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January 25, 2005
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Text of Medicare Pres.cription Drug Benefit Regulations
Target page also includes links to press releases and overviews, as well as the text of the regulations. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
State of the States: Governors Address Health Issues
Excerpt: "The following summarizes the health issues recently discussed by governors in their State of the State addresses. [States covered on target page are: Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.]' (The National Journal Group, Limited via The BlueCross BlueShield Association)
Health Reimbursement Arrangements: Are They Subject to COBRA?
Excerpt: "As a general rule, employers subject to COBRA must offer continuation coverage to qualified beneficiaries for any health plan that is considered employer sponsored. Thankfully, the DOL quickly resolved the issue for Health Savings Accounts, determining that they are not employer sponsored health plans subject to COBRA, as long as participation is voluntary. HRAs, on the other hand, are considered employer sponsored health plans and are therefore subject to all federal regulations ...." (BNA Tax Management)
Law Enforcement's Sense of Entitlement Causes Tension With Covered Entities
Excerpt: "Tensions between hospitals and law enforcement officers remain high in some places as hospitals struggle to figure out exactly how much they can accommodate police and other investigators requesting protected health information (PHI), within the constraints of HIPAA and state laws. Law enforcement's sense of entitlement to patient information is at the heart of the problem, experts say." (REPORT ON PATIENT PRIVACY via AISHealth.com)
As Health Plans Become More Complicated, They're Also Subject to a Lot More Costly Mistakes
Excerpt: "By getting sophisticated about addressing the worst of their skyrocketing medical expenses, employers avoid shifting costs across the board onto their workers. In the end, tailoring health plans to steer employees to the most efficient option means the most savings for everyone, right? In theory, maybe. But in the reality of processing medical claims, those hoped-for savings sometimes don't add up. All the quirks in employers' plans are leading to a rash of errors at insurers ...." (Wall Street Journal via SFGate.com)
Senator Dayton Pushes Bill to Allow Medicare Drug Negotiations
Excerpt: "Sen. Mark Dayton will become one of his party's standard-bearers on Medicare reform this year with legislation to allow the health-care program to directly negotiate prices with drug companies. Dayton claimed Monday that the savings would 'go a long ways' toward paying for beefed-up pres.cription drug coverage for seniors and the disabled. The bill would also fill gaps that leave some people paying for much of the first $5,000 of Medicare coverage." (AP via Duluth News Tribune)
'Responsible Approach' Critical for Consumer Directed Health Plans, Law Firm Says
Excerpt: "While some advocates herald the CDH concept as 'the principal health care cost containment strategy for the 21st century,' critics often contend that the strategy is just a clever way of shifting health coverage costs from the employer to the consumer, according to a 'white paper' released recently by the McDermott Will & Emery law firm. The paper, Encouraging a Responsible Approach to Consumer-Driven Health Care, is the culmination of a colloquium held last spring and reflects ...." (INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE via AISHealth.com)
Retirees Tripped Up by Health Care Costs: Less Help Likely As Companies Reduce Medical Benefits
Excerpt: "Hit hard by double-digit increases in medical costs, scores of companies are forcing current retirees to pay substantially more for health care coverage and telling future retirees not to count on any help. This year may be especially rough. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Hewitt Associates found that companies plan to accelerate their benefits retreat in 2005." (The Dallas Morning News; one-time registration required)
Welcome to new BenefitsLink advertiser Next Generation Dental
Excerpt: "Next Generation Dental Group , a comprehensive dental practice ready to meet all of your dental needs. We offer full dental services including Orthodontics, Periodontics, Oral Surgery and Dentistry. We also specialize in Invisalign, Brite Smile, and Smile Makeovers." (BenefitsLink.com)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Overview: Treasury Guidance on Section 409A Rules for Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans
Excerpt: "Section 409A significantly changed the rules regarding the timing of deferral elections under, and distributions from, non-qualified deferred compensation plans. The recent enactment of section 409A raised numerous questions as to which deferral arrangements are covered, as well as how 2004 and 2005 deferrals should be treated. [Target page addresses] highlights from Treasury's transition guidance." (Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP)
Webcast: Evaluating 404 IT Deficiencies -- A Practical Approach that Works
Excerpt: "As accelerated filers race to the finish line for year one compliance with Section 404, much work remains in the area of testing exceptions and evaluating deficiencies. .... In this session, our panelists will provide insights about common testing exceptions, as well as focus on practical approaches to evaluating deficiencies." (Ernest & Young; one-time registration required)
Newly Posted Events
A Legislative Update from D.C. For Public Sector Pension Plans
Nationwide on February 15, 2005
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Share Equity: Create Value
in California on April 20, 2005
presented by National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) and the Beyster Institute
The New HIPAA Portability Regulations
Nationwide on December 30, 2004
presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA)
Newly Posted Press Releases
Employees Overwhelmed by Benefit Choices and Greater Responsibility
(Principal Financial Group)
Statement of Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao On GAO Report Regarding Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
(U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Consultants/Administrators
for Northern NJ Mid-Size Pension Consulting Firm
in NJ
Supervisor, Client Services
for BISYS Retirement Services
in PA
Director - Compliance, State Filing Manager - Annuities
for MassMutual Financial Group
in CT
Remittance Services Analyst
for ICMA Retirement Corporation
in DC
Operations Technical Specialist
for ICMA Retirement Corporation
in DC
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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