| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
November 9, 2005
Today's sponsor: National CLE Conference
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| Learn the latest on Employee Benefits Law while you SKI |
| Employee Benefits Law -- 23rd Annual National CLE Conference
January 3-7, 2006, Snowmass Village (Aspen), CO Media Sponsor: BenefitsLink Where Education Comes First...
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| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
States Taking Health Care Problem in Own Hands
Excerpt: "Lawmakers in at least 19 states have considered proposals to expand health coverage this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That's up from 12 in 2003." (USA TODAY)
Disease Management Outcomes Measurement: A Review of the Different Methodologies
Excerpt: "While research indicates that disease management efforts result in cost savings, there is no standard methodology to measure their impact. Here we discuss outcomes measurement, commonly used methodologies and the strengths and weaknesses of each method." (CCA Strategies, LLC)
Minnesota Health Insurers Post Price Data Online to Meet Consumer Demand
Excerpt: "The St. Paul Pioneer Press on Tuesday examined how health insurers in Minnesota increasingly are publishing health care provider pricing data online to meet consumer demand for information as their share of out-of-pocket costs rise. According to the Pioneer Press, many insurers are responding to consumers' appetite for pricing information by creating Internet tools that 'help people make budgetary decisions about their medical care.'" (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Colorectal Cancer Screening Could Add Billions to Annual Health Care Expenditures
Excerpt: "While preventing thousands of deaths annually, recommended colorectal cancer screening could increase health expenditures in the US by nearly $3 billion annually, according to a report in the October issue of Gastroenterology." (Reuters Health Information via Medscape; one-time registration required)
Company Noted for Benefits to Shut Down On-Site Clinic -- Workers Will Now Pay Insurance Premiums
Excerpt: "American Cast Iron Pipe Co., whose medical and wellness programs helped it make Fortune magazine's '100 Best Places to Work' list every year since 1998, told employees Thursday that rising medical costs and a desire to give them more choices led to the decision." (USA TODAY)
Dutch Government Shifts Health Care Burden to Private Sector (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Employers in the Netherlands are preparing for the new national health care system that will legally require all individuals to secure a minimum level of private insurance coverage beginning on January 1, 2006." (Towers Perrin)
Health Care Tax Credits: Designing an Alternative to Employer-Based Coverage
Excerpt: "Today, the tax code creates a significant tax advantage for those with employer-sponsored coverage by exempting the total value of the benefit from a worker's taxable income. This distorts the health insurance market by favoring coverage obtained through the place of work and stifles the advancement of other coverage options. The Advisory Panel's report brings attention to this distortion by suggesting a cap on the current, unlimited tax break found in employer-sponsored coverage." (The Heritage Foundation)
White Paper: The HSA Opportunity for Financial Organizations (PDF)
9 pages. Excerpt: "Financial organizations were granted a rare opportunity with the passage of the 2004 Health Savings Account (HSA) legislation. The legislation placed banks and credit unions in a leading position to capture the lion's share of this emerging market. This opportunity is especially significant given the size of the healthcare industry and its historical reliance on insurance companies--not banks and credit unions--for its financial foundation." (Wolters Kluwer Financial Services via Bankers Systems, Inc.; registration required to view paper)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Regulatory Update, November 2005, Employee Benefit Plan Review (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "The update discusses IRS relief published for employee benefit plans and participants affected by Hurricane Katrina." (Employee Benefit Plan Review via Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP)
Foreign Control Group Not Subject to Disallowance of Deduction for Excess Comp Paid to Executives
Excerpt: "The IRS has ruled that the section 162(m) disallowance of deductions for excessive compensation does not apply to U.S. subsidiaries of publicly held foreign corporations." (Alston & Bird LLP via BNA Tax Management)
Use of Non-Qualified Plans in Executive Benefit Programs Remains Steady
Excerpt: "Clark Consulting Inc.'s (CCI) survey of executive benefits found that 91% of surveyed companies offer a Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (NQDC)." (PLANSPONSOR.com: one-time registration required)
Section 409A Year-End Checklist (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "The new requirements relating to deferred compensation under section 409A of the [IRC] are effective January 1, 2005. Although the due date for amending plans to comply with section 409A is generally December 31, 2006, there are several earlier compliance dates under the proposed Treasury regulations. Plans have to be administered in compliance with section 409A as of January 1, 2005, and certain plan amendments and actions have to be made or taken by December 31, 2005." (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)
Benefits of State Work on Par with Private Sector in Washington
Excerpt: "When looking for a new job, what do potential employees really look for in a prospective employer? .... So how does the state of Washington fare in comparison with other employers in the state? Is it competitive?" (The Olympian)
Regulatory Update, October 2005, Employee Benefit Plan Review (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "Topics include the anti-cutback rules for defined benefit plans, an IRS ruling on medical expense distributions from defined contribution plans, and IRS and Treasury priority guidance for 2005-2006." (Employee Benefit Plan Review via Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP)
National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the U.S., 2003 (PDF)
98 pages. Excerpt: "This bulletin presents findings of the 2003 NationalCompensation Survey (NCS) conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The survey provides data on detailed provisions of healthcare and retirement plans in private industry." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Stock Options: The Company Plan that Keeps on Giving
Excerpt: "Stock option plans are a great way of attracting, motivating and retaining employees -- especially when you can't pay high salaries. Stock options give employees, officers or consultants the ability to buy company stock at reduced prices when they exercise their options." (AllBusiness.com via San Francisco Chronicle)
Executive Pay Sparks Ire of Institutional Investors
Excerpt: "State Treasurer Denise Nappier, who oversees $21 billion in pension investments, delivered what she admitted might be an unpopular message to a business group meeting on Connecticut's Gold Coast. Some corporate executives' pay is out of control, she said." (AP via The Boston Globe)
Newly Posted Events
Fundamentals of 401(k) Plans
in Iowa on November 16, 2005
presented by SunGard Corbel
Plan Design Workshop
Nationwide on February 8, 2006
presented by SunGard Corbel
Newly Posted Press Releases
M-CARE Selects Evolution Benefits' Benny(R) Debit Card Makes Health Savings Account Transactions More Convenient
(Evolution Benefits)
Movers and Shakers: Newly Posted Announcements of Promotions and New Personnel
(Post Yours!)
The Segal Company Promotes Eighteen Executives
(The Segal Company)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Participant Services Representative - DB/401(k)/Retirement Plans
for Kibble & Prentice
in WA
Corporate Trust Operations Manager
for BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust)
in NC
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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