| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
March 22, 2007
Sponsored by: Benefit Software Inc.
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Benefit Software has over 25 years of experience helping thousands of employers communicate the full value of their benefits. From traditional personalized printed statements to secure 24/7 employee benefits communication portals, we have the right solution for your organization. Email sales@bsiweb.com or call 800-533-1388 to request free samples. |
Workers Doubt Health Information from Employers, According to Study
Excerpt: "The millions of dollars and countless hours employers spend on health and wellness campaigns may be falling on deaf -- and distrusting -- ears, according a survey released [March 21] by J.D. Power and Associates." (Employee Benefit Adviser)
Massachusetts Sets Benefits in Universal Health Care Plan
Excerpt: "Massachusetts took a major step toward enacting its near-universal health care overhaul, with the board that oversees the plan voting on Tuesday to require insurers to provide certain minimum benefits, including coverage of prescription drugs." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Line-of-Duty Death Benefits for NYC Officer's Work After 9/11
Excerpt: "Under a state law signed by Gov. George E. Pataki in June 2005, public employees who took part in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup efforts are presumed, if they became permanently disabled because of certain medical conditions, to have gotten sick in connection with the disaster." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Perk Place: The Benefits Offered by Google and Others May Be Grand, but They're All Business
Excerpt: "Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard . . .says companies want to create both an appealing environment to attract and retain employees and make people feel they belong, but they also want to increase productivity. Worries like childcare, cooking, going to the dry cleaners and visiting the doctor off-site during the week, says Rothbard, 'distract employees at the workplace.'" (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania)
Family Medical Leave Act Spurs Debate
Excerpt: "As the federal government considers clarifications to the Family Medical Leave Act, human resources professionals nationwide lobbied legislators last week to maintain, not broaden, the 14-year-old law. Meanwhile, a bill was introduced in Congress last week that would require employers with 15 or more workers to give seven paid sick days per year to employees for family health issues." (The Oklahoman via Scripps Howard News Service)
Google Staff Offered Free Bikes
Excerpt: "The bikes, manufactured by Raleigh Europe, will be offered to around 2,000 permanent employees of the search engine giant in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. All of the bikes - plus free helmets - will be branded with the Google name." (Guardian Unlimited)
Opinion: A Solution to Massachusetts Towns' Soaring Health Costs
Excerpt: "Municipal health insurance cost increases are unsustainable and cities and towns are constrained in their attempts to control those costs. At the local level, all aspects of health insurance coverage must be negotiated with each employee union, which has little incentive to negotiate more than modest changes over time." (The Boston Globe)
Worthless Payment Commitments - The ERISA Preemption Escape
Excerpt: "Adding to the substantial body of Fifth Circuit law addressing provider claims for reimbursement, Abilene Regional Medical Center illustrates the dangers inherent in negotiating payment agreements with ERISA plans." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)
Employees Love the Convenience of On-Site Health Care and Employers Love the Productivity Savings
Excerpt: "Employers -- including Cerner Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp. in the Kansas City area -- are adding workplace clinics in an effort to increase productivity and cut the time employees spend off the job." (The Kansas City Star; free registration required)
CBO Cost Estimate for S. 558 - Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "CBO estimates that the direct costs of the private-sector mandate in the bill would total about $1.5 billion in 2009, and would grow in later years. That amount would significantly exceed the annual threshold established by UMRA ($131 million in 2007, adjusted for inflation) in each of the years that the mandate would be in effect." (Congressional Budget Office)
Report Shows Even the Insured Have Trouble Paying Bills
Excerpt: "Along with deductibles and co-payments, The Access Project found other factors associated with medical debt were annual or lifetime 'caps' on benefits; extra charges for 'out of network' care, even when admitted to in-network hospitals; and complex billing systems by insurers and hospitals that left patients confused about what they owed." (USA TODAY)
Opinion: Abolishing the Middlemen Won't Make Health Care a Free Lunch
Excerpt: "Middlemen and marketing costs have long been viewed with suspicion by critics of commerce. But these practices are usually signs of market sophistication, not waste. The gains from abolishing private insurance and its overhead costs are an illusion. TANSTAAFL, or 'There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.'" (The New York Times; free registration required)
Working Paper Abstract: Why Is The Developed World Obese?
