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April 3, 2007


Sponsored by: International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans

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Banner ad for International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans

Get answers to your health, retirement and compensation questions. Join today.

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is a comprehensive resource for those working with benefit plans. Members enjoy personalized secondary research services, informative publications and online information, as well as discounted educational programs, books and distance learning options. Known as the cosponsor of the CEBS designation, the International Foundation also offers numerous ways to keep current with benefit issues, so you are prepared to answer your participants’ questions.

Reminder: HIPAA Privacy Notice for Small Plans Due by April 14, 2007
Excerpt: "HIPAA privacy regulations require that health plans must remind participants about their existing privacy notice every three years. For small plans (those with annual receipts of $5 million or less) that issued their initial privacy notice by the April 14, 2004 deadline, it's now time to send the reminder notice." (SunGard Corbel LLC)

Short-Term Disability Payment Policy Not an ERISA Plan; No Interest on Delayed Payments
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: A lot rides on whether an employer's benefit program is or is not an ERISA plan, including whether state law or ERISA applies and what remedies are available. The payroll practice safe harbors in the DOL regulations exempt several kinds of payments from ERISA -- including certain disability payments and unfunded vacation and other pay for time not worked -- if the payments meet specific requirements." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.)

IRS Releases the 2006 Publication 970 on Tax Benefits for Education
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Qualified educational assistance programs allow employers to provide assistance to employees for a broad range of educational expenses, including expenses for graduate-level courses and for courses that are not job-related (subject to certain limitations)." (Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc.)

Employer Costs for Paid Leave in Private Industry, December 2006
Excerpt: "Employer costs for paid leave benefits were highest for management, professional, and related occupations, $3.87 per hour, or 8.5 percent of total compensation in December 2006." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Opinion: Girard Miller on Public Benefits -- Retiree Benefit Plan Liabilities and Bond Finance
Excerpt: "Some municipal bond underwriters are peddling the idea that public agencies should sell bonds now to 'pre-fund' their promised retiree medical benefit plan liabilities. Now that the government accounting rules require disclosure of these so-called Other Post Employment Benefits liabilities, public managers will be looking for solutions and some will be bedazzled by the idea of bond finance." (Governing.com)

Kentucky County Can't Only Pay for Some Retiree Health Coverage
Excerpt: "The Lexington-Fayette (Kentucky) Urban County government has been ordered to pay for health benefits for all retirees – including those who had chosen to opt out of the plan years ago, a court has ruled." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

Using Claims Data for Disease Management
Excerpt: "[S]ome health experts now contend that solely relying on such information to design disease management initiatives might do more harm than good to employees in the programs and the employers that pay for them. . . . [A] study, 'Disease Management Engagement Rates: Leveraging the Trusted Clinician,' was published in the February issue of Disease Management magazine." (Employee Benefit News)

Shopping for Health Care Can Be Tough
Excerpt: "It is difficult to nail down prices at doctors' offices and hospitals. It is time-consuming to figure out if certain procedures or medicines are covered by an insurer or if a doctor's charge exceeds what an insurer covers, meaning the patient must pay the rest. Insulated for decades from the real costs of care by employer and insurance benefits, people are awakening to how largely in the dark they are. They are groping for clarity." (The Arizona Republic)

Opinion: Massachusetts Would Junk Quality and Affordability Promises of Health Insurance Mandate
Excerpt: "'We can only imagine that the Board is considering an HDHP exemption in response to criticism that health plans recently approved by the Connector are still unaffordable for many,' wrote Carmen Balber, consumer advocate with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), in a letter to the board implementing the Massachusetts law." (Health Insurance Law Weekly via The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights)

Employers Look to Providers to Speed Up Health Care Transparency
Excerpt: "from Spencer's Benefits Reports: Large employers are working toward achieving transparency in health care pricing, quality of care, and efficiency, but they want doctors and hospitals to move ahead more quickly, according to a survey jointly conducted by the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) and Mercer Health & Benefits LLC." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)

Calculating ROI for Corporate Health Care
Excerpt: "[C]ompanies adopting consumer-driven health plans, health savings accounts, wellness programs and the array of related support programs also need to establish their own standards and metrics for success. What results will be significant enough to continue to support health care consumerism in a substantial and meaningful way?" (Employee Benefit News)

Physicians' Experiences Using Commercial E-Prescribing Systems
Excerpt: "Findings from this qualitative study of physician practices suggest that substantial gaps may exist between advocates' vision of e-prescribing and how physicians use commercial e-prescribing systems today." (Health Affairs)

Blockbuster's Rx Drug Plan
Excerpt: "Peering deep into drug claims, Blockbuster spotted ways to tighten plan design and save money. . . . The company used a four-pronged approach: scrutinizing the pharmacy benefit manager contract, reviewing the relative value of drugs in therapeutic classes, minimizing fraud and abuse and changing plan design." (Employee Benefit News)

Bringing Healthy Snacks to the Workplace
Excerpt: "The Snack Healthy, Work Smart program is the brainchild of the Dannon Company, the yogurt producer. The program helps employers improve their workplace environments by appointing a registered dietician who conducts a snack food audit. It also entails brown-bag lunches on nutrition and complimentary yogurt." (Employee Benefit News)

Health Savings Accounts -- The Future of Health Care?
Excerpt: "The Grand Blanc school plan comes out of a seven-month partnership between a LaSalle Bank healthcare company and ConnectYourCare, a creation of AOL founder Steve Case and his Baltimore-based brainchild Revolution Health Group. The partnership, dubbed LaSalle CDH Solution, offers a full-service, customizable platform to employers to administer consumer-directed healthcare accounts." (Treasury & Risk)

