May 3, 2006 Today's sponsor: www.ftwilliam.com (Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Lawmakers Working To Gather Consensus on Association Health Plan Legislation Excerpt: "Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, on Tuesday said that she might introduce an amendment to an association health plan bill (S 1955) that would require such plans to include benefits currently mandated by two-thirds of states ..." (KaiserNetwork.org) Trade Associations See Potential Boon from AHP Legislation Excerpt: "Trade associations representing small employers are eyeing the potential benefits to their own organizations if Congress passes legislation that would allow them to offer health insurance to their members." (The Hill via The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights) Overview: CMS Issues Final Part D Guidance on Controlling Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Excerpt: "Included in this Health Alert are highlights of the Final Guidance, which updates Chapter 9 of the Pres.cription Drug Benefit Manual and clarifies the draft guidance document issued on February 8th of this year." (Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.) Opinion: More People Will Start Companies, Thanks to Health Savings Accounts Excerpt: "I think HSAs are a great innovation, and not simply because they provide employers with a way of buying cheaper coverage for their workers at a time when health care costs continue to rise. No, I like HSAs because I think they provide an aspiring entrepreneur with a health insurance cushion so that he or she feels more comfortable leaving a job that provides coverage in order to start a company." (Carl Schramm via Inc. Magazine) Is There a Future for Individual Health Insurance? Excerpt: "Why doesn't the drop in employment-based coverage bode well for individual insurance? First, the drop will increase the focus on the individual market, and it may not be able to bear the scrutiny. Individuals used to obtaining insurance through their employers will expect access, affordability, and portability. Will they find it?" (Contingencies) Friends with Benefits -- But Not What You're Thinking Excerpt: "Do people love you for who you are - or just for your awesome, mind-blowing employee discount?" (The New York Post Online Edition) Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General A Summary of the 2006 Annual Social Security and Medicare Trust Fund Reports (PDF) 22 pages. Excerpt: "Each year the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds report on the current status and projected condition of the funds over the next 75 years. This message summarizes the 2006 Annual Reports." (U.S. Social Security Administration) Overview: Financing and Solvency of Social Security Excerpt: "The Trustees of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs project in their 2006 report that the combined trust funds are sufficient to pay full benefits for the next 34 years, until 2040." (AARP) Benefits Briefs: Legal Developments Affecting Employee Benefits -- March 2006 (PDF) 5 pages. Excerpt: "In this issue: More Tax Troubles for Stock Options; Smokers' Rights -- Snuffed by ERISA?; Spouses as Preferred Beneficiaries; Waiver of Benefits Not Permitted; Crazy Cases" (Nixon Peabody LLP) Special Report: Compensation (PDF) 7 pages. Excerpt: "This special report on compensation describes how companies as varied as TIAA-CREF, Payless ShoeSource and TriQuint Semiconductor are making pay for performance work. Other stories examine CEO compensation and look at the changing nature of compensation surveys." (Workforce Management; one-time registration required) UnitedHealth Halts Executive Options Excerpt: "The UnitedHealth Group, under fire for the timing of lucrative options grants to executives, said Monday that it had discontinued equity-based awards to its two most senior managers and that it would cease other perks like paying for personal use of corporate aircraft." (Reuters via The New York Times; one-time registration required) Overview: DOL Updates Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program Excerpt: "The VFC Program is only available for the correction of certain listed transactions. The 2006 Update expands the previously listed transactions to include: ...." (Seyfarth Shaw LLP) Newly Posted Events 401(k) Educational Seminar With Speaker Stephen Forbes From Corbel in Connecticut on June 14, 2006 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators-CT Chapter 401(k) Plan Workshop Nationwide on May 4, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel 401(k) Plan Workshop in Texas on May 12, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel 401(k) Plan Workshop in Utah on May 12, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel 401(k) Plan Workshop in Washington on May 12, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Code Section 409A Workshop in California on June 8, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Code Section 409A Workshop in Colorado on June 8, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Code Section 409A Workshop in