| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
September 7, 2005
Today's sponsor: Hay Group, Inc.
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| Free Hay Group Web Seminar on Medicare Part D |
| Medicare Part D crunch time is here. Are you ready for the September 30 2005 deadline? There is still time to act! Hay Group's actuarial consultants can help you decide how to best take advantage of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Register today for a free 1-hour webinar, in which we'll explain in plain English if your retiree plan qualifies for the federal subsidy, what your options are, and how much you can expect to save.
Click above for more information |
| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
Text of IRS Notice 2005-61: Cafeteria Plan Amendments to Allow Grace Period for Dependent Care
Excerpt: "The purpose of this notice is to clarify the Form W-2 reporting requirements when an employer has amended a cafeteria plan document to provide a grace period for qualified dependent care assistance immediately following the end of a cafeteria plan year." (Internal Revenue Service)
New York Issues Accelerated Death Benefits Rules
Excerpt: "The New York State Insurance Department wants to update its accelerated death benefit regulations. The proposed update would affect any individual life, group life or fraternal life insurer doing business in the Empire State that offers early benefits payments for insureds who suffer from serious health problems." (National Underwriter Life & Health; free one-time registration or paid subscription required)
Bill Lets Employers Make Tax-Free Contributions to 529 Plans
Excerpt: "A House bill introduced just before the August recess would let employers make tax-free contributions to both 529 college savings plans and Coverdell accounts." (InvestmentNews.com)
Perks at Work -- Inventive Bribes or Work/Life Aids?
Excerpt: "Although budget tightening has forced many companies to cut back health-care and other job benefits, some firms find they have to offer ever more inventive perks to attract and retain the best employees. They're serving up everything from free food and on-site dry cleaning to discounted pet insurance and medical coverage for aging parents." (TIME Magazine)
Federal Workers Can Donate Leave to Federal Employees Who Are Katrina Victims
Excerpt: "President Bush issued a memorandum to the Office of Personnel Management asking it to establish a program to facilitate the transfer of leave for employees wishing to donate personal leave time to employees affected by Hurricane Katrina." (PLANSPONSOR.com: one-time registration required)
Author of Utah State Employee Retiree Benefit Cuts Proposes Similar Cuts for Legislators
Excerpt: "The legislator who led the fight to cut back retired state employees' health-care benefits is proposing similar cuts for legislators and governors. Rep. Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, said tightening up lawmakers' own health-care retirement benefits is only fair." (AP via KUTV.com)
Hurricane Katrina Bulletin: HIPAA Privacy and Disclosures in Emergency Situations (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Persons who are displaced and in need of health care as a result of a severe disaster-- such as Hurricane Katrina-- need ready access to health care and the means of contacting family and caregivers. We provide this bulletin to emphasize how the HIPAA Privacy Rule allows patient information to be shared to assist in disaster relief efforts, and to assist patients in receiving the care they need." (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights)
Hurricane Katrina Resources -- New Resource Documents and Links Posted by AHLA
Excerpt: "Join the Hurricane Katrina listserve to communicate directly with colleagues about issues that have arisen in the wake of the disaster. [There is a link to sign up for the listserve on the target page.]" (American Health Lawyers Association)
Massachusetts Blue Cross to Require Preapproval for Scans -- MRI, Other Imaging Costs Up 20% in Year
Excerpt: "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state's largest health insurer, said it will seek to control runaway radiology costs by requiring many doctors to receive authorization before scheduling advanced imaging procedures." (The Boston Globe)
AHIMA Offers Guidelines for Legal Health Records
Excerpt: "The September issue of the Journal for the American Health Information Management Association offers guidelines for ensuring that electronic health records comply with the requirements of a legal health record, Modern Physician reports. Legal health records are used to document the basis for health care decisions, support requests for reimbursement from third-party payers and act as legal testimony." (California HealthCare Foundation)
Commentary: Competition in Health Care -- It Takes Systems to Pursue Quality
Excerpt: "Many stakeholders agree that the current model of U.S. health care competition is not working. Costs continue to rise at double-digit rates, and quality is far from optimal. One proposal for fixing health care markets is to eliminate provider networks and encourage informed, financially responsible consumers to choose the best provider for each condition. We argue that this 'solution' will lead our health care markets toward even greater fragmentation and lack of coordination ...." (Health Affairs)
CMS's Hurricane Katrina Information Web Site
Excerpt: "CMS has posted Hurricane Katrina Information for people with Medicare or Medicaid and for providers." (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Quality Issues to Dominate Congressional Health Care Agenda
Excerpt: "With little time remaining in the first session of Congress, health care matters will have to compete with must-pass appropriations bills and the budget reconciliation process. However, a variety of factors -- escalating costs of private health insurance and the Medicaid program, a growing push to provide consumers and payers more information about the cost and quality of health care providers, calls for wider adoption of health care information technology (IT), and launching of ...." (HR Policy Association)
HR Policy Members Consider Driving Market Reform through Open Source Standards for Contracting
Excerpt: "If genuine health care market reforms are to be achieved, it is up to the purchasing community to provide the leadership to demand accountability, with chief human resource officers and other senior executives of large companies playing a prominent role. That is the principal finding of the Regional Health Care Quality Reform Initiatives Coalition, ...." (HR Policy Association)
