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September 8, 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 ~ Marriott 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)
GAO Wants Official's Medicare Salary Back
Excerpt: "The former Medicare administrator should repay his government salary because of his efforts to keep higher estimates of the cost of a pres.cription-drug plan from Congress last year, congressional investigators said yesterday." (Washington Times)
The Impact of an Aging Workforce
Excerpt: "Retiring baby boomers are taking with them years of institutional memory in many fields. It's an issue raised by David DeLong, author of Lost Knowledge: Confronting the Threat of an Aging Workforce. Hear DeLong and NPR's Steve Inskeep." (National Public Radio)
Use and Adoption of Computer-Based Patient Records
Excerpt: "Much attention has been given to the adoption of computer-based patient records (CPRs) in hospitals, physician offices, and ancillary care sites. Over the past decade, policy and industry groups, investment analysts, and government agencies have issued reports, surveys, and projections about the use and rate of adoption of CPRs." (David Brailer on California HealthCare Foundation)
Third Circuit: Bad Faith Claims Preempted under ERISA
Excerpt: "The Third Circuit issued an opinion today, putting to rest the controversy that stemmed from several federal district court cases* in Pennsylvania which had held that ERISA does not preempt bad faith insurance claims brought under 42 Pa. C.S. section 8371." (Attorney B. Janell Grenier on BenefitsBlog)
Reimportation Implications for Payers, Health Plans and PBMs
Excerpt: "[T]here are operational issues that would besiege the payers and managers of the pharmacy benefit -- namely plan sponsors, health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) -- that employ drug reimportation strategies." (Drug Cost Management Report via AISHealth.com)
US Medicare Reform – Start Planning Now for Changes Affecting Employer Plans
Excerpt: "In order for employers to understand how they are affected by these changes, we've consolidated Mercer's Medicare Reform information here. This resource will help you be sure that you and your organization are prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead. This site will be updated regularly with news and analysis." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting)
Eleventh Circuit Court Nixes State Malpractice Lawsuit Against ERISA HMO
Excerpt: "Following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent holding in Aetna Health Inc. v. Davila, the Eleventh Circuit dismissed a state malpractice lawsuit against an ERISA-covered health maintenance organization (HMO). The suit, which had been brought by a plan beneficiary over the HMO's refusal to approve certain requested treatments, was preempted by ERISA. (Land v. Cigna Healthcare of Florida (2004, CA11) 2004 WL 1908388)" (RIA Pension & Benefits Week)
Employers Embrace Consumer-Driven Plans: Survey
Excerpt: "A survey by Wilton, Conn.-based Deloitte Consulting found that large U.S. employers are embracing consumer-driven health plans, such as medical savings accounts. Nearly one-third of the respondents either already offered or planned to offer a consumer-driven health plan." (Modern Healthcare)
Overview: Health Care Costs in California and the Nation
Excerpt: "This snapshot provides a visual analysis of costs and financing trends over the past decade, as well as some predictions of future costs. Taken from numerous public and private data sources, the presentation is meant for anyone interested in an overview of health care financing issues in California and the nation." (California HealthCare Foundation)
Price Becoming Factor in Cancer Treatments
Excerpt: "Cancer patients have always depended on their physicians to discuss the latest treatment options. But now another difficult topic is increasingly being raised in the doctor's office: drug prices." (Wall Street Journal via SFGate.com)
Opinion: More Power to the Patient
Excerpt: "There are two competing approaches to reform health care advanced in the presidential debate. Only one, I believe, represents a cure." (Scott W. Atlas, M.D. in the Washington Times)
Reports Examine Lessons of Swiss Consumer-Driven Health System
Excerpt: "The report by Regina Herzlinger, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, and Ramin Parsa-Parsi of Harvard Medical International, examines the health care system in Switzerland, under which residents are required to purchase their own health insurance." (KaiserNetwork.org)
