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February 3, 2005
Today's sponsor: IQPC/Healthcare IQ
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
IQPC's 2nd Annual Chronic Disease Management Strategies for Employers The 2nd Annual CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYERS - WEST: Effectively Managing Rising Costs, Increasing Productivity and Implementing Wellness Programs in the Workplace March 1 - 2, 2005 * San Francisco, CA Hear from Johnson & Johnson, Schlumberger, Union Pacific Railroad, Wachovia, HSBC, Boeing, Coca-Cola, WE Energies, Archer Daniels Midland, DMAA, Natl Assoc of Manufacturers, Pacific Business Group on Health, among many others. Click above or visit http://www.iqpc.com/na-2130-02/enews
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Health Care in California: Perspectives from Employers and Consumers (PDF)
24 pages. Excerpt: "This chart pack examines employer and consumer responses to rising costs, including cost containment strategies used by employers and behavioral changes among consumers. It also explores the challenges of providing complex health benefits, including provision of cost and quality information by employers and the use of that information by consumers." (California Healthcare Foundation)
Medicare's Effect on COBRA
Excerpt: "The interaction of Medicare and COBRA results in some rather complex and frequently misunderstood rules regarding COBRA administration. This COBRA Tip first presents a short course on Medicare's basic rules, then explains how those rules impact COBRA administration." (OnQue Technologies, Inc.)
Overview: Government Issues Final Regulations and Proposed Regulations Under HIPAA (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services jointly issued final regulations on December 30, 2004, concerning the portability requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ... for group health plans, and for issuers of health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan." (Dechert LLP)
Behavioral Firms Add Disease Management Capability to Address Med/Psych Interaction
Excerpt: "In the past few years, behavioral health companies have begun taking a seat at the table in the management of some of the most expensive and prevalent chronic conditions. These firms are developing more disease management capabilities, aiming to provide expertise to vendors, employers and insurers on how to identify and treat behavioral issues within the context of programs to manage diabetes, congestive heart failure and a host of other conditions." (MANAGED CARE WEEK via AISHealth.com)
California's Chronically Ill: Coping with Rising Health Care Costs (PDF)
18 pages. Excerpt: "An online survey of Californians with chronic conditions was recently conducted by Harris Interactive. This survey was conducted simultaneously with employers and consumers to assess trends and impacts in the health insurance marketplace. This chart pack summarizes the survey findings." (California Healthcare Foundation)
Thirty Large Employers Unite in Effort to Curb Pres.cription Costs
Excerpt: "In a new strategy to rein in pres.cription drug costs, a group of 30 large employers has banded together to monitor the business practices of the middlemen drug buyers that most employers use to get discounts from pharmaceutical companies. The new group, called Rx Collaborative ... is part of a stepped-up effort by employers across the country to cope with drug costs that have been rising 11 percent or more annually." (The New York Times; one-time registration required)
Editorial on the Idea that Americans Can Purchase Healthcare As They Do Groceries or Auto Insurance
Excerpt: "The idea that Americans should purchase healthcare much as they do groceries or auto insurance -- on their own, without any strong-arming by government or employers -- has been around for years, and goes roughly like this: Because people have unique healthcare needs, they should be free to buy insurance policies tailored for themselves. And because most Americans typically shift jobs every few years, they, and not an employer, should control the policies. Consumers should also pay ...." (Los Angeles Times; one-time registration required)
Arkansas State Chamber Opposed to 'Any Willing Provider' Legislation
Excerpt: "The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas released a statement Wednesday noting its opposition to Senate Bills 43 and 44, the proposed 'any willing provider' legislation sponsored by Sen. Steve Faris, D-Malvern." (Arkansasbusiness.com Daily Report)
Report: Massachusetts Employers Who Have 50 or More Employees Using Public Health Assistance (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "Section 304 of Chapter 149 of the Acts of 2004 requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to produce a list of employers who have 50 or more employees using public health assistance each year. This brief report provides the results of the first annual analysis completed by the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy (DHCFP) in collaboration with staff from the Office of Medicaid." (Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Division of Health Care Finance and Policy)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Survey Shows More Firms Offer Partner Benefits
Excerpt: "More U.S. companies have started to offer benefit coverage for same-sex couples and other 'nontraditional' families, according to a new survey. The Nontraditional Family Benefit Coverage Survey, conducted by Mellon Financial Corp. Human Resources & Investor Solutions business, found that 31 percent of responding companies offer domestic partner benefit coverage, up from 19 percent in a 2001 survey." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Perspective: Outlook for Executive Compensation Governance 2005: A Plan of Action from Mercer
Excerpt: "This Perspective sets out ten steps, based on our experience with companies across the country, that we believe will strengthen executive compensation governance in 2005. At the end of the article, we include a checklist for compensation committees of 'must-do' items for the first quarter of 2005." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting)
Summary: Recent Legislative, Regulatory, and Judicial Information on Employee Benefits for Jan. 2005 (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "The February 2005 issue of Monthly Benefit News and Development covers: the status of federal legislation affecting employer-provided health and retirement benefits; new tax options developed by the Joint Committee on Taxation; upcoming key dates; IRS and CMS regulatory guidance; BLS's study on factors contributing to saving for retirement; and the GAO's recommendations for legislation to protect the PBGC." (Milliman)
Newly Posted Events
Communication With Employees in the Modern Era:
in Georgia on February 17, 2005
presented by Worldwide Employee Benefits Network (WEB) - Atlanta Chapter
International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association -- IPEBLA 10th International Conference, Vienna, Austria
Nationwide on May 22, 2005
presented by International Pension & Employee Benefits Lawyers Association
Newly Posted Press Releases
PBGC Takes $2.3 Billion Pension Loss From US Airways
(Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC))
CORRECTION: Labor Department Proposes Funding Notices for Multiemployer Plans
(U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.)
California Employers View Health Care Cost-Sharing as Double-Edged Sword; Employers Believe Cost Sharing Encourages Workers to Spend Wisely, but May Result in Foregoing Needed Care
(California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF))
OnlineBenefits Introduces AgencyWare - Agency Management System Added to Benefit Broker Product Line
(OnlineBenefits, Inc.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Analyst
for Long Island Employee Benefits Group, Ltd.
in NY
Document and Compliance Specialist
for Alliance Benefit Group
in KS
Pension Administrator
for VPC Group
in VA
Deferred Compensation Analyst
for Employees Retirement System of Texas
in TX
Executive Compensation Administrator
for Multi-faceted Privately Held Financial Services Company
in GA
Supervisory Pension Law Specialist
for U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
in DC
Supervisory Investigator (Deputy Regional Director)
for U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
in MO
Retirement Services Major Accounts District Manager (Sales)
for ADP Retirement Services
in CA, NJ, PA, TN
Administrative Assistant
for Small Chicago law firm and TPA firm
in IL
DC/401(k) Administrator
for The Parker Group
in NY
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