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| June 22, 2007 |
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Employers Continue Broadening Retiree Health Offerings
Excerpt: "With regulatory changes firmly in place, a new study has found many employers are trying to find the best way to provide their retirees with medical benefits." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Some Companies Are Helping Workers Look After Aging Parents
Excerpt: "Companies have long seen the elder-care burden as a productivity problem; the focus has been on helping workers find services for their family members, and then getting the employees back to work. Now, in the first shift in elder-care benefits in years, a few employers are offering elder-care programs aimed at the health and well-being of the workers themselves." (The Wall Street Journal Online)
More Companies Add Benefits for Employees Who Adopt
Excerpt: "The number of employers offering adoption assistance is soaring. Nearly 50% of employers offer adoption benefits, according to a survey by benefits consultants Watson Wyatt Worldwide. That's up from 37% who offered the benefits in 2003." (USA TODAY)
Chart: What California Public Workers Will Pay for Health Care in 2008
The data is from the California Public Employees' Retirement System. (The Sacramento Bee; free registration required)
Preparing a Case for Provider Reimbursement - A Due Diligence Checklist
Excerpt: "The law governing health care provider reimbursements, assignments, and managed care agreements continues to present one of the most dynamic topics in the ERISA field. A number of the issues raised in recent controversies may be usefully summarized in a topical list." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)
Health Blog: Big Insurers Pay for Services at Retail Clinics
Excerpt: "[S]omewhere between 40% and 50% of care at the clinics, typically staffed by nurse practitioners, is reimbursed by insurance . . . . Today the trend advanced another step, as health-benefits giant Cigna added reimbursement for care at Take Care Clinics, a Midwestern retail-clinic chain acquired last month by Walgreens. Cigna already reimburses for care in at least two other chains, RediClinic and MinuteClinic, which is owned by CVS." (The Wall Street Journal Online)
Missouri and Oklahoma Extend Tax Breaks for Health Care
Excerpt: "Two more states have passed laws enabling residents to purchase health insurance using pre-tax dollars and to set aside money for medical expenses in tax-free accounts." (Thompson Publishing Group Inc.)
Current and Future Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity in the United States
Excerpt: "The prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly since the mid-1970s, following a period of relative stability. The large growth predicted for severe obesity represents a major public health challenge, given the accompanying high medical expenditures and elevated risk of mortality and morbidity. Combating severe obesity is likely to require strategies targeting the particularly large weight gains of the heaviest individuals." (National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve full-text)
Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide Updated June 19, 2007, for Health and Welfare Plans (PDF)
18 pages. This Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law regarding health and welfare benefit plans. (Hewitt Associates)
CBO Testimony: Health Care and the Budget - Issues and Challenges for Reform (PDF)
30 pages. Statement of Peter R. Orszag, Director, before the Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, June 21, 2007 (U.S. Congressional Budget Office)
Medical Technology Industry Group Pitches Universal Health Plan
Excerpt: "While not promising stents for all or a pacemaker in every pot, the plan from AdvaMed - the trade group that represents scores of Twin Cities device companies - calls for health care coverage for all Americans that would be delivered through the existing private insurance market." (Pioneer Press; free registration required)
Documentary 'Sicko' Debuts on Capitol Hill, Filmmaker Moore Calls for Single-Payer Health System
Excerpt: "Michael Moore's health care industry documentary 'Sicko' debuted in Washington, D.C. . . . and the film maker held a press conference on Capitol Hill to galvanize support for the creation of a single-payer system in the U.S., CQ HealthBeat reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Hearing on 'Balancing Work and Family: What Policies Best Support America's Families?'
Workforce Protections Subcommittee Hearing: 'Balancing Work and Family: What Policies Best Support America's Families?' held Thursday, June 21, 2007 (U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Overview: Severance Pay Plan Must Comply with IRC Section 409A
Excerpt: "Section 409A primarily affects nonqualified deferred compensation plans, which are plans many employers maintain to provide benefits to executives and other key employees in excess of the benefits they can earn under qualified plans, such as 401(k) plans and qualified pension plans." (Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP)
New Benefits Bills in Congress, June 22, 2007
Excerpt: "[F]rom Spencer's Benefits Reports: Between May 8 and June 11, the [benefits-related bills introduced in Congress are noted in this target page]." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)
Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide for June 19, 2007, on Human Resources & Employment Law (PDF)
12 pages. This Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law regarding human resources and employment law. (Hewitt Associates)
Newly Posted Press Releases
Auto Enrollment, Roth 401(k)s Gaining Ground, Soon May Be the Norm
Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Strategy Is Key to Communicating Changes in Employee Benefits
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Better Access to Federal and Employer-Provided Time Off Helps Working Parents of Chronically Ill Children, RAND Study Finds
RAND Corporation
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
(Post a Job | View All Jobs)
401(k) Plan Administrator
for Hicks Pension Group - Honolulu Hawaii
in HI
Client Service Pension Administrator
for San Diego Pension Consultants, Inc.
in CA
Manager, Benefits Analysis and Reporting
for Benetemps, Inc.
in MA
Retirement Plan Administrator
for Howard Simon & Associates
in IL
DC Plan Consultant
for E.A. Edberg Associates, Inc.
in AZ
DB / DC Plan Consultant
for E.A. Edberg Associates, Inc.
in AZ
Senior Analyst/Consultant
for Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company
in FL
Consultant, Pension Administration Solutions
for Buck Consultants
in IN
PSP/401(k)/Pension Plan Administrator
for Third Party Administrative Firm
in GA
Omniplus Conversion Tester
for Prestige Staffing
in CO
Defined Benefit Plan Administrator
for Pinnacle Plan Design, L.L.C.
in AZ
TPA Regional Manager - Central Region
for Transamerica
in CA
Team Leader - Data Management
for Standard Insurance Company
in OR
Plan Document Specialist
for Sentinel Benefits Group
in MA
Tax Attorney-Benefit Plans
for Marathon Oil Corp.
in TX
Retirement Consultant
for Freedom One Financial Group
in MI
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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