Key 2005 Medicare Values Announced (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Employers and employees will continue to pay the 1.45% payroll tax rate for Medicare Part A on all wages in 2005." (Mellon's Human Resources & Investor Solutions)
Opinion: An IT Trojan Horse ... Feds Should Stay Out of 'Evidence-Based' Medicine
Excerpt: "Want the federal government telling you how to treat your patients? If a coterie of bureaucrats and legislators has its way, it soon will. Undeterred by prior rejections of government- controlled healthcare systems, such as the Clintons' plan, they devised a new tactic-a Trojan horse dubbed with the suspicion-lulling name of 'pay for performance.'" (Modern Healthcare)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
When It Comes to Outsourcing Locations, No Place Is Too Exotic. Not Even Cleveland
Excerpt: "Last year, when management at call-center services specialist LiveBridge Inc. was searching for a place to house the company's Spanish-language operation, it looked south of the border -- way south of the border. After considering the more traditional outsourcing venues in Latin America, the Portland, Oreg.-based company decided to build its state-of-the-art call center in Argentina." (CFO Magazine)
Book: the State of Working America 2004/2005
Excerpt: "'If you want to know what happened to the economic well-being of the average American in the past decade or so, this is the book for you. It should be required reading for Americans of all political persuasions.' --Richard Freeman, Harvard University" (Economic Policy Institute)
Welcome to new BenefitsLink advertiser ftwilliam.com
Excerpt: "www.ftwilliam.com offers the employee benefits professional the highest quality plan documents and forms at highly competitive prices. Plan documents on a per document basis are only $50/adoption agreement, or $100/volume submitter document. An annual subscription to all documents is only $1,500. The Form 5500 package (including all schedules) and the IRS/PBGC form package are only $250 each. Absolutely no start-up fees, annual software maintenance or other hidden charges."
Newly Posted Events
Critical Issues in Establishing Employee Ownership
Nationwide on September 9, 2004
presented by Beyster Institute
ERISA Fiduciary Responsibility and Liability
in New York on November 11, 2004
presented by Dechert LLP
Implications of the New Health Insurance Numbers
in District of Columbia on September 10, 2004
presented by Alliance for Health Reform
Same-Sex Marriages and Domestic Partner Benefits
Nationwide on September 15, 2004
presented by ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
Trustees Training Program-Part II
in Nevada on November 8, 2004
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
U.S. Labor Department Sponsors Seminar On Federal and State Health Plan Laws
in Delaware on November 15, 2004
presented by U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Labor Department Sponsors Seminar On Federal and State Health Plan Laws
in Louisiana on December 8, 2004
presented by U.S. Department of Labor
UCLA Anderson Forecast Presents: 'What Does a Graying America Mean for Business?'
in California on September 8, 2004
presented by UCLA Anderson School of Management
Wrap Plans
Nationwide on September 22, 2004
presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA)
Newly Posted Press Releases
401(k) Participants Forfeit $30 Billion
(Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America (PSCA))
PLANSPONSOR Unveils a New Standard of Excellence for Financial Advisors This 401(k) Day
(PLANSPONSOR)
New Survey Shows That U.S. Companies Still Allocate Significant Human and Financial Resources to Retirement Plans Despite Plan Provider Services
(Diversified Investment Advisors)
AMA: Physicians Make a Case For Fair Treatment
(American Medical Association (AMA))
Mortgage Benefits Corp. Announces Agreement with Palmer & Cay Benefits Consulting Firm
(Mortgage Benefits Corporation)
ICICI Infotech Partners with The HR Consulting Group to Enhance Reach and Service Offerings in the Insurance TPA Market
(ICICI Infotech Ltd.)
Labor Day Outlook: Low-Wage Workers Want Better Jobs Not More Jobs
(Corporate Voices for Working Families)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Benefits Director
for State of South Dakota
in SD
Compliance Administrator
for Precept Group, Inc.
in CA
Director, Qualified Plan Administration
for Pen-Cal
in CA
Communications Consultant - Retirement Services
for MassMutual Financial Group
in MA
401(k) Administrator
for Alliance Benefit Group of New England
in NH
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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.
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