BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter December 28, 2005 Today's sponsor: WorldatWork (Click on company name or banner to learn more.) WorldatWork publications in the BenefitsLink Bookstore WorldatWork, a not-for-profit professional association, is a leading publisher of compensation, benefits and total rewards information. With a portfolio of books, reports, survey briefs, booklets and online learning programs, WorldatWork creates, markets and distributes publications that are critical to improved organizational performance. WorldatWork has contributed to the education and development of business professionals worldwide since 1955. (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) Firms Seeking Subsidies for Retiree Health Plans -- Medicare Option Helps Employers Excerpt: "Large companies in Pittsburgh-- like their counterparts nationally-- are applying for government subsidies to maintain their retiree health benefits next year. 'I think most of the employers felt, 'let's just take the subsidy and see what happens next year, because you can always change later,' ' said Tom Tomczyk with Mercer Health & Benefits in Pittsburgh. 'There were so many unknowns this year.'" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Journal Gazette) Issue Brief: Health Coverage Issues -- The Uninsured and the Insured (PDF) 8 pages. Excerpt: "This discussion is presented in the context of health insurance coverage and does not include other personal insurance products such as disability or long-term care. .... Insured is used throughout this paper to include those individuals with insured health coverage, including HMOs, as well as those individuals covered by self-insured employer or union medical plans and public programs, such as Medicaid." (American Academy of Actuaries) Opinion: The United Auto Workers' Big Secret Excerpt: "Most advocates of universal health care focus on the opposition of Republicans and insurance companies. But perhaps the most important factor keeping an overhaul off the national agenda is one that few Democrats acknowledge: most of Mr. Gettelfinger's fellow labor leaders don't support a single-payer system either." (The New York Times; one-time registration required) Swiss Government Turns Down National Health Scheme Excerpt: "The cabinet has come out against a proposal to set up a national health insurance scheme, saying that it would not help to reduce spiraling health costs. The proposal, which was launched by the centre-left Social Democrats, wants to set up a single non-profit insurance system based on an individual's income." (NZZ Online via Physicians for a National Health Program) Auto Supplier to Appeal Decision on Retiree Health Care Benefits Excerpt: "ArvinMeritor, a maker of vehicle exhaust systems, said yesterday that it would appeal a federal court order that blocks a Jan. 1 reduction in the company's retiree health care benefits. The ruling was issued Thursday by the United States District Court for eastern Michigan in response to a challenge by the United Automobile Workers." (Bloomberg News via The New York Times; one-time registration required) HSAs Evolve Into Segmented Market Excerpt: "Health savings accounts are evolving into a segmented market, with differing options in them depending on participant demographics and needs, industry participants say. Kirk Arnold, executive v.p. at Fidelity Human Resources Services Company, sees HSAs as serving two purposes: current health expenses and retiree health costs, with an emphasis on the latter." (defined contribution & savings plan alert) Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General Companies Accelerate Vesting to Avoid Options Expense Excerpt: "SimpleTech Inc. and Federal Trust Corporation have each approved the accelerated vesting of outstanding stock options to reduce compensation expenses that must be recognized in future periods as a result of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement 123." (PLANSPONSOR.com; one-time registration required) Audio: Ohio College, Miami University, Sued over Same-Sex Benefits Excerpt: "An Ohio lawmaker is suing Miami University, charging that its policy of offering benefits to employees' same-sex domestic partners violates an amendment to the state Constitution banning civil unions. Ohio is among a growing number of states where public colleges offering such benefits face legal challenges." (All Things Considered via National Public Radio) Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide Updated as of December 27, 2005 Excerpt: "Hewitt's Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law regarding health and welfare benefit plans, retirement plans, and human resources and employment law." (Hewitt Associates) Opinion: Our Entitlement Paralysis Excerpt: "By 2030, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may cost 15 percent of national income -- almost double their level in 2000 and equal to 75 percent of today's federal budget. Left alone, these programs would require massive tax increases, cause immense deficits or crowd out other important government programs. We also know of at least partial solutions: curb costs by slowly raising eligibility ages and cutting benefits for wealthier recipients." (Robert J. Samuelson via The Washington Post; one-time registration required) Overview: DOL Issues Final USERRA Regulations (PDF) 3 pages. Excerpt: "Finally, it should be stressed that, in addition to its obligations under USERRA and VBIA, an employer must be attentive to state law obligations applying to employees who serve in the uniformed services. USERRA acts as a threshold or minimum set of requirements, and many states provide rights broader than those under USERRA to employees in the military or with military commitments." (Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.) Newly Posted Events Distributions and Taxation Workshop in Indiana on January 19, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Distributions and Taxation Workshop in Texas on January 19, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Distributions and Taxation Workshop in New Jersey on January 20, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Plan Design Workshop in Arizona on February 10, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Plan Design Workshop in Illinois on February 15, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Plan Design Workshop in Indiana on February 15, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Plan Design Workshop in Ohio on February 16, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Plan Design Workshop in Kansas on February 16, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Ready for Roth? in Ohio on January 13, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Ready for Roth? in Missouri on January 13, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Ready for Roth? in Texas on January 19, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Ready for Roth? in Indiana on January 19, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Ready for Roth? in New Jersey on January 20, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Newly Posted Press Releases New CCH Resource Provides Professionals With Guidance On Retirement Plans For Individuals And Small Businesses (Wolters Kluwer Financial Services) Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings Executive Director for West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board in WV Handy Links: View Today's Active Message Threads Search BenefitsLink Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article) Employee Benefits Library Copyright 2005 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you may reprint this newsletter in full (including this sentence) without obtaining our permission. 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