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January 4, 2005
Today's sponsor: World Congress
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Innovation in the Cost-Appropriateness of Behavioral Health & Wellness The Leadership Summit on Innovation in the Cost-Appropriateness of Behavioral Health & Wellness explores the costs of behavioral health to the Nation and the workplace. Stakeholders will discuss economic incentives and present successful cost-effective initiatives to provide quality, cost-appropriate behavioral health and wellness services. Featuring employer and government driven cost-reduction demands with health plan and provider collaboration the Summit showcases innovative behavioral health, pharma and wellness interventions and how to combine the best of both.
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Review of New HIPAA Rules from HHS, EBSA and the IRS
Excerpt: "At the end of last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), EBSA , and the IRS issued new rules pertaining to HIPAA: Final Regulations for Health Coverage Portability; Proposed Regulations for Health Coverage Portability for Group Health Plans and Group Health Insurance Issuers Under HIPAA Titles I & IV; Request for Comments on Benefit-Specific Waiting Periods Under HIPAA Titles I & IV." (Attorney B. Janell Grenier via BenefitsBlog.com)
Termination Of Employee Who Failed To Provide Medical Proof Did Not Violate The FMLA
Excerpt: "An employer did not violate the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when it terminated an employee who failed to provide medical documentation concerning her leave. This was the ruling of the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Urban v. Dolgencorp of Texas, Inc. (No. 03-11276)." (Spencer Benefits Reports)
California Legislators Pursue Universal Health Care Proposals for the State
Excerpt: "A couple of unlikely political partners will introduce legislation in California this month they hope will bring sweeping changes to the state's health care system. The kingpin of the plan is universal 'but not single-payer' health coverage. Assembly members Keith Richman (R-Granada Hills) and Joe Nation (D-San Rafael) don't always see eye to eye on social and fiscal issues, but they've found common ground in health care. Their vision, which includes providing health coverage for ...." (California Healthcare Foundation)
Insurers and Disease Managers Find High-Risk Maternity Patients Ripe for Intervention
Excerpt: "Although pregnancy is a biologic process rather than a disease like asthma, diabetes or congestive heart failure, health insurers and disease managers say they have shown that managing high-risk maternity can significantly improve outcomes and yield major cost savings." (MANAGED CARE WEEK via AISHealth.com)
Aetna's Exercise in Obesity Treatment Aims to Avoid Other Medical Problems -- and Costs
Excerpt: "In October, Aetna officials launched a pilot weight management program to determine if intensive education and support motivates hefty employees to shed pounds. The heaviest participants will be contacted at least 29 times a year, primarily by phone, with nutritionists, weight-loss counselors and nurses at the other end of the line, Aetna spokeswoman Susan Millerick says. Those who only need to lose a few pounds will hear from Aetna about half as often." (Workforce Management Online)
Controlling Health Care Costs Priority Number One in 2005, According to Deloitte Survey
Excerpt: "Controlling the cost of health care to employees is the number one benefits priority for 2005, according to the Top Five Total Rewards Priorities Survey from Deloitte. Ninety percent of respondents to the survey said this was a priority. Following this, 56% stated that ensuring the company's rewards package attracted new workers and motivated current ones, while 52% said ... willingness of employees to pay a larger portion of their benefit plan coverage was a major priority." (PLANSPONSOR.com; one-time registration required)
Opinion: Drug Import Plan Sags
Excerpt: "A Bush administration task force said last month that ensuring the safety of such drugs would be 'extraordinarily difficult,' costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Even then, savings would be meager, no more than 2% of total U.S. drug spending. Research and development of new therapies could suffer." (USATODAY.com via Yahoo! News)
Federal Advisory Panel Lists Pres.cription Drugs It Wants New Medicare Law to Cover
Excerpt: "A federal advisory panel, working closely with the Bush administration, announced a list of 146 types of pres.cription drugs on Monday that should be covered under Medicare's new drug benefit. The panel, the United States Pharmacopeia, a venerable organization that sets standards for the pharmaceutical industry, said pres.cription drug plans should offer beneficiaries at least two drugs of each type." (The New York Times; one-time registration required)
Consumer Guides for Getting and Keeping Health Insurance Are Updated for Five States
Excerpt: "The Georgetown University Health Policy Institute has written A CONSUMER GUIDE FOR GETTING AND KEEPING HEALTH INSURANCE for each state and the District of Columbia – fifty-one in all. These Consumer Guides are available at this web site and will be updated periodically as changes in federal and state policy warrant. .... We've recently updated the following guides online: Alabama, ... Michigan, Minnesota, ... Ohio, ... South Carolina, ...." (Georgetown University Health Policy Institute)
More Middle-Class Americans Face Life Without Health Insurance
Excerpt: "The threat of losing health insurance increasingly became a problem of the middle class, not just the working poor, in 2004. Little relief is in sight in 2005, when the cost of medical treatment is projected once again to rise far faster than the overall inflation rate...." (The San Francisco Chronicle via The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights)
2005 State Legislators' Guide to Health Insurance Solutions and Glossary (PDF)
48 pages. Excerpt: "Here you will find many of the issues confronting the health insurance market and its consumers. We have summarized each issue, highlighted actions already taken by states, and offered possible solutions. We have also included a glossary that explains a number of industry terms." (American Legislative Exchange Council and Council for Affordable Health Insurance)
Summary: American Health Line Rounds Up Health Care Legislative Issues for 2005
Excerpt: "Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio) will likely introduce legislation at the beginning of 2005 that would set federal standards for the insurance industry, including market conduct, rates, forms and licensing -- which would mark the industry's first federal oversight since the 1940s, the Los Angeles Times reports. The proposal, currently a 300-page draft called the State Modernization and Regulatory Transparency act, would create national standards 'on a host of fronts' in an industry ...." (The National Journal Group, Limited via BlueCross BlueShield Association)