Washington on June 9, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Estate Planning Considerations for Qualified Plans and IRAs in Georgia on June 15, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Estate Planning Considerations for Qualified Plans and IRAs in North Carolina on June 16, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Fall Forum 2006 in Illinois on September 18, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Fall Forum 2006 in Georgia on October 2, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Fall Forum 2006 in Maryland on October 23, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Fall Forum 2006 in California on November 13, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Form 5500 Preparation Workshop in New York on May 17, 2006 presented by New York Metropolitan Area Chapter - ISCEBS Form 5500 Workshop in Texas on May 11, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Form 5500 Workshop Nationwide on May 11, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Form 5500 Workshop in Utah on May 11, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Form 5500 Workshop in Washington on May 11, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Health & Welfare Plan Fundamentals - A One-Day Seminar in New York on May 25, 2006 presented by New York Metropolitan Area Chapter - ISCEBS IRA Institute 2006 - CIP in Illinois on June 19, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services IRA Institute 2006 - CISP in Illinois on June 19, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services IRA Online Institute 2006 - CIP Nationwide on May 8, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services IRA Online Institute 2006 - CIP Nationwide on September 11, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services IRA Online Institute 2006 - CISP Nationwide on May 8, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services IRA Online Institute 2006 - CISP Nationwide on September 11, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services New! Fundamentals of 401(k) and Other Qualified Plans in Texas on June 14, 2006 presented by SunGard Corbel Population Health Management -- Valuable Lessons from the Fortune 100 Pave the Path to Health and Profit in California on May 24, 2006 presented by ArlenGroup Web/Telephone Seminar: Introduction to Roth 401(k)s Nationwide on June 7, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Web/Telephone Seminar: IRA Beneficiary Distributions Nationwide on June 15, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Web/Telephone Seminar: IRA Compliance Nationwide on June 8, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Web/Telephone Seminar: IRA Fundamentals for Frontline Personnel - Part I Nationwide on June 6, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Web/Telephone Seminar: IRA Fundamentals for Frontline Personnel - Part II Nationwide on June 8, 2006 presented by BISYS Retirement Services Newly Posted Press Releases New Analysis Shows Largest U.S. Companies Continued Shift to 401(k) Plans in 2005 (Watson Wyatt) CPI Qualified Plan Consultants Adds Heritage Funds to Retirement Platform (CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.) CitiStreet Surveys Show Investment Advice Spurs Action Among Retirement Plan Participants (CitiStreet) ftwilliam.com Announces The Release Of Form 8905 (ftwilliam.com) MediKeeper to Provide Health Management Tool For All First HSA Customers (MediKeeper) Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings Pension Administrator for Primark Benefits in CA Trust Administrator - Employee Benefits for Old Point Trust and Financial Services in VA Benefits & Retirement Specialist for Aerojet - Sacramento in CA Defined Contribution Plan Administrator for New York Life Investment Management LLC in NJ Product Manager for New York Life Investment Management LLC in NJ Assistant Product Manager for New York Life Investment Management LLC in MA Defined Benefit Client Account Manager for New York Life Investment Management LLC in MA Defined Benefit New Business Consultant for New York Life Investment Management in MA Benefits Administrator for Independent Benefit Services in MD Account Executive- Philadelphia for Transamerica in PA National Accounts Consultant for Standard Insurance Company in OR Administrative Assistant for McCready and Keene, Inc. in IN Sr. HR Representative for Entergy Corporation in LA Not-for-Profit / 403(b) Market Manager for Transamerica in CA Jr. Installation Specialist for Transamerica in CA Benefits Manager for Callison in WA Sr. Installation Specialist for Transamerica in CA Defined Contribution Plan Administrator for Pension Works, Inc. in VT Handy Links:
Copyright 2006 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you may reprint this newsletter in full (including this sentence) without obtaining our permission. Published by: BenefitsLink.com, Inc. https://benefitslink.com/about.html 1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H Winter Park FL 32789 (407) 644-4146 Fax: (407) 644-2151 Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D. Housekeeping: |