| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
September 14, 2005
Today's sponsor: Lockton Benefit Group
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| Optimizing Employee Benefits...by Design |
| Lockton is the nation's largest privately owned insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting firm. Our private ownership allows us to deliver the most innovative and outstanding service with unwavering integrity. With 15 offices in 8 states and the District of Columbia, we are nationally positioned to meet our clients' every need. Our success is measured in our client retention rate, among the very highest in the industry. We live service! |
| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
Overview: New IRS Notice Permits Employee Leave Donation to Aid Hurricane Katrina Victims (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "In a recent notice, the IRS made it easier for employees to donate money to charitable organizations assisting HurricaneKatrina victims in conjunction with their paid-time off (PTO) arrangements for vacation, sick and personal leave. Under Notice 2005-68, employers may allow employees to forego vacation, sick or personal leave in exchange for the employer's making a cash payment to one or more charities that provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina." (Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP)
Hurricane Katrina Bulletin #2: HIPAA Privacy Rule Compliance Guidance and Enforcement Statement (PDF)
9 pages. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights' HURRICANE KATRINA BULLETIN #2: HIPAA Privacy Rule Compliance Guidance and Enforcement Statement for Activities in Response to Hurricane Katrina. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights)
AHIP Hotline Heads Updated Katrina Contributions and Actions List
Excerpt: "[The target document] is a partial description of life and health insurance community responses to Katrina." (National Underwriter Life & Health; free one-time registration or paid subscription required)
Baby Boomers' Increasing Caregiver Role Having Big Impact on Work Force
Excerpt: "There are many costs to caregiving. Clearly there is the economic impact if an employee leaves their job. Not only is there lost income, there are lost Social Security earnings, lost retirement contributions, lost employee benefits that may include health insurance." (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Competition, Other Factors in Wide Variation in Prices
80 pages; 1-page summary is online at http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d05856high.pdf (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
Employers Set New Standards to Drive Health Plan Vendor Performance (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "As employers rethink their health care strategies and require more customized solutions targeted to different subsets of their employee populations, a growing number of organizations are taking a fresh look at their vendor partnerships. Apart from focusing on age-old operational targets for claim processing, phone call responsiveness and other administrative details, these employers are setting clear expectations and accountability standards for a broader range of ...." (Towers Perrin)
The HSA Insider -- Health Savings Accounts: Politics, Regulations and Industry News, Sept. 21, 2005 (PDF)
10 pages. This edition includes articles titled: Marcus Merz on Hospital Pricing; The 2006 HSA Deductible, Contribution and Out-of-pocket Numbers; The United Benefit Advisors' Study; Why Going to a Surgery Center Will Save You Thousands. (HSA Insider Corporation)
HMO Care Improves in California, According to State Survey
Excerpt: "California's 10 largest HMOs continue to have 'critical shortfalls' and mediocre results in providing preventive care, although overall quality of care has improved and members are increasingly satisfied with their plans, said state officials who released an annual HMO 'report card' Tuesday." (Los Angeles Times; one-time registration required)
Employer Health Benefits 2005 Annual Survey
Excerpt: "This annual survey of employers provides a detailed look at trends in employer-based health coverage, including changes in premiums, employee contributions, cost sharing policies and other relevant information. This year the survey also documented the prevalence of high-deductible health plans and savings account options, including the percentage of employers offering these plan types and the percentage of workers covered by them." (The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust)
Senator Durbin Blocks Aid for States' High-Risk Health Insurance Pools
Excerpt: "At the request of the office of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has blocked a bill that would provide $300 million to the states to help pay for health-care costs of people in high-risk insurance pools. The senator put a formal 'hold' on the legislation after learning that it would change the formula for allocating funds in a way that would give smaller states an advantage at the expense of Illinois, the senator's office said." (Chicago Tribune; one-time registration required)
The Price of Illness: Cost Sharing and Health Plan Benefits
Excerpt: "The [Foundation] asked Milliman, Inc. to calculate the out-of-pocket costs California consumers with different health care needs would pay under a range of policies. .... Results for the San Francisco individual market are presented .... Supplemental tables provide comparative data for the Fresno individual market, as well as results for the small group market in both regions. Researchers interested in conducting their own analysis of products and premiums from 2003 through ...." (California HealthCare Foundation)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Summary of the Grassley-Baucus Tax Relief Package for Individuals Affected by Hurricane Katrina (PDF)
5 pages. (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance)
Milliman's Employee Benefits Perspectives -- Current Issues, Summer 2005 (PDF)
8 pages. This edition contains articles titled: Before Cashing Out, Plan Sponsors Must Consider Automatic Rollover Roulette; What 401(K) Plan Sponsors Need to Know Before January 2006; and, Providing Paid FMLA Leave Through Short-term Disability Insurance. (Milliman)
Janice Wegesin of Form5500Help.com Seeks Your Opinion on Proposed Mandatory Electronic 5500 Filings
Excerpt: "In an effort to gather meaningful data to respond to the DOL's proposal to mandate e-filing ... a group of interested parties have developed a short survey about the affect this proposal may have on practitioners and plan sponsors. We need your opinions! Please take a moment to complete the survey." (Form5500Help.com)
Newly Posted Events
ASPPA Benefits Council of Greater Cincinnati September 27, 2005 Meeting
in Kentucky on September 27, 2005
presented by ASPPA Benefits Council of Greater Cincinnati
The Role of Real Estate and Other Non-Cash Assets in Pension Plans
Nationwide on September 21, 2005
presented by Capital Strategies Group of Wachovia Securities
Newly Posted Press Releases
Ceridian Introduces Solution to Reduce Employee Absenteeism Caused by Temporary Breakdowns in Child, Adult and Elder Care
(Ceridian)
The Principal Financial Group Honored in National WebAward Competition
(Principal Financial Group)
Retirement Plan Document Choices for EGTRRA from DATAIR
(DATAIR Employee Benefit Systems, Inc.)
California Teachers' Pension System Expands Credit Enhancement Program
(California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS))
Survey of Reaction to DOL's Proposed Mandatory Electronic Filing of Form 5500
(Form5500Help.com)
Health Savings Technology Announces Joint Venture with SaveDaily.com
(Health Savings Technology LLC)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Professionals
for The Rosen Group
in PA
Pension Administrator
for Full Service Employee Benefit Consulting Firm
in NY
Associate Counsel
for CitiStreet - A State Street and Citigroup company
in MA
401k Sales
for Compass Investment Partners
in ANY STATE
Corporate Counsel, Corporate Services
for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
in ANY STATE
Financial Planner / Investment Specialist
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in GA
Account Executive
for MetLife
in NY, OH, VA
Retirement Planning Specialist
for Martin Memorial Health Systems
in FL
Benefit Service Representative
for NRECA
in VA
Retirement Policy Coordinator
for University of California, Office of the President
in CA
401(k) Compliance Analyst
for ADP
in NJ
Handy Links:
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- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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