| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
May 24, 2006
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Text of Proposed Regulations on Dependent Care Expenses (PDF)
8 pages; these regulations affect dependent care assistance programs sponsored by employers because they describe the kinds of expenses that may qualify for reimbursement to the employee. Excerpt: "This document contains proposed regulations regarding the credit for expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment." (Internal Revenue Service)
Device Maker Pricing Has Big Impact on America's Health Care Bill
Excerpt: "When The New York Times recently published a series of investigative articles on medical device pricing, a shock wave began to reverberate through hospitals across the country." (HealthLeaders News)
Overview: Supreme Court Says Plan's Claim for Reimbursement Was for Equitable Relief
Excerpt: "The Supreme Court has unanimously affirmed the Fourth Circuit's decision that a group health plan's claim against a plan beneficiary's third-party recovery fund for the reimbursement of advanced payment of medical benefits was one for 'other appropriate relief' allowed by ERISA. (Sereboff v. Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Inc. (2006, S.Ct.) 2006 WL 1310754)" (Pension & Benefits Week via RIA News Briefings - Pension & Benefits)
Kaiser's New Plan Offering High Deductibles with Low Premiums for Californians
Excerpt: "Kaiser's new policies -- called health reimbursement accounts, or HRAs -- have lower premiums and are designed to allow Kaiser to compete with other high-deductible plans in the marketplace." (San Francisco Chronicle)
Health Insurance Premium Audits: A Cost-Cutting Solution (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "In today's high-cost health care world, health insurance premium audits can provide a financially risk-free method of ensuring the best possible benefits plans at the best possible prices." (Benefits & Compensation Digest)
Why Young Adults Become Uninsured and How New Policies Can Help (PDF)
14 pages. Excerpt: "Young adults (ages 19 to 29) are one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the U.S. population without health insurance: 13.7 million lacked coverage in 2004, an increase of 2.5 million since 2000. Young adults often lose coverage under their parents' policies, Medicaid, or the State Children's Health Insurance Program at age 19, or when they graduate from high school or college." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Opinion: Health Care Reform Moving Ahead... Sort Of
Excerpt: "When I wrote a few months back that is was time for national health care, unless you had a better idea, I had no idea that every state legislator in the 50 states was going to read my articles and take me up on the challenge. They apparently do have other ideas, but the 'better' part is quite questionable." (Richard D. Quinn via Employee Benefit News)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Backdated Options, Future Rules?
Excerpt: "The latest accounting investigations could lead to a new round of regulations for corporations and undermine investor confidence" (BusinessWeek Online)
Discussion Paper: Work Impediments at Older Ages (PDF)
43 pages. Excerpt: "This report describes how changes to private pensions, Social Security, Medicare, and tax and discrimination law can promote work at older ages." (The Urban Institute)
Perspectives on Productive Aging: Enjoying the Golden Work Years (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "This Perspective offers additional insight into work at older ages. Data from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS)1 are used to examine job characteristics and attitudes about work among adults age 60 and older and to explore whether richer and poorer workers differ." (The Urban Institute)
Two Ohio Public Pension Funds Sue UnitedHealth Over Options
Excerpt: "Two Ohio pension funds filed a shareholder lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, Minneapolis, for allegedly allowing its chairman and chief executive officer, William McGuire, to dictate his own compensation through the 'secret manipulation' of stock-option grants over the past decade." (Modern Healthcare; one-time registration required)
Newly Posted Events
Beginner IRA Seminar
in Arkansas on June 20, 2006
presented by Wolters Kluwer Financial Services
Newly Posted Press Releases
PBGC Assumes Pension Plan Of Pittsburgh Brewing Co.
(Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC))
Financial Literacy and Education Commission Launches Spanish Version of Financial Education Strategy
(U.S. Department of Treasury)
Millions of American Workers Ill-Prepared and Unsupported by Their Employer as More Take Ownership of Retirement Funds - New Study From Edward Jones
(Edward Jones)
Responding to Baby Boomer and Retiree Needs for Retirement Income Solutions, MassMutual Unveils Retirement Management Account
(MassMutual)
CPI Qualified Plan Consultants Adds American Independence Funds to Retirement Platform
(CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Relationship Manager II
for AST Trust Company
in AZ
Pension Paralegal / Employee Benefits Paralegal
for Pension Corporation of America
in OH
Account Managers
for MassMutual Financial Group
in MA
Employee Benefits Associate - Retirement Plans
for Ward Rovell, Professional Association
in FL
Compliance Administrator
for Pension Corporation of America
in OH
Senior Employee Benefits Program Analyst (Ref.# JP23961-JN)
for Southern California Edison
in CA
Retirement Plan Administrator
for Nova 401(k) Associates
in TX
Assistant General Counsel -- ERISA Experience Required
for Nationwide Insurance
in OH
Defined Contribution Administrator
for BKD, LLP
in CO
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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