DOL Advisory Opinion on Certain Contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Excerpt: "This is in response to your request for an advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) concerning the application of the prohibited transaction provisions under section 4975(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), to certain contributions to health savings accounts (HSAs), as described below.(1)" (U.S. Employee Benefits Security Administration)
Lowe's Offers Employees More Than Pay -- Benefits Include Four-Day Work Week
Excerpt: "Take a peek at what Lowe's offers its people besides the hourly wage and it's easy to understand why they're happy to work there. After 89 days of employment, Lowe's offers full time employees benefits that include, but are not limited to: A medical plan that provides comprehensive coverage under two options, with outpatient drug benefits. The dental plan covers preventive, basic, major and orthodontia dental care. Vision care includes office visits for a $15 co-pay, and coverage ...." (Norwich Bulletin)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Overview: Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act Issues for Some California Employers
Excerpt: "California 's expanded domestic partnership law, Assembly Bill 205, goes into effect January 1, 2005. Known as the 'California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act' (DPRRA), this new law grants registered domestic partners the same rights, benefits, duties and responsibilities that spouses have under California law." (Littler Mendelson)
Reish's ERISA Report for Plan Sponsors on Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Arrangements
Excerpt: "On October 22, employers that sponsor nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) arrangements got a new job. Under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, they have to make sure that all of their NQDC plans--which includes everything from formal plans to employment contracts, severance programs and informal arrangements--comply in form and operation with new legal requirements. If they don't, all amounts that the management employees thought were deferred will become immediately ...." (Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen)
Weekly Highlights from Washington -- 3 January 2005
Excerpt: "Fresh start: The 109th Congress convenes with a packed agenda and emboldened Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Topping lawmakers' to-do list will be overhauls of Social Security, the tax code, and pension funding rules. The diverse health care agenda is highlighted by medical malpractice legislation, proposed revisions of the Medicaid program, and new market-based incentives to help the uninsured." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting; one-time registration required)
Overview: New Law Adds Obligations for Employers with Employees in Military Service
Excerpt: "On December 10th, the President signed into law the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act (Public Law 108-454). That Act amends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (known as 'USERRA') in two ways that have significance to employers whose employees have been called to military service." (Faegre & Benson LLP)
Internal Reviews of Pension Plans and Exec Comp May Help Companies Avoid Penalties and Probes
Excerpt: "The old adage that the best defense is a good offense holds new meaning for companies facing the prospect of not one but two beefed-up Internal Revenue Service audits. In the past year, the IRS has instituted redesigned, tougher audits of employee pension plans and executive compensation programs at Fortune 1,000 and other large companies, part of a drive to crank up enforcement and crack down on scofflaws. Already, the agency has identified dozens of companies violating tax code ...." (Workforce Management)
Rethinking Employee Benefits: Benefit Portion of Total Compensation is Too High
Excerpt: "With legacy costs for benefits cleaving the corporate world into competitive and uncompetitive companies, U.S. executives may be ready for fundamental change. The cost of employee benefits in the United States is killing profitability for whole sectors. The most determined companies have aggressively reshaped their benefit programs to pull their expenses down to more manageable levels, but even the best efforts have yielded only modest results." (Business Finance)
Newly Posted Events
Advanced IRAs 2005
in Texas on February 9, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Advanced IRAs 2005
in Virginia on February 9, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Advanced IRAs 2005
in Michigan on February 11, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Advanced IRAs 2005
in Texas on February 11, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Advanced IRAs 2005
in Oklahoma on February 18, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Advanced IRAs 2005
in Pennsylvania on February 18, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Advanced IRAs 2005
in New Jersey on February 23, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in Virginia on February 8, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in Texas on February 8, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in Michigan on February 10, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in Texas on February 10, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in Oklahoma on February 17, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in Pennsylvania on February 17, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Basic IRAs 2005
in New Jersey on February 22, 2005
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Newly Posted Press Releases
TRA, Inc. Announces Strategic Agreement with Metavante 401(k) Services
(The Retirement Advantage, Inc.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Health & Welfare Associate
for Towers Perrin
in CA, MA, NJ, NY
Pension Administrator
for Actuaries Unlimited, Inc.
in CA, NV
Pension Administrator
for Actuaries Unlimited, Inc.
in CA
Retirement Plan Consultant
for Benefit Solutions Corporation
in WI
Pension Administration Supervisor
for Milliman USA
in TX
Employee Benefits Advisor
for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
in DC
Defined Benefit / Defined Contribution Pension Plan Administrator
for Howard Simon & Associates, Inc.
in IL
Senior Pension Consultant
for Pen-Cal Administrators
in CA
Employee Benefits Relationship Manager
for Reliance Trust Company
in GA
Benefits Plan Compliance Analyst
for ICI Group Services Inc.
in NJ
Benefits Analyst - Retirement
for Mercer Human Resource Consulting
in WI
Benefits Service Manager
for Hewitt Associates
in TX
Benefits Planning Analyst
for Sodexho
in MD
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