Indianapolis Star Examines Benefits, Concerns of Consumer-Driven Health Plans
Excerpt: "The Indianapolis Star . . . examined how 'a small but growing number of workers' are choosing so-called consumer-driven plans over traditional health plans. Consumer-driven plans often feature minimal or no premium payments along with high deductibles." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Opinion: You Can Have Coverage and Still Not Have Care
Excerpt: "There's a big difference between universal coverage and actual access to care. Simply saying that people have insurance is meaningless. Many countries provide universal insurance but deny critical procedures to patients who need them." (Cato Institute)

Employee HSA Enrollment Rate Led by Large Employers, According to America's Health Insurance Plans
Excerpt: "Participant enrollment in health savings accounts (HSAs) that are linked to high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) increased in both the individual and group markets, with the number of people covered by these products increasing by 43% since last year . . . ." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

Issue in Brief: Medicaid and the Rising Cost of Long-Term Care (PDF)
9 pages. Excerpt: "This brief explores trends in Medicaid spending on long-term care and the implications of its rapid growth for taxpayers and for the needs of an aging population. The first section defines long-term care. The second section describes Medicaid's role in financing it. The third section describes the impact of Medicaid on state budgets. The final section assesses efforts to rein in Medicaid spending." (Center for Retirement Research at Boston College)


Sponsored by: Health and Welfare Plan Management for Mid-Sized Employers

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Banner ad for Health and Welfare Plan Management for Mid-Sized Employers

Does Your Health Care Plan Measure Up?

The yardstick for measuring a successful health care plan is ever-changing, but the one consistent issue facing plan sponsors is cost vs. quality. A number of management tools can help put new plan strategies in place. Find out at the Health and Welfare Plan Management for Mid-Sized Employers conference, June 10–13, in Chicago. With 55+ sessions presented by specialists in the employee benefits field, you’ll take away plan management strategies that you can use right away and begin enjoying measurable success!

(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

Job Changes at Older Ages: Effects on Wages, Benefits, and Other Job Attributes
Excerpt: "This study examines older adults' employment opportunities by studying job changes at ages 45 to 75. . . . Although most older job changers enjoy their new jobs, they generally experience sharp hourly wage reductions and often lose pension coverage and health benefits. The findings highlight the special labor market challenges faced by older displaced workers.' (Urban Institute)

CRS Report for Congress: The Economics of Corporate Executive Pay (PDF)
40 pages. Excerpt: "Given congressional concerns with the potentially serious implications of excessive executive pay, this report examines critical and supportive evidence surrounding the premise that the executives are generally overpaid from an economic perspective. The report also provides a brief history of executive pay regulation and analyzes policy options. But first, the report looks more closely at the available data." (Congressional Research Service)

Third Circuit Rejects Fiduciary Exception to Attorney Client Privilege
Excerpt: "The Third Circuit's decision in Wachtel v. Health Net has highly significant implications for ERISA fiduciaries, and particularly insurer-fiduciaries. The Court refused to apply the fiduciary exception to the federal attorney client privilege using a four-factor analysis that will provide an ample source of future controversy." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)


Newly Posted Events

Disease Management ROI: Benchmarks, Metrics, and Case Studies for Success - Webcast
Nationwide on May 3, 2007
presented by Health Resources Online

Estate Planning Considerations for Qualified Plans and IRAs
Nationwide on June 7, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius

Fundamentals of 401(k) and Other Qualified Plans
Nationwide on June 6, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius

Pension Basics: Cash Balance Plans
Nationwide on April 26, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Pension Basics: Cash Balance Plans
Nationwide on May 22, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Pension Basics: Introduction to Eligibility
Nationwide on May 10, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Pension Protection Act: Nonspouse Rollovers after PPA
Nationwide on May 8, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Pension Protection Act: The Changes in Vesting for Non-Elective Contributions Effective January 1, 2007
Nationwide on April 24, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Quarterly Benefit Statements Required by the Pension Protection Act: What is Required to be Distributed to Participants by May 15th
Nationwide on April 17, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Quarterly Benefit Statements Required by the Pension Protection Act: What is Required to be Distributed to Participants by May 15th
Nationwide on May 3, 2007
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.

Spring Seminar - Winds of Change
in Oregon on April 11, 2007
presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - Portland Chapter

Stock Option Backdating: New Rules & Enforcement Trends - Webcast
Nationwide on April 25, 2007
presented by HRTrainingCenter.com


Newly Posted Press Releases

Confusing Technology Hampering Efforts to Change Employee Behavior, Watson Wyatt Says
Watson Wyatt

U.S. Labor Department Recovers More Than $2 Million To Pay New Jersey Benefit Plan Health Claims
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Labor Department Obtains $5 Million Court Order to Restore Tennessee Company’s Pension Funds
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Consumer Driven Care Guidebook 2007 Edition
MCOL


Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Post a Help Wanted Ad

Health/Welfare Consultant - Benefits Evaluation Team
for Hufnell, Inc Executive Recruiters - Benefits Outsourcing, Benefits and HR
in PA

OmniPlus Consultants
for Chesapeake Benefit Partners
in ANY STATE

Pension Administrator
for Truog-Ryding Company
in CA

401(k)/DC Administrator
for Levy & Associates in Sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
in FL

Broker and Sales Support Manager
for Paychex
in NY

Retirement Plan Consultant
for Standard Insurance Company
in WA

Internal Sales Consultant
for Transamerica
in MA, PA

Senior Defined Contribution Analyst
for Standard Insurance Company
in OR

Senior Benefits Analyst
for Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)
in CA




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