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| May 23, 2007 |
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Health Care Reform Hearing: Recommendations to Improve Coordination of Federal and State Initiatives
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Hearing: Health Care Reform: Recommendations to Improve Coordination of Federal and State Initiatives on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 (U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor)
Using Paid Time-Off Programs to Improve the Health of the Organization
Excerpt: "Once considered simply a 'good idea,' paid time-off (PTO) programs have quickly become a valuable benefit for many employers. The explanation is simple: PTO programs reduce employees' inappropriate use of sick days. They also enhance an organization's health by empowering employees to better manage their time off to meet personal needs." (The Segal Group, Inc.)
Women and Men Want Time Off from Work
Excerpt: "Both men and women at some point in their career get an itch to take time off to care for a spouse or a parent or to just set out on their own as entrepreneurs. That was a key finding of a survey taken by marketing firm Aquent, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and Work+Life Fit, Inc." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Patients Wary of Employer, Plan-Sponsored Personal Health Records
Excerpt: "So far, the public has yet to embrace PHRs, in part because the main push to promote them appears to be from health plans and employers. The problem with this approach was illustrated by a 2005 California HealthCare Foundation survey, which found that 52% of the respondents were worried about employers using medical information to limit job opportunities (up from 36% in the 1999 survey)." (Modern Healthcare; free registration required)
Study Shows Consumer Health Plans Not Living Up to Full Potential
Excerpt: "The news release about Towers Perrin's Study on Account-Based Health plans said the poll found that employers and employees were not reaping the health plans' full rewards." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
More Insurers Offer Group Dental Plans that Allow Rollover of Unused Maximum Treatment Limits
Excerpt: "An increased number of insurers have begun to offer group dental plans that allow members to roll over their unused maximum treatment limits to subsequent years, although some require members to visit the dentist annually or more often for preventive care, the Wall Street Journal reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Overview of Congressional Health Care Bills, 2005-2007: Insurance Coverage
Excerpt: "The first of a two-part series, this report analyzes and compares leading congressional bills and Administration proposals to expand health insurance coverage introduced over 2005-2007." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Opinion: Michael Moore's Scathing, Important Look at the U.S. Health Care System
Excerpt: "[T]here is no mistaking the passion and political intelligence at work in 'Sicko.' It's both a more finely calibrated film and one with more far-reaching consequences than any he's made before. Moore is trying to rouse Americans to action on an issue most of us agree about, at least superficially." (Salon.com via Physicians for a National Health Program)
Opinion: Michael Moore's New Film About U.S. Health Care System Must Be Seen in Europe As Well
Excerpt: "Yes, Michael Moore has an agenda. No, he isn't among the giants of documentary film-making. No, he isn't an ordinary journalist. He is, as he says, the op-ed variety, the kind who is constantly angry. He has issues with the way of the world and wants to set records straight." (The Guardian via Physicians for a National Health Program)
Michael Moore's Health Industry Documentary 'SICKO' Debuts
Excerpt: "The Wall Street Journal on Friday examined how supporters of documentary film maker Michael Moore's next film about the health care industry 'hope that the new movie will stir up emotions and help generate the kind of buzz that made his last movie ... a topic of national debate and an unprecedented blockbuster in the documentary genre.'" (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Workers Could Gain Health Insurance, Pensions Under Employee Free Choice Act
Excerpt: "If the Employee Free Choice Act becomes law, approximately 3.5 million more people in the U.S. would have employer-based health insurance and 2.8 million more people would have employer-based pensions, according to a new report issued by a public policy organization." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)
Preparing for an Aging Workforce: A Focus on New York Businesses
Excerpt: "This late 2006 AARP survey of 400 employers across the state examines employer perception and action concerning worker shortages, loss of institutional knowledge, and retention of older workers." (AARP)
Presentation on the Final 409A Regulations: Severance and Distribution Issues (PDF)
35 pages. Excerpt: "Overview of 409A Distribution Rules: Distributable events; Restrictions on distributions to specified ('key') employees. Severance: Which payments are subject to 409A? May be subject to the six-month delay if made to key employees; What flexibility do employers have in structuring severance payments?" (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)
Overview: Receipt/Solicitation of or Payment/Promise of Kickbacks in Connection with an ERISA Plan
Excerpt: "Today, it is more important than ever that plan fiduciaries, particularly members of the plan's investment committee, understand the self-dealing and kickback prohibitions applicable to plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as amended, and review their plans' decision making practices for compliance." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Why Benefits Matter and How to Maximize the ROI
Excerpt: "This article examines data from the [Rewards of WorkSM Study] to explore strategies for improving benefit satisfaction. It also addresses factors employers should consider before selecting a strategy." (The Segal Group, Inc.)
Newly Posted Press Releases
Former California Executive Charged with 18 Counts of Embezzling 401(k) Assets, Fraud and Tax Evasion Following U.S. Labor Department Investigation
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
U. S. Labor Department Extends Annual Reports Deadline After Severe Storms and Flooding Hit Kansas
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
ERIC Supports Health-Care Coverage Expansion, But Concerned About Intrusion on ERISA Preemption
ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee)
CEO Of 1 Point Solutions Indicted On 78 Counts Related To Embezzlement Of Over $15 Million In Retirement Funds
U.S. Department of Justice
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
(Post a Job | View All Jobs)
Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Administrator
for Loren D. Stark Company, Inc.
in TX
Employee Benefits Specialist
for Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
in OH
Actuarial Specialist
for Kravitz - Louis Kravitz & Associates
in CA
Quality Assurance Specialist
for Standard Insurance Company
in WA
Sr. Retirement Plan Consultant
for Standard Insurance Company
in TX
SR. EB Recordkeeper/Tester
for Wachovia
in NC
Plan Administrator
for Retirement Plan & ERISA Specialists
in IL
Director - Product Management
for Leading Financial Services Software Vendor
in NY
Compliance Manager - Retirement Solutions
for Union Bank of California
in CA
Plan Accounting Manager
for Benefit Consultants Group
in NJ
Consultant, Health & Welfare
for Cammack LaRhette Consulting
in CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
Relationship Manager
for Swerdlin & Company
in GA
Relationship Manager
for Fidelity Investments
in KY, TX
Membership & Administrative Coordinator
for National Tax Sheltered Accounts Association
in MO
401(k) Education Officer
for City National Bank
in CA
Account Manager / Employee Benefit Analyst
for JR Katz
in IL
National Accounts Communication Specialist
for MassMutual Financial Group
in MA
Associate Benefit Consultant
for Thorbahn
in MA
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