Overview: What Employers Need to Know about the Medicare Part D Pres.cription Drug Subsidy (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "[The Medicare Pres.cription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003] has established a voluntary federal pres.cription drug subsidy program to allow certain employers and unions to continue providing Medicare-eligible (including retirees) participants with their current pres.cription drug coverage at a lower cost. The following discussion is intended to help you better understand the parameters of this subsidy, as well as how and when to apply for it." (Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP)
Consumers Drive Improvements in Generic Drug Utilization Rates for Blues Insurers
Excerpt: "Consumers are becoming more willing to use generic medications as awareness grows about alternatives and their potential to save money. And several Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans are tapping into that willingness in an effort to increase their generic utilization rates and slow increases in pharmacy spending." (The AIS Report on Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans via AISHealth.com)
Report: Pharmacy Benefit Managers -- Ownership of Mail-Order Pharmacies (PDF)
240 pages. Excerpt: "Private sector entities that offer medical insurance ('plan sponsors'), such as employers, labor unions, and managed care companies, also offer pres.cription drug insurance coverage. Plan sponsors often hire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to manage these insurance benefits. This Study examines one facet of private sector competition-- how PBMs' use of mail-order pharmacies that they own affects their clients' pres.cription drug costs." (Federal Trade Commission)
Proposed Health Savings Account Changes Could Boost Adoption, White House Advisor Says
Excerpt: "HSAs are 'a high priority for President Bush,' and the White House has urged members of Congress to consider ways to make them even more attractive to employers and health care consumers, according to Roy Ramthun, senior health policy advisor to the White House National Economic Council." (INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE via AISHealth.com)
Healthy Edge for Small Milwaukee Businesses? Cooperative to Push Affordable Medical Insurance
Excerpt: "The first health care cooperative in the state is set to be launched this month in the Milwaukee metro area. Its mission: organize small businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals into a large group with the big-business bargaining power needed to negotiate affordable health insurance plans." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; one-time registration required)
As Health Costs Rise, New Jersey Lawmakers Offer Employers Some Remedies
Excerpt: "Health insurance costs will rise again for most New Jersey employers this year. But proposed legislation could bring relief .... .... The passage or nonpassage of Assembly bill 3440, will have the most immediate impact .... The proposed bill will bring New Jersey into compliance with federal requirements, which are necessary to continue offering Health Savings Accounts." (Philadelphia Business Journal via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required)
Health Plans See Future in Long-Term Care Coverage, As Baby Boomers Age and Medicaid Cuts Loom
Excerpt: "Some 6,600 employers now offer long-term-care plans to their workers and families, up from 3,500 in 2000, according to Limra. The U.S. Labor Department estimates that, as of 2003, 13% of full-time, private-industry employees nationwide had the option of buying coverage through their employers." (Modern Healthcare; one-time registration required)
Audio: Firms Work to Locate and Pay Displaced Workers
Excerpt: "While authorities add up the human toll from Hurricane Katrina, companies are sorting out their roles. Many vow to continue paying their employees, even those without jobs to go to. The level of pay and benefits that a company offers varies widely." (Morning Edition via National Public Radio)
Employers' Responsibilities In the Wake of a Natural Disaster
Excerpt: "While the nation copes with the unprecedented devastation caused by the hurricanes and tropical storms, [Littler Mendelson has] prepared a brief synopsis of guidelines that can be used by employers to navigate through the many legal and business issues created by recent events. Many of these guidelines are applicable to other disasters such as earthquakes, terrorist attacks, fires and workplace violence. Therefore, we encourage you to save this as a reference in the future, ...." (Littler Mendelson)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Same Sex Marriage Wins Vote in California
Excerpt: " California lawmakers on Tuesday became the first in the country to legalize same-sex marriage, with the State Assembly narrowly approving a bill that defines marriage as between 'two persons' instead of between a man and a woman." (The New York Times; one-time registration required)
The 2005 Top 250: Long-Term Incentive Grant Practices for Executives (PDF)
33 pages. Excerpt: "Key findings [include]: Although stock option usage slid from 99% of companies in 2003 to 90% in 2005, it was still well ahead of restricted stock, the second-most popular vehicle used by 66% of companies in 2005, up from 49% in 2003." (Frederic W. Cook & Co.)
Overview: DOL Proposes Mandatory Electronic Filing of Form 5500s
Excerpt: "The DOL has now issued a proposed regulation that would mandate electronic filing of the Form 5500 via the Internet. The proposed regulation would apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, with the first electronically filed forms due in 2008." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.)
Newly Posted Events
A Bold New Approach to Healthy Benefits Design: Shifting from Cost-Shifting to an Outcomes-Based Benefits Strategy
in Texas on September 28, 2005
presented by Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health
Findings From Annual Survey Of Employer Health Benefits To Be Released
Nationwide on September 14, 2005
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation
Newly Posted Press Releases
Gilsbar, Inc. Fully Operational Post Hurricane
(Gilsbar, Inc.)
Benefits Conferences Scheduled for New Orleans Relocate to Dallas, Texas -- Conference Host Donates to New Orleans Hospitality Industry
(International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
401k/Tiered Plan Administrator
for The Pension Group, Inc.
in CA
Contract to Perm Benefits Administrator
for The Rosen Group
in NJ
External Sales Representatives - Florida & Northern California
for PENSCO Trust Company
in CA, FL
Senior Health and Welfare Consultant
for Leader in Health and Welfare Consulting
in OH, PA
Health Care and Group Benefits Attorney
for Mercer Human Resource Consulting
in DC
Employee Benefits Sales Consultant, ESG
for CUNA Mutual Group
in WI
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