| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
May 11, 2005
Today's sponsor: Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA)
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| Register for EBIA's Tele-Web Seminar |
| Both group health plans and 401(k) plans must comply with special requirements under USERRA for employees on military leave. On May 25, 2005, EBIA will present a 90-minute intermediate-level tele-web seminar designed to provide practical advice to employers, advisors, and administrators.
The seminar will cover required notices, continuation requirements, cafeteria plan elections during leave, reinstatement rights, 401(k) plan make-up contributions, and more! See the registration form for more details. Another great EBIA seminar! |
| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
Opinion: Why the Future of Employer Provided Retiree Medical Coverage is Bleak
Excerpt: "The following factors can be identified as contributing to the decline in employer sponsored retiree medical coverage. They include: Accounting Issues, Increased Costs, Lack of viable and flexible funding vehicles, Age Discrimination Issues, and International Competition." (Chicago Consulting Actuaries)
Bankrup.tcy Reform's Effects on Healthcare Debtors and Creditors
Excerpt: "Congress included specific provisions to address perceived problems in healthcare reorganization and some more general provisions which will change the bargaining positions and dynamics of future Chapter 11 cases. Here are some highlights of the major healthcare and business reorganization changes." (HealthLeaders News)
Working Paper Abstract: The Incidence of the Healthcare Costs of Obesity
Excerpt: "In this paper, we examine the incidence of the healthcare costs of obesity among full time workers. We find that the incremental healthcare costs associated with obesity are passed on to obese workers with employer-sponsored health insurance in the form of lower cash wages. Obese workers in firms without employer-sponsored insurance do not have a wage offset relative to their non-obese counterparts." (National Bureau of Economic Research)
Abstract: Coverage of Vaccines in Private Health Plans: What Does the Public Prefer?
Excerpt: "Underinsurance for recommended vaccines in private health plans may affect 15 percent of children and more than 30 percent of adults. We conducted a nationally representative, Web-based study using health plan vignettes to determine adults' willingness to bear marginally higher plan premiums, to assure plan coverage of new vaccines as they are recommended for children and adults. Our results indicate a broad willingness (more than 75 percent of respondents) to pay the higher premiums." (Health Affairs; subscription required for full text of article)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Automakers' Credit Ratings Hit by Employee Benefit Expenses
Excerpt: "Their pension funds could be affected in several ways. 'The downgrade on securities is likely to have a hit of up to 10% of assets,' says Jack VanDerhei, a professor at Temple University, because pension funds often invest in their own company's securities. Also, 'overall, there's a high tendency for those with below-investment grade bond status to contribute the absolute minimum legally allowed amount.'" (BenefitNews Connect)
Overview: New Bankrup.tcy Act –- Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Provisions
Excerpt: "The Act clarifies how certain Bankrup.tcy Code rules apply to employee benefits and enhances the protection of plan benefits in bankrup.tcy and contains new restrictions on executive compensation that may be paid by an employer in (or prior to) bankrup.tcy. [The newsletter] is a summary of the Act's principal provisions affecting employee benefits and executive compensation." (McDermott Will & Emery)
Dos and Don'ts of Offering Early Retirement Options to Workers
Excerpt: "When can an employer legitimately offer older employees early retirement incentives without exposing the company to age discrimination or constructive discharge claims? That dilemma is the focus of this week's Q&A." (The City Paper Online)
Newly Posted Events
Form 5500 Preparation Workshop
in New Jersey on May 18, 2005
presented by International Society of CEBS - Northern New Jersey Chapter
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Basics: Foundations of Code Section 409A
Nationwide on May 26, 2005
presented by ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
Newly Posted Press Releases
NDCC/SPARK Institute Takes Position on Redemption Fees; Submits Comment to SEC
(Society of Professional Administrators and Recordkeepers (SPARK))
American Express Retirement Services Introduces New Comprehensive Retirement Plan Service And Communication Model To Plan Sponsors: BluePrintSM Helps Plan Sponsors Define, Measure and Achieve Success With Their Retirement Plan
(American Express Retirement Services)
RolloverSystems Expands Automatic Rollover IRA Choices; Adds Two Safe Harbor IRA Providers to Network
(RolloverSystems)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Employee Benefits Consultants I
for Wachovia
in VA
Compliance Analyst
for Transamerica
in CA
Retirement Plan Services Sales & Marketing Manager
for SunTrust Banks, Inc.
in GA
Retirement Plan Sales Director
for First Mercantile Trust Company
in DC, DE, MD, NC, VA
Benefits Analyst
for Barclays Global Investors
in CA
Employee Benefits Attorney
for DeWitt Ross & Stevens
in WI
Section Manager, Implementation Services
for Federated Investors
in PA
Senior Disbursement Services Associate
for Administrative Systems, Inc.
in CA
Plan Administrator
for Benefit Associates, Inc.
in CA
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.
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Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D.
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