November 21, 2005 Today's sponsor: National CLE Conference (Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Text of IRS Notice 2005-83: High-Deductible Health Plans with Non-Calendar Year Renewal Dates (PDF) 3 pages. Excerpt: "This notice provides relief for certain health plans with non-calendar year renewal dates that otherwise qualify as high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), except that the plans provide state-mandated benefits without regard to a deductible or with a deductible below the minimum annual deductible specified in section 223(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code." (Internal Revenue Service) IRS Form 2441 and Instructions for 2005 Address DCAPS with Grace Periods and More Excerpt: "The revised Form and Instructions provide welcome additional guidance for participants in DCAPs with grace periods; these items follow on the heels of IRS guidance clarifying the Form W-2 reporting requirements for such plans ...." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.) Health Insurance: Mandatory in Massachusetts? Excerpt: "Under two major proposals that aim to cover the estimated half million uninsured in Massachusetts, the state would require all residents who can afford it to purchase some type of individual plan or face penalties, such as losing their driver's licenses." (The Christian Science Monitor) Massachusetts Payroll Tax Just One Option to Expand Health Coverage in State Excerpt: "It's no secret that Bay State businesses don't want to expand health care coverage through a new payroll tax, which they say would hamper economic growth. But what tends to get lost in the current debate is that business leaders actually support a number of other ways to accomplish the goal." (Boston Business Journal via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required) Problem with Election Notice Requiring Receipt of COBRA Premium by the End of the Coverage Month Excerpt: "Although this decision did not finally resolve the case, it does highlight that the COBRA rule for premium payments after the initial premium has two moving parts: (1) the due date; and (2) the grace period. By failing to distinguish explicitly between the due date and the grace period, the employer in this case may have inadvertently extended the period for making premium payments." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.) Some Depression DM Programs Build Rx Capabilities to Boost Compliance and Outcomes Excerpt: "To improve their medical management capabilities, some depression DM firms are making new internal investments or forming external partnerships to access pharmacy claims data, perform analyses of prescriber patterns and identify opportunities to improve appropriate utilization." (INSIDE DISEASE MANAGEMENT via AISHealth.com) Survey Shows Health Care Costs Still Outpacing Inflation Excerpt: "In its annual survey of employers, Mercer Human Resource Consulting L.L.C. found that the cost of benefits rose 6.1 percent nationally ...." (The Philadelphia Inquirer; one-time registration required) Delphi Lets Salaried Workers Off the Hook for Shift in Health Care Costs Excerpt: "Bankrupt Delphi Corp. has decided not to shift more health care costs to salaried workers in 2006, while hourly workers are being hit with huge increases. According to the Detroit News, Delphi said its salaried employees already pay a higher percentage of their health care costs and should not have to pay more." (PLANSPONSOR.com; one-time registration required) Retiree Health Coverage -- The Disappearing Benefit? Excerpt: "As employers grapple with ever-rising costs, global competition and the legion of aging baby boomers, the future of retiree health coverage is cast into doubt." (Workforce Management; one-time registration required) Legislators in Most States Have Cleared Path for HSAs, but Some Hurdles Remain Excerpt: "Insurance commissioners in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Florida tell ICDC that lawmakers in their states recently removed legal roadblocks that would have made it impossible, or at least difficult, to pair a health savings account (HSA) with a high-deductible health plan (HDHP)." (INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE via AISHealth.com) Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General Senate Rejects Stock Option Provision Opposed by HR Policy Association Excerpt: "[Last] week, the Senate passed a tax reconciliation bill that excluded a provision opposed by HR Policy that would have raised revenue by prohibiting the deferral of stock option gains and restricted stock." (HR Policy Association) Newly Posted Events NIPA Gears Up for 2006 Business Management Conference in Arizona on January 14, 2006 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Arrangements Under IRC 409A - After the Regs in Ohio on November 29, 2005 presented by ASPPA Benefits Council of Greater Cincinnati Newly Posted Press Releases Center for Retirement Research Announces New Grant Programs (Center for Retirement Research at Boston College) New book on 412(i) Defined Benefit Plans available immediately! (412iCompany, The) Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings 401k Account Executive for BISYS Retirement Services in PA Retirement Plan Coordinator for American Funds in VA Testing & Reporting Analyst for Fidelity Investments in MA Account Executive Director for The Principal Financial Group in OR ERISA/Employee Benefits Associate Position for Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg & Gotlieb P.A. in MN Senior Plan Administrator for American National Insurance Company in TX Pension Consultant for Westchester Pension Consulting Firm in NY Handy Links:
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