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| July 26, 2007 |
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Employers Look Toward Public Health Partnerships for Solutions
Excerpt: "Some employers are considering teaming up with state public health agencies to help them lower their health care costs. Advisers should be aware their employer clients are looking for these solutions because a chorus of public health officials is liable to drown them out as more employers benefit from the new partnerships." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Group Says U.S. Has Much to Learn from Cuba's Health Care Model
Excerpt: "After appearing on the silver screen in Michael Moore's 'SiCKO,' Cuba's health care system is in the spotlight yet again, this time in the starring role. A film released earlier this year, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and The Rockefeller Foundation, called '¡SALUD!' was the topic of discussion at the Kaiser Family Foundation . . . ." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
An Analysis of Leading Congressional Health Care Bills, 2005-2007: Part II, Quality and Efficiency
Excerpt: "The U.S. health care system requires strong national leadership to become a high performance health system. The federal government, in partnership with the private sector, should set national goals and priorities, develop policies and practices to shape the delivery of health care services, and implement measures to track and improve provider performance. By focusing on quality improvement and efficiency gains, the government would get better value . . . ." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Garden State Rejects Out-Of-Network Payment Limits
Excerpt: "The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance says a managed care company has taken the wrong approach to trying to control the cost of out-of-network care in in-network hospitals. The department is preparing to impose a $9.5 million fine on Aetna Inc., Hartford, in connection with a letter Aetna sent to New Jersey health care providers in June." (The National Underwriter Company; free registration or paid subscription required)
Overview: IRS Proposes Regs on Which Divorced Parent May Claim Child as 'Qualifying Child'
Excerpt: "The Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations intended to clarify the special rule for divorced parents related to which parent may claim a child as a tax dependent for certain purposes." (Hewitt Associates)
Employer Options in a Post-TRICARE Amendment Environment (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "The Fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization Act changed the law for TRICARE Supplemental Plans that are sponsored by employers." (Hewitt Associates)
Overview: Notice Requirements Augmented by Plan Language Assurances to Plan Participants
Excerpt: "Plan language assurance of reasonable notice coupled with conduct suggesting affirmative steps of concealment contributed to the defeat of the defendants' motion to dismiss severance pay claims in Rosenberg v. CNA Financial. The case provides several important points to consider for employment lawyers for claimants and defendants alike." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)
Controlling the High Cost of Health Care: The Role of Reinsurance Medical Risk Management (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Conclusion. Health care costs are rising at an exponential rate, as are the number of million-dollar claims. Private health reinsurance currently provides a unique service in medical risk management of the complex, catastrophic high-dollar claims, which is not provided by either disease management or by primary case management." (The Council for Affordable Health Insurance)
Massachusetts Health Reform: Employers, Lower-Wage Workers and Universal Coverage
Excerpt: "Through interviews with Massachusetts health care leaders . . ., the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) examined how the law is likely to affect employer decisions to offer health insurance to workers and employee decisions to purchase coverage." (Center for Studying Health System Change)
Opinion: Taxpayers Pick Up Bush's Medical Bill
Excerpt: "President Bush says he'll veto . . . legislation [to expand coverage for low-income kids], warning that it would lead the nation 'down the path to government-run health care for every American.' . . . . Bush wasn't being entirely accurate when he derided the notion of government-run health care . . . American. That might make for a fine little sound bite, especially among those who fear the specter of 'socialized medicine,' but it's not really what's at stake." (San Francisco Chronicle)
San Francisco Law Mandating Employer Health Care Spending Challenged
Excerpt: "Federal law says that state and local governments can't force employers to change their employee benefits plans. Only Congress can. A Wal-Mart-backed trade group has twice used this well-established precedent to scuttle state and local laws aimed at setting minimum health care spending requirements in Maryland and New York." (Law.com)
Growth of HSA Administrators Could Trigger Lower Service Fees
Excerpt: "More than 420 financial firms now offer health savings accounts (HSAs) -- an increase of nearly 50% since 2005, according to data recently compiled by ICDC's publisher, Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS)." (AISHealth.com)
Three Years After Birth of HSAs, State Legislatures Taking Action
Excerpt: "[In a state legislative development], the Pennsylvania House Republican Health Care Task Force last month rolled out an alternative to Gov. Ed Rendell's (D) 'Cover All Pennsylvanians' strategy to expand state-subsidized health coverage. . . . The Republican initiative, dubbed 'Real Prescription for Pennsylvania,' calls for the expansion of HSA-based plans. The strategy includes expanding the use of HSAs." (INSIDE CONSUMER-DIRECTED CARE via AISHealth.com)
First Bipartisan House Version of the National Insurance Act of 2007 Reintroduced
Excerpt: "The new legislation would provide insurers with an optional federal charter. Insurers and others in the industry can choose to be regulated by the federal government, rather than individual states." (Investment News; free registration required)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Summary of 409A: A Nightmare of Complexity
Excerpt: "In this newsletter, we will first provide a relatively brief, high level outline of the Section 409A rules, after which we will provide a more detailed summary of those rules." (Utz, Miller & Kuhn, LLC)
Newly Posted Events
Fight Obesity in the Workplace
Nationwide on July 27, 2007
presented by Health Resources Online
The Buzz on 403(b): The Final Regulations
Nationwide on August 14, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Newly Posted Press Releases
U.S. Labor Department Solicits Nominations for 2008 ERISA Advisory Council
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Council Briefs Media: Meaningful, Useful 401(k) Plan Fee Disclosure Just One Piece Of The Puzzle
American Benefits Council
New MCOLBlog Features Team of Eight Nationally Respected Health Industry Professionals Offering Key Insights and Dialogue On A Wide Range of Important Topics Shaping The Business and Future of Health Care
MCOL
SHRM Urges Classification of Independent Contractors
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
NAPFA Challenges The DOL To Adopt Tougher ERISA Disclosures: Fee-Only Financial Advisors Want Greater Transparency Of Fees And Expenses In 401(k) Plans
National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
3PEA International, Inc. Announces Commencement of Issