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February 12, 2007
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Survey Results: What's Happening with Short-Term Disability Plans? (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "The results of the ISCEBS survey on STD indicate that employers don't have a firm grasp on what they're paying for STD and employees don't understand the value of the benefit." (International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists via International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)
Safeway's Preventive Health Plan May Prevent Cost Increases
Excerpt: "As employers across the nation struggle with rapidly rising medical costs, supermarket giant Safeway Inc. has put in place a program that's managed to trim health outlays for thousands of nonunion employees. Company officials claim the plan improves health standards." (San Francisco Chronicle)
Overview: 2006 Pub. 969: HSAs, HRAs, Health FSAs, Archer MSAs, and 2007 Pub. 15-B on Fringe Benefits
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 made many important changes to HSA contribution limits, comparability, and HRA and health FSA interaction . . . . Publication 969 mentions some of these changes, which are effective for 2007. However, the brief summary on HSAs contained in Publication 15-B doesn't reflect these HSA changes, and could be misleading." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.)
Survey Shows Few Track Benefits System Administrative Savings
Excerpt: "Some employers may have a tough time measuring whether group insurance computer systems really cut costs. Researchers at the Aberdeen Group Inc., Boston, have published data supporting that hypothesis in a summary of an informal survey of 137 employers . . . ." (National Underwriter Life & Health; free registration or paid subscription required)
Which Consumer-Driven Health Care Option Should You Choose? HSAs, FSAs, HRAs? (PDF)
Excerpt: "Unfortunately, many consumers and employers are confused about the differences between the various consumer-driven plans and which option would be best for them. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI) has prepared this analysis in an effort to help people make informed choices." (The Council for Affordable Health Insurance)
Opinion: 'Top Unconscionable Practices Insurers' and HMOs' Use To Deny Claims'
Excerpt: "Linda Nee, the UNUM whistleblower, has listed the top five unconscionable claims practices used by disability insurers to deny claims. And they're used every bit as much by Health Insurers and HMOs." (Health Administration Responsibility Project)
Sen. Kennedy to Hold Hearing on Mandatory Paid Sick Leave
Excerpt: "[This] week, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) will hold a hearing on legislation he will introduce to mandate seven days of paid sick leave for all employers." (HR Policy Association)
Pharmacy Benefits Manager Is Not an ERISA Fiduciary
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: There have been a number of lawsuits involving PBMs. . . . One of the legal questions continues to be whether PBMs can be sued under ERISA as fiduciaries or under state law. . . . Courts have reached different results on the ERISA fiduciary issue, but the holding in this case will presumably allow the plan to pursue in state court the other claims it made against the PBM (for state-law breach of contract and for violation of a state deceptive practices act)." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.)
Provider Claims Against Aetna Remanded to State Court: A Suggested Checklist of Removal Factors
Excerpt: "In Somerset Orthopedic Associates, P.A. v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., Slip Copy, 2007 WL 432986 (D.N.J.), a healthcare provider sued to recover for services provided to a beneficiary of a group health plan. The Defendant removed the case, asserting federal question jurisdiction under ERISA." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)
A Chance to Pick Hospice, and Still Hope to Live
Excerpt: "The American health care system has long given patients a terrible choice: people told that they have a terminal illness must forgo advanced medical treatment to qualify for hospice care. Cancer patients have to pass up chemotherapy, for example, or patients with kidney failure must abandon dialysis." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Employees' Elective Contributions to Post-Retirement Medical Expense Plan Would Be Taxable
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Employers are looking for ways to help employees put aside money for post-retirement medical expenses, and unused accrued leave is a funding source many would like to tap -- but the plan design described in this ruling is not the answer." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.)
