| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
February 23, 2005
Today's sponsor: International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC)
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Learn Proven Methods to Reduce your Healthcare Costs! 3rd ANNUAL HEALTHCARE COST CONTAINMENT STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYERS April 27 - 28, 2005 * Miami, FL Hear 14 new case studies on how to reduce your healthcare costs by implementing disease management, wellness and consumer-driven healthcare programs. Learn best practice tips from some of the most successful US companies including: Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase and Georgia-Pacific. Click above or Visit http://www.iqpc.com/NA-1790-03/enews Register by February 28th and save $200!
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Local Governments Face New Reporting Requirements for Future Retiree Health Care Costs
Excerpt: "The day of reckoning for reporting projected future retiree health care costs is growing nearer for municipalities. Governments with more than $100 million in annual revenues will be required to implement new Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) rules for the fiscal year beginning after Dec. 15, 2006. Two new GASB standards will require governments to report accrued liabilities for other post-employment benefits (OPEB) similar to the way pension plans are reported." (American City & County)
Programs that Compensate Doctors Based on Performance Are Becoming More Common
Excerpt: "Such 'pay-for-performance' programs got a big boost last month, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it was readying its first-ever program to pay physician groups based on their performance. [Target page includes chart comparing two pay-for-performance programs]" (Union-Tribune Publishing Co.)
Overview: CMS Clarifies Position on Issues Affecting Employer Retiree Pres.cription Drug Alternatives (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Four weeks have passed since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released final regulations to implement the Medicare Part D drug benefit slated to begin January 1, 2006. It is already apparent that the effort to meet that deadline will present challenges to CMS, employers and other stakeholders due to the short timelines and the simultaneous need to clarify many important issues." (Towers Perrin)
Hearings: Drug Pricing Continues to Dominate the Health Policy Debate
Excerpt: "The issue of drug pricing continued to dominate the health policy debate this week. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held two hearings on drug importation, and several of our health policy colleagues were invited to testify: Stephen Pollard of the Centre for the New Europe in Brussels, Bob Goldberg of the Manhattan Institute, and Ben Zycher of the Pacific Research Institute." (Galen Institute)
15 Big Predictions for 2005: Industry Experts Take a Look at CDH in the New Year
Excerpt: "This year, ICDC contacted more than 20 industry experts and asked them about the trends they expect to see in 2005.' (INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE via AISHealth.com)
NFIB Survey Shows Opposition to Mandatory Health Care by Arizona Small Businesses
Excerpt: "Arizona's small businesses are opposed to the state requiring them to provide health care for their employees, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Arizona chapter of National Federation of Independent Business." (The Business Journal of Phoenix via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required)
American Benefits Council & Other Associations File Amicus Brief in Support of EEOC in AARP v. EEOC (PDF)
36 pages. Brief Amici Curiae of The Equal Employment Advisory Council, HR Policy Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, American Benefits Council, The Chamber of Commerce of the United States, The ERISA Industry Committee, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and The Society for Human Resource Management In Support of Defendant (American Benefits Council)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Outsourcing Can Lead to Costly ERISA Litigation: How One Employer Prevailed
Excerpt: "Many employers are continuing the trend of outsourcing certain services or functions by subcontracting with a third party. However, the process of outsourcing often ends in terminations of employment which can give rise to lawsuits and claims under ERISA and other areas of the law.* A recent 8th Circuit case--Dallas D. Register, et. al. v. Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC, 2005 WL 367319 (8th Cir. 2005)--illustrates the exposure to lawsuits that outsourcing can ...." (Attorney B. Janell Grenier via BenefitsBlog.com)
Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide Updated as of February 22, 2005
Excerpt: "Hewitt's Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law regarding health and welfare benefit plans, retirement plans, and human resources and employment law." (Hewitt Associates)
IRS Settlement Program Refers to Annuities Used in Relation to Stock Options
Excerpt: "Tax regulators want to block an arrangement that some executives have used to cut taxes related to stock options. The Internal Revenue Service has unveiled a new settlement program for users of the strategy, which sometimes relies on annuities, and similar strategies in Announcement 2005-19. .... The IRS has posted the announcement at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/a-05-19.pdf" (National Underwriter)
Survey Leads to New Benefit Benchmarking Capabilities
Excerpt: "Employee Benefit News and Milliman USA have teamed to provide a sophisticated financial tool that evaluates employer benefit programs. The tool, dubbed 'BenPulse,' assesses a firm's benefit programs relative to those of competing employers and provides vital statistics within each benefits category." (BenefitNews Connect)
Newly Posted Events
Directed Trustees -- A Safe Way Out of the Woods?
Nationwide on March 15, 2005
presented by SunGard Corbel
EGTRRA Determination Letters - Start Your Engines
Nationwide on March 29, 2005
presented by SunGard Corbel
The Future of Social Security and Implications for Higher Education
Nationwide on March 16, 2005
presented by NACUBO (National Association of College and University Business Officers)
Web Seminar on Medicare Part D for Plan Sponsors
Nationwide on February 24, 2005
presented by Hay Group
Newly Posted Press Releases
Communication Plays Critical Role In Improving Retention Power Of Health Benefits
(Watson Wyatt)
Settlement Offer Extended for Executive Stock Option Scheme
(Internal Revenue Service (IRS))
IRS Unveils Redesigned Employment Tax Return
(Internal Revenue Service (IRS))
Employees Entrust Financial Engines with $1 Billion in Assets under Management; Milestone Achieved After First 14 Weeks Offering Personal Asset Manager Program
(Financial Engines, Inc.)
AARP Suit Puts Retiree Health Benefits On The Line, Business Groups Claim
(ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee))
Revere Coalition Welcomes New Members
(Revere Coalition)
Vanguard VIPERs Added To Invest N Retire’s 401(k) Platform
(Invest n Retire, LLC)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
401(k)/Defined Contribution or Defined Benefit Account Manager
for National Retirement Services, Inc. (NRS)
in CA, NC
Senior Product Analyst-Retirement Health Services
for ICMA-Retirement Corporation
in DC
Sell only the Best of the Best - Retirement Software and Solutions
for Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.
in AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
Senior Pension Accounting Manager
for CitiStreet
in MA
529 Plan Sales Representative (Northeast)
for Merrill Lynch
in CT
Senior Technical Analyst
for Fiserv Investment Support Services
in CO
Trading Desk Administrator
for TPA Firm
in FL
Plan Administrator
for TPA Firm
in FL
Internal New Business Consultant
for Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
in WI
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
Copyright 2005 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you may reprint this newsletter in full (including this sentence) 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: