
Excerpt: "ERISA allows large organizations to only comply with federal law, instead of meeting individual state mandates and regulatory requirements. Unlike these larger groups, under ERISA, small business owners do not have the resources to self-insure, and are required to meet individual state regulations according to the state where the employee works." (Ceridian)
Will Consumer-Directed Health Care Improve System Performance?
Excerpt: "Consumer-directed health care plans have attracted attention as a method for managing rising health care spending by giving consumers greater financial control over their health care. However, increased cost-sharing--the principal tool used by these plans to achieve lower spending--may also cause patients to consume less care, even when that care is essential." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Opinion: Fat Americans Not Getting Whole Story--The Food Pyramid Scheme
Excerpt: "If your mother ever told you that eating sweets would spoil your dinner, she was right. The government should heed her wisdom - and pay less attention to the sugar lobby - when it issues revamped nutrition guidelines next year." (New York Times; one-time registration required)
Trends in Americans' Access to Needed Medical Care, 2001-2003
Excerpt: "Despite sluggish economic growth and rapidly rising health care costs, Americans' access to needed medical care improved between 2001 and 2003, especially among low-income children and adults, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) nationally representative Community Tracking Study Household Survey." (Center for Studying Health System Change)
Eastbridge Report Redefines Benefits Business
Excerpt: "According to a new report released by Avon, Conn.-based Eastbridge Consulting Group, the benefits world is changing." (Insurance Journal)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Executive Summary of the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003
Excerpt: "Effective July 1, 2004, California's 'Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003' or 'OPPA' (the 'Act') became law. The Act has important implications for all businesses that operate a commercial web site or online service.... Only websites or online services that collect personally identifiable information are subject to the new Act." (Buchanan Ingersoll PC)
Opinion: New CEO Pay-Outsourcing Study Is Out of Bounds
Excerpt: "The more a chief executive officer outsources jobs, the higher will be his compensation. That's the conclusion of a study entitled 'Executive Excess 2004.' And my conclusion after examining the study's findings and doing my own analysis is that this study shouldn't be taken with several grains of salt. It should be taken with an entire box of salt." (Graef Crystal on Bloomberg.com)
Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide - August 31, 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)
Integrating the HR Role with the New SEC Accelerated 8-K Filing Requirement (PDF)
Excerpt: "Although most public companies are aware that a number of their executive compensation agreements (such as employment agreements) fall within the scope of these new accelerated filing deadlines, there are a variety of HR-type contracts and arrangements which previously were reportable periodically or at year-end which now will be subject to the new accelerated reporting requirement." (Gardner Carton & Douglas)
Newly Posted Events
"Getting It Right" – Compliance Assistance Seminar For Plan Fiduciaries
in Pennsylvania on October 15, 2004
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Hot Topics in Employee Benefits
in Georgia on September 16, 2004
presented by Worldwide Employee Benefits Network (WEB) - Atlanta Chapter
Legality of Kickbacks Webcast
Nationwide on November 18, 2004
presented by ASPA (American Society of Pension Actuaries)
WEB New Jersey Chapter's Third Annual Health Care Summit
in New Jersey on September 21, 2004
presented by Worldwide Employee Benefits Network (WEB)
Newly Posted Press Releases
Gilsbar, Inc. Expands Sales & Service Operations in the Southwest
(Gilsbar, Inc.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Retirement Plan Sales Consultant
for Invesmart, Inc.
in CT, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NY, OH, RI, TX, VA, WI
Retirement Services District Manager (So. Cal)
for ADP Retirement Services
in CA
Health Care Consultant
for Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company
in MI
Employee Benefits Recordkeeper/Tester
for Wachovia Corporation
in MN
Pension Operations Assistant
for PennRock Financial Advisors, N.A.
in PA
Product Manager - Retirement Development Group
for National City
in OH
Marketing & Development Manager - Retirement Development Group
for National City
in OH
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- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
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