Borrowing to Stay Healthy: How Credit Card Debt Is Related to Medical Expenses (PDF)
32 pages. Excerpt: "To meet out-of-pocket medical expenses, many patients are turning to credit cards and accruing medical debt. The use of credit cards for medical expenses can be problematic because the resulting debt is lumped in with all other consumer debt, making this debt not only invisible as medical debt, but also subject to a maze of interest rates and penalty fees." (Dçmos: A Network for Ideas & Action)
Mass. Health Insurance Connector Board to Reconsider Prescription Drug Coverage Requirements
Excerpt: "The Massachusetts Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector board on Thursday said it will reconsider whether to include prescription drug coverage in the minimum coverage requirements under the state's new health insurance law, the Boston Globe reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
HR Policy Reaches Preliminary Agreement with Aetna & Kaiser on New Retiree Health Insurance Offering
Excerpt: "Retiree health care presents one of the most significant challenges facing many HR Policy member companies and their employees and retirees. The Association responded to this challenge by developing Retiree Health Access™ (RHA), an innovative approach to use the leverage of the membership of the association to offer retiree health care benefits beyond what is currently available in the market." (HR Policy Association)
Experts Say National Health Care Could Become Reality If Private Sector Doesn't Come Up with a Cure
Excerpt: "[O]nce again, wary of big government, employers are eschewing public-sector solutions in favor of private-sector ones. Most of the change is expected to come piecemeal through state reforms and regional market changes in how medical providers are paid. Information, not regulation, is the current rallying cry from business." (Workforce Management; free registration required)
Politicians, Presidential Contenders Increasingly Addressing Health Care Reform, Universal Coverage
Excerpt: "The Dallas Morning News . . . examined how '[a]fter a decade of relative silence, politicians are again broaching the issue of universal health care.' According to the News, 'Unlikely coalitions of Republicans and Democrats, insurers and consumers, business and labor are proposing reforms,' all of which 'vary widely.'" (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Wisconsin Governor Wants Domestic Partner Benefits for All State Employees
Excerpt: "Gov. Jim Doyle says he'll propose offering group health insurance benefits to domestic partners of all state employees when he presents his state budget proposals to lawmakers during the coming week." (Leader-Telegram)
SERP Sales Shift Direction
Excerpt: "Why are SERPs, which in decades past nabbed the lion's share of the non-qualified plan market, garnering a progressively smaller percentage of executive compensation packages?" (National Underwriter Life & Health; free registration or paid subscription required)
ERIC Urges House Ways & Means Committee: 'Drop Deferred Comp Language In Minimum Wage Bill'
Excerpt: "In a letter to House Committee on Ways & Means Chair Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-LA) ERIC urged the Committee to drop Senate language restricting deferred compensation affecting both middle and senior management in the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (H.R. 2)." (The ERISA Industry Committee)
Deferred Compensation Changes Passed by Senate; Proposals under Consideration by House, As of Feb. 5 (PDF)
Excerpt: "While it is possible that the deferred compensation proposals might be stripped out of a compromise minimum wage bill, they may be held in reserve to pay for future tax legislation." (Miller & Chevalier Charted)
Overview: IRS's Limited Compliance Resolution Program for Section 409A Violations
Excerpt: "On February 8, 2007, the IRS announced a new compliance resolution program . . . that will allow employers to pay, on behalf of affected employees, any Section 409A penalties arising from the exercise of discounted stock options or discounted stock appreciation rights ('SARs') during 2006." (Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP)
Newly Posted Events
2007 Consumer Driven Provider Strategies
in California on February 22, 2007
presented by Healthcare Web Summit
2007 Executive Compensation & Benefits Forum
in Massachusetts on March 12, 2007
presented by Retirement Capital Group
2007 Executive Compensation & Benefits Forum
in Georgia on April 17, 2007
presented by Retirement Capital Group
2007 Executive Compensation & Benefits Forum
in California on May 9, 2007
presented by Retirement Capital Group
2007 Executive Compensation & Benefits Forum
in Illinois on September 10, 2007
presented by Retirement Capital Group
FAS 158 for the Pension Actuary - Webcast
Nationwide on February 14, 2007
presented by College of Pension Actuaries
Health Risk Assessment Tools for Lowering Health Plan Claim Costs
Nationwide on February 13, 2007
presented by MediKeeper
Insights on the Economy - Dr. Arthur B. Laffer
in California on February 13, 2007
presented by Retirement Capital Group
Maximizing the Use of Pharmacy Data for a Medicare Population
in California on February 21, 2007
presented by DST Health Solutions
Preferred Brand Competition with Generics
in California on February 15, 2007
presented by Healthcare Web Summit
Worker's Compensation Risk Financing Options in Washington State
in Washington on February 16, 2007
presented by International Society of CEBS - Pacific NW Chapter
Newly Posted Press Releases
U.S. Labor Department Obtains Court Order Appointing Independent Fiduciary to Manage Pension Plan of Defunct Florida Firm
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Rob Thurston warns that Employer Health Care will be Taxed
HR Consulting Group
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Sr. Operations Manager
for CitiStreet
in FL
401 (k) DC / DB ASC Software Support Specialist Positions
for ASC / ASCi / Actuarial Systems Corporation
in ANY STATE
401(k) Administrator
for Benetech, Inc.
in CA
Actuary
for Benetech, Inc.
in AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, TX
Compensation Supervisor
for Corning Incorporated
in ANY STATE, NY
Operations Delivery Leader
for Fidelity Human Resources Services Company
in TX
Defined Benefit Administrator
for TPA in the Cleveland / Akron area
in OH
Pension Administrative Support
for Retirement Advisory Services Corp
in PA
Retirement and Institutional Trust Services Relationship Manager
for BOK Financial
in CO
401(k) Business Development Officer
for BOK Financial
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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