| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
September 2, 2004
Today's sponsor: Advent Information Services
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Your Best Customer Retention Tool Can Also Provide Useful Information To Your Clients Imagine each month sending a professionally prepared newsletter to your clients that provides them with useful information, and is imprinted with your company name, contact information and logo! Advent's customized newsletters help employee benefit brokers, consultants and third-party administrators enhance their image with clients, while providing clients with current & useful information. For more information, including sample newsletters and a list of story titles from previous editions, click here. BenefitsLink visitors who sign-up by September 30 will save $150.
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Doctors Can Pursue Class Action Against Insurers
Excerpt: "In a development for which 600,000 doctors have been waiting almost a year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled yesterday that the doctors can pursue their class-action lawsuit charging major health insurers with engaging in a racketeering criminal conspiracy to delay or deny payments to the doctors." (Knight Ridder via Philadelphia Inquirer)
Senate Proposal Would Limit Group Purchasing Organizations' Business Practices
Excerpt: "The hospital group purchasing industry's worst fear -- a bill that would amend the Social Security Act to strictly control the business practices of GPOs -- is on the table for discussion, Modern Healthcare has learned. The proposal will be floated when the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee holds a hearing, possibly as early as Sept. 9. A copy of the 'discussion draft' was obtained from the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association, the industry trade group." (Modern Healthcare)
Business: Ally or Obstacle? Employment-Based Benefits and Work and Family Issues
Excerpt: "Although they're not the norm, a number of civic-minded companies are helping their low-wage workers juggle job and family challenges. Government also needs to do more." (The American Prospect)
Analysis: Pres.cription Contraceptives in Employer Plans (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "In addition to the federal laws discussed above, states also have nondiscrimination laws, such as the [Wisconsin Fair Employment Act], that could present issues for certain employers that want to provide pres.cription drug plans but do not want to cover pres.cription contraceptives." (von Briesen & Roper, s.c.)
Drug 'Recycling' Offers Alternative to Imports
Excerpt: "Patients ... who are struggling to afford their pres.cription medicines, are finding a source besides cheaper Canadian imports -- other patients. They turn to the Internet, clinics or other individuals in search of drugs left over when someone else with their condition recovers, changes pres.criptions, or dies." (Reuters AlertNet)
Companies Can Reduce Costs, Improve Service When Renewing Benefits Outsourcing Contracts
Excerpt: "With many first-generation benefits and HR outsourcing contracts up for renewal in the next 12 months, employers risk leaving 'money on the table' if they don't capture efficiencies from driving even more employee benefits transactions to the web, according to outsourcing experts at Watson Wyatt." (HR Hub.com)
Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse: Prevalence, Cost and Impact on Productivity
Excerpt: "The statistics are startling. Nearly 75% of adult illicit drug users in the United States are employed either full-time or part-time, while close to 80% of adult heavy drinkers and binge drinkers are employed ... Many companies are only beginning to comprehend the effect of substance abuse on their bottom line." (BenefitNews.com)
AHIP Survey Shows Wide Support for Health Savings Accounts
A PowerPoint presentation presents key findings of a national survey on Americans' opinion and knowledge of Health Savings Accounts (America’s Health Insurance Plans)
Evolving Role of Third Party Administrators Brings New Demands and Innovations
Excerpt: "Gone are the days of third party administrators (TPAs) simply processing claims and cutting checks for Taft-Hartley plans. Today's TPAs are assisting their clients in everything from creating new benefit plan models to contain costs and boost worker recruitment and retention to providing the latest and greatest regulatory compliance counsel." (Employee Benefit News)
Automated Rx Tools Encourage Cost-Saving Drug Migration
Excerpt: "As payers search for solutions to escalating drug benefit costs, CDH [Consumer-Directed Health] is increasingly suggested as at least part of the answer. But some consumers see this as just a politically correct way of imposing higher copays with less coverage, says Robert Oscar, president of RxEOB, …." (AISHealth.com)
Opinion: Can Patients Really Be Health Care Consumers?
Excerpt: "Most people have heard of the three-legged stool of retirement income, which includes a pension, Social Security and personal savings. There is also a three-legged stool of health care consumerism, and its legs are emotion, illiteracy and intimidation." (Dick Quinn on BenefitNews.com)
Sourcebook: Covering Health Issues 2004
Excerpt: "The Alliance's latest sourcebook for journalists is now available online ... Although written with journalists in mind, the book is useful to anyone interested in health policy issues. We've included special coverage of the positions taken by President Bush and Sen. John Kerry on health issues." (Alliance for Health Reform)
Healthcare Employers: Practical Steps for the New Overtime Regulations
Excerpt: "The Department of Labor's new overtime regulations became effective August 23, 2004. Healthcare employers have an opportunity to both take advantage of and minimize the risk of non-compliance with the new overtime regulations. As in the past, the DOL recognizes an exemption from overtime requirements for executive, administrative and professional employees who satisfy both a duties and salary test. The new regulations make changes to both elements of the exemption." (HealthLeaders News)
Shrinking Call Center Numbers Should Not Affect Benefits Enrollment
Excerpt: "A new report from Datamonitor shows the number of call centers and agent positions in the United States shrinking by 2008. However, experts say brokers need not fear any ill effects on benefits enrollment." (The ADVISER via BenefitNews.com)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
University of Pittsburgh to Offer Same-Sex Employee Benefits
Excerpt: "The University of Pittsburgh will offer health benefits to domestic partners of g.ay and heterose.xual employees starting in January under a policy change hailed ... as a major breakthrough in an eight-year legal fight.... Pitt employees can sign up for coverage during an enrollment period to be announced this fall and must sign an affidavit of domestic partnership ..." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Home Depot To Offer Health Care Benefits To Employees' Domestic Partners
Excerpt: "The Home Depot Inc. plans to offer health insurance to same-sex domestic partners of its employees starting next year, the company said Thursday.... The chain has been criticized by some employees and human rights groups for not previously extending health care benefits to domestic partners of employees." (AP via Miami Herald; one-time registration required)
Overview: FASB Decisions on Stock Compensation
Excerpt: "During redeliberations yesterday, September 1, of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Exposure Draft (ED) on Share-Based Payment, the board made several more decisions related to the accounting for stock compensation." (Financial Executives International)
Scandal Brings Big Changes to Oil Company Bonuses
Excerpt: "The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies is changing how it rewards employees. Starting in January, staff bonuses will be simplified to take into account individual accomplishments and company-wide performance. Success at the division level will no longer be a factor." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting)
Newly Posted Events
Plan Fees, Expenses, and Revenue Sharing
in California on October 21, 2004
presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - Orange County Chapter
Tales from the Crypt III - Bringing Benefits from the Footnotes to the Footlights
in Ohio on September 23, 2004
presented by WEB (Worldwide Employee Benefits Network) Cleveland Chapter
Newly Posted Press Releases
As Board Risk and Responsibility Increase, So Does Pay, According to Hewitt Associates
(Hewitt Associates LLC)
Grand Old Profits: Will Republicans Ever Speak Out Against Insurer Profits?
(Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Operations Supervisor
for ICMA Retirement Corporation
in DC
Retirement Plan Specialist
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in CA
Account Executive - Client Relationship Management
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in NY
OmniPlan/OmniPlus Consultant
for DC Specialists, Inc
in ANY STATE
DC Plan Administrator
for Capital Investment Advisory
in FL
Retirement Svcs Major Accounts District Mgr (sales) Upstate NY/CT area
for ADP Retirement Services
in NY
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
Copyright 2004 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you can reprint this newsletter in full (if you also include this boilerplate part) without obtaining our permission.
Published by:
BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
https://benefitslink.com/about.html
1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H
Winter Park FL 32789
(407) 644-4146
Fax: (407) 644-2151
Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D.
Housekeeping: