| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
August 31, 2005
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Issue Brief: Health and Productivity Among U.S. Workers (PDF)
12 pages. Excerpt: "This analysis of Commonwealth Fund survey data estimates the economic impact of health problems on worker productivity. In 2003, an estimated 18 million adults ages 19 to 64 were not working and had a disability or chronic disease, or were not working because of health reasons." (The Commonwealth Fund)
2005 Directory of Multiemployer and Public Health Care Purchasing Coalitions (PDF)
49 pages. (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)
Columbus, Ohio, Doctors Wary As Insurers Start Controversial Rating of Their Care and Costs
Excerpt: "The ratings are designed to help patients find doctors who follow guidelines that the insurers say can improve care, reduce medical complications and help contain costs. The insurers say the Web-accessible ratings, which affix stars next to the names of qualifying doctors, are primarily an informational tool for health plan members. But they concede the ratings can be tied to financial incentives, such as lower copayments, that steer patients to top-performing physicians." (Business First of Columbus via MSNBC.com)
Overview: FSA Treasury Regs Modified to Provide Limited Relief from the 'Use It or Lose It' Rule (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "This rule is not automatic -- you must actually amend your cafeteria plan or flexible benefit plan before the end of the plan year in which you wish to implement the change in order to take advantage of this grace period. Otherwise, the former stricter rule will still apply to your plan. Also, the grace period must apply to all participants in the plan." (Powell Goldstein LLP)
Third Circuit Court Upholds Early Retirement Denial for Employee on Long Term Disability
Excerpt: "The US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling that an employer arbitrarily denied early retirement benefits to an employee who was on long term disability ... leave, based on its previous decisions to grant early retirement to two other employees who were on a short term medical leave. In the case of Vitale v. Latrobe Area Hospital, Circuit Judge Gary Lancaster ruled that the employer's retirement plan language required Latrobe to deny early retirement ...." (PLANSPONSOR.com: one-time registration required)
Termination Of Employee As Part Of Work-Force Reduction Did Not Violate The FMLA
Excerpt: "An employer did not violate the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when it terminated an employee as part of a work-force reduction. This was the decision of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Heady v. United States Enrichment Corporation (No. 04-5762)." (Spencer Benefits Reports)
Overview of Census Bureau Data: The Number of Uninsured Americans Continued to Rise in 2004
Excerpt: "In addition to reductions in the proportion of people with employment-sponsored insurance coverage, there are signs that private coverage is weakening for those who have coverage. A recent survey found that more than one-third of adults have problems paying medical bills and encounter related problems of access to care. These problems are most severe among the uninsured, but about one-third of those who have insurance also reported having difficulties." (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
Individual Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Survey of Affordability, Access, and Benefits (PDF)
28 pages. Excerpt: "In the fall of 2004, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) conducted a comprehensive survey of member companies doing business in the individual health insurance market. The study shows that individually purchased major medical insurance was more affordable and accessible than may be widely known, and offered a broad array of benefits. Most applications for coverage were approved with no restrictions, ...." (America's Health Insurance Plans)
Even the Insured Can Buckle under Health Care Costs
Excerpt: "Sixty-two percent of those struggling to pay medical bills have health insurance, underscoring how increasing premiums, deductibles and gaps in coverage are affecting families." (USA TODAY)
Contraceptive Insurance Coverage Grows for U.S. Workers
Excerpt: "American workers receive widespread coverage for contraceptives, and the cost to employers is a small chunk of overall pres.cription spending, according to a new Mercer analysis." (BenefitNews Connect)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
August 18, 2005, Letter to FASB about Concerns that Should Be Addressed If It Reconsiders FAS 87 (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "Pension accounting is governed by several related standards -- the most significant is SFAS 87, Employers' Accounting for Pensions. FASB is now engaged in three major projects that are likely to impact reconsideration of SFAS 87, because they impact FASB resources and because the conclusions of these projects have obvious relevance to pension accounting. These projects are-- the fair value measurement project; the financial performance reporting by business enterprises ...." (American Academy of Actuaries)
AARP's 50 Best Companies for Workers 50 and Older Offer Flexibility, Respect to Older Workers
Excerpt: "More than one-third of the companies on AARP's list offer phased retirement, and they tend to employ a fair percentage of older workers. On average, about one-third of workers at the top 10 firms on the list are 50 and older, said Deborah Russell, director of economic security at AARP." (MarketWatch, Inc.)
Newly Posted Events
2005 SPARK Forum
in Florida on November 6, 2005
presented by SPARK - the Society of Professional Administrators and Recordkeepers
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans 131st Plenary Meeting; Notice of Meeting
in District of Columbia on September 21, 2005
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans Working Group on Communications to Retirement Plane Participants; Notice of Meeting
in District of Columbia on September 23, 2005
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans Working Group on Improving Plan Communications for Health and Welfare Plan Participants; Notice of Meeting
in District of Columbia on September 21, 2005
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans Working Group on Retirement Plan Distributions and Options; Notice of Meeting
in District of Columbia on September 22, 2005
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
HRO World West
in California on February 8, 2006
presented by Unicomm, LLC
HRO World/NY HR Week
in New York on April 26, 2006
presented by Unicomm, LLC
News Conference: Income, Poverty, Health Insurance and American Community Survey
Nationwide on August 31, 2005
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation
Newly Posted Press Releases
U. S. Labor Department Extends Annual Reports Deadline After Tornado Hits Campbell County, Wyoming
(U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration)
Ted Rice Brings Substantial Trust and Fiduciary Experience to Kelly, Hannaford & Battles, P.A.
(Kelly, Hannaford & Battles, P.A.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Health & Welfare Associate
for Towers Perrin
in CA, CT, GA, MI, NJ, NY, PA
Annual Plan Reporting Administrator
for The Vanguard Group
in PA
Pension Compliance Administrator
for CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, Inc.
in MD, PA
Administrator, Retirement and Savings #0535
for Ball Corporation
in CO
Senior Benefits Analyst
for Revlon
in NY
Senior Sales Executive
for Health Administration Services
in TX
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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