| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
December 29, 2005
Today's sponsor: Health Benefits Conference & Expo (HBCE)
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| National Health Benefits Conference, January 26-27, 2006, Clearwater (Beach), Florida |
| "Employer Strategies to CONTAIN COST and Improve Quality" will provide you with actionable information for your workplace through: cutting-edge employer case studies, national thought leaders, interaction with the best of your peer group, and premium suppliers, consultants and innovators.
The sessions are exemplary, the cost is moderate and the setting is ideal. Please join us in warm, sunny and beautiful Clearwater Beach, Florida...judged the best municipal beach on the entire Gulf of Mexico coastline. 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) |
Flex Spending Accounts Creating Late Rush at Area Clinics
Excerpt: "It's not the festive decorations and holiday sweets that tell employees at Dakota Vision Center that the end of the year is near. It's the steady stream of phone calls from people anxious to buy new glasses or contact lenses before Jan. 1-- before they lose the money left in their flexible spending accounts, said manager Trisha Sampson." (ArgusLeader.com)
Does a Fiduciary Relationship Exist Between an Insured and its Broker under Texas Law? (PDF)
26 pages. Excerpt: "Until recently, very little thought was given to the relationship that exists between a policyholder and its insurance broker. However, if contingent commissions create a conflict of interest that is as harmful as Spitzer and some commentators suggest, then policyholders are compelled to investigate further." (Haynes and Boone, LLP)
Free Lifetime Health Care for Pennsylvania Lawmakers Will Be Costly
Excerpt: "Pennsylvania lawmakers -- who awarded themselves free lifetime health insurance -- are about to learn the long-term cost of their pledge, and the cost of providing similar benefits to all retired state employees. Legislators 50 or older with 10 years' service are entitled to full medical insurance until they die, a plan more generous than the lifetime coverage provided to most state employees." (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Michigan May Start Health IT System: Officials Say Database Would Let Doctors Share Patient Records
Excerpt: "A statewide health information system would allow patient data, details about health care coverage and medical procedures to easily move between doctor's offices, hospitals and insurance companies. That's what health and information technology officials want in Michigan. They're meeting with hospitals, insurance providers, physicians, universities and IT companies to lay the groundwork for a system intended to improve health care in the state." (AP via The Detroit News)
Congress to Look at Ways to Make HSAs More Attractive
Excerpt: "The American Bankers Association and the American Bankers Insurance Association just launched the HSA Council, which will address technological and regulatory issues facing banks in the HSA market. Business groups plan to lobby Congress for additional tax breaks for HSAs, including giving small businesses a tax credit for the first $500 employer contribution to a family policy and the first $200 contribution to an individual policy." (East Bay Business Times via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required)
Assessing Health Care Experts' Views on Long-Term Care -- Results of Survey
Excerpt: "The latest Commonwealth Fund Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Commonwealth Fund, with a broad group of nearly 250 opinion leaders in health policy and innovators in health care delivery and finance. This was the sixth in a series of bimonthly surveys designed to highlight leaders' perspectives on the most timely health policy issues facing the nation. This survey focused on the nation's long-term care needs." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
The Business Case for Workers Age 50+: Planning for Tomorrow's Talent Needs (PDF)
100 pages. Excerpt: "U. S. companies face potential loss of experienced talent in a wide range of key roles as baby boomers approach traditional retirement age. This study, prepared for AARP by Towers Perrin, a global professional services firm, details the business case for hiring and retaining the 50+ worker as an effective solution to the projected challenge of rising competition for talent in the coming years." (AARP)
Overview: Final Regulations and New Notice Issued by the DOL for USERRA
Excerpt: "The final regulations were based on the proposed rules issued on September 20, 2004, and the DOL's consideration of the 80 commentators it received that provided over 300 queries or concerns on over 200 topics. The DOL addressed these comments in the preamble and incorporated many into the final rules, including several to clarify certain retirement plan issues." (McKay Hochman Co., Inc.)
The Trucker Huss Benefits Report -- December 2005 (PDF)
5 pages. The December edition includes articles titled: The Internal Revenue Service Releases 2005 Cumulative List of Changes, and, Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Reporting Requirements Delayed. (Trucker Huss)
Overview: IRS Clarifies Valuation Rule for Options and SARs under Section 409A (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "In a welcome gesture of holiday cheer, the IRS issued Notice 2006-4 on December 23, 2005 and clarified that the highly controversial valuation rules for options and stock appreciation rights (SARs) set forth in proposed regulations under section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) will become effective prospectively, when and if contained in final regulations." (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)
Book Review: The Enthusiastic Employee -- How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What They Want
Excerpt: "Sirota [co-author]: We find there are three basic goals of people at work. First, to be treated fairly. We call that equity. Employees want to know they are getting fair pay, which is normally defined as competitive pay. They want benefits and job security. These days, employees especially need medical benefits, so those have become significant." (Knowledge@Wharton)
Overview: Military Leave Rules for Employers Issued (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "The employment and benefit rights of reservists who are called to active duty are governed by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which applies to virtually all employers, regardless of size. USERRA's protections extend to all employees, including managerial and professional employees." (Aon Consulting)
Newly Posted Events
HIPAA Security for Employers: A Practical Approach
in California on January 19, 2006
presented by ArlenGroup
Newly Posted Press Releases
Please Join Us At BenefitsLink In Welcoming Jeanette Hull To The Staff!
(BenefitsLink.com, Inc.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Client Service Manager
for Merrill Lynch Retirement Group
in CO
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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