Excerpt: "The study findings offer useful insights to future research concerned with the etiology of obesity and may help inform the development of obesity-related policy. In particular, our results suggest that policies to encourage less caloric intake may help reverse past trends in increased consumption." (National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve full-text)
WP: Patient Cost-Sharing, Hospitalization Offsets, & Design of Optimal Health Insurance for Elderly
Excerpt: "Patient cost-sharing for primary care and prescription drugs is designed to reduce the prevalence of moral hazard in utilization. Yet the success of this strategy depends on two factors: the elasticity of demand for those medical goods, and the risk of downstream hospitalizations by reducing access to beneficial health care. Amazingly, we know little about either of these factors for the elderly, the most intensive consumers of health care in our country." (National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve full-text)
Blue Cross Extends 'No-Pay Co-Pay' Plan
Excerpt: "Members who order generics for the remainder of this year won't be charged for them, the company will announce today." (The Philadelphia Inquirer; free registration required)
How Individuals Can Take Charge of Drug Costs
Excerpt: "As prescription drug sales rise -- up 8.3% last year to $274.9 billion, according to a survey released this month by IMS Health -- consumer advocates say patients need to start speaking up. With research, compromise and aggressive questions, many patients can reduce the amount of money they spend on prescription drugs." (Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association)
Opinion: On Health Reform, Ask: Where Is the Opposition Coming From?
Excerpt: "Four California politicians -- one Republican and three Democrats -- are stumping this year for their visions of reform in a state that finally appears willing to do something about a health care system with spiraling costs and growing ranks of uninsured. Also in the mix are two Republican reform packages from the Legislature." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)
Study Recommends Revisions to Bush Health Reform Proposal
Excerpt: "from Spencer's Benefits Reports: A study from the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, has found shortcomings in President George W. Bush's proposal to provide a tax deduction for individuals to purchase their own health insurance and to set a limit on the amount of tax-free employer-provided health care benefits." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)
Democrats Take Aim at Health Savings Accounts
Excerpt: "Speaking . . . to a group of business leaders in the District, a Democratic aide to Rep. Charles B. Rangel, New York Democrat, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, staked out the Democrats' intention for health savings accounts this year." (The Washington Times)
Democratic Lawmakers Hope To Reverse Expansion of Health Savings Accounts
Excerpt: "Jon Sheiner, a legislative assistant to Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), on Wednesday told a group of business leaders in Washington, D.C., that Democrats this year will attempt to reverse an expansion of health savings accounts supported by Republicans, the Washington Times reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Helping Employees Strike the Right Work/life Balance to Keep Them Productive
Excerpt: "Consulting firm Towers Perrin gauges U.S. worker satisfaction every two years. Its latest survey, issued in 2005, found that only 38% of 60,000 U.S. workers polled gave their employers high marks in helping to strike a work/life balance. Some California chipmakers, including Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) QCOM, Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) AMD, Broadcom BRCM and Micrel MCRL, are exceptions. They have reputations for helping workers achieve balance." (Investor's Business Daily via CCNMoney.com)
Sponsored by: World Congress
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| The 4th Annual World Health Care Congress |
| April 22 - 24, 2007 | Washington Convention Center | Washington, DC
The 4th Annual World Health Care Congress, co-sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, is the most prestigious meeting of chief and senior executives from all sectors of health care. The conference will convene over 1,800 CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the nation's largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and leading government agencies. Join other senior executives in creating a new healthcare model based on value, quality and consumer choice. www.whcc2007.com – 800-817-8601 – wcreg@worldcongress.com |
| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Vet Shot in Iraq Has to Fight for Benefits
Excerpt: "It is a tense bureaucratic triage faced by thousands of wounded American soldiers as they negotiate their return to civilian life. If they are rejected by the military disability system, they can try their luck with the overwhelmed Department of Veterans Affairs, which means another lengthy process with uncertain results." (Los Angeles Times; free registration required)
Federal Program Offers Low-Income Senior Veterans Up to $1,801 Per Month
Excerpt: "The program serves 65-and-over wartime veterans or widowed spouses. They can qualify for the basic pension if they have low incomes. They can qualify with higher incomes if they need assistance with daily activities, such as driving, meals or bathing. For some, the benefit changes lives, making an assisted-living facility or retirement community affordable." (The Charlotte Observer; free registration required)
China Scrambles for Stability as Its Workers Age
Excerpt: "The proportion of people 60 and older is growing faster in China than in any other major country, with the number of retirees set to double between 2005 and 2015, when it is expected to reach 200 million. By midcentury, according to United Nations projections, roughly 430 million people -- about a third of the population -- will be retirees." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Newly Posted Events
Brave New World....403(b) Plans after the Proposed Regulations
in Pennsylvania on April 5, 2007
presented by Central Pennsylvania Chapter - ISCEBS
Follow the Money -- Will Congress and the President Turn to Compensation and Benefits for Revenue?
Nationwide on June 6, 2007
presented by Deloitte
International Medical Tourism Conference
in Nevada on April 30, 2007
presented by Epstein Becker & Green
Pay for Performance 2007 Web Summit
in California on April 23, 2007
presented by Healthcare Web Summit
Pension Basics: Cash Balance Plans - Live Webinar
Nationwide on April 26, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Pension Basics: Cash Balance Plans - Live Webinar
Nationwide on May 22, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Pension Basics: Introduction to Eligibility - Live Webinar
Nationwide on May 10, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Pension Basics: Introduction to Vesting - Live Webinar
Nationwide on April 12, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Pension Protection Act: Nonspouse Rollovers after PPA - Live Webinar
Nationwide on May 8, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Pension Protection Act: The Changes in Vesting for Non-Elective Contributions Effective January 1, 2007 - Live Webinar
Nationwide on April 10, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Pension Protection Act: The Changes in Vesting for Non-Elective Contributions Effective January 1, 2007 - Live Webinar
Nationwide on April 24, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Quarterly Benefit Statements Required by the Pension Protection Act: What is Required to be Distributed to Participants by May 15th - Live Webinar
Nationwide on April 17, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
Quarterly Benefit Statements Required by the Pension Protection Act: What is Required to be Distributed to Participants by May 15th - Live Webinar
Nationwide on May 3, 2007
presented by AccuDraft, Inc.
The Latest on the Pension Protection Act
in Massachusetts on March 27, 2007
presented by International Society of CEBS - Greater Boston Chapter
Newly Posted Press Releases
U.S. Labor Department Sues Georgia Health Provider and Affiliates Over Mismanagement of Plan Assets
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Good News about Retirement Savings
Principal Financial Group
Feed the Pig(TM) Podcasts Offer Money Saving Tips For Young Americans
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Consultants/Administrators
for Northern NJ Mid-Size Pension Consulting Firm
in NJ
401(k)/Defined Contribution Valuation Processor
for National Retirement Services, Inc.
in CA, NC
Public Policy Analyst II
for National Business Group on Health
in DC
Trust Relationship Officer
for First Citizens Bank
in NC
Consultant /Associate
for Buck Consulting and ACS Company
in MA
401(k) Plan Administrator
for Pension Benefit Administrators
in TX
Employee Benefits Account Manager
for L/B/W Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.
in CA
Health and Group Benefits Manager
for Esterline Technologies Corporation
in WA
Supervisor: National Accounts Claims
for Standard Insurance Company
in OR
Senior Pension Consultant / Administrator
for Benefits Integrity
in CO
Staff Attorney
for A Defined Contribution, Money Purchase, Church Pension Fund
in NY
Health & Welfare Benefits Consulting
for Fidelity Investments
in MA, NY
Actuarial Benefit Consultants
for Bradsby Group
in CA, MA, NC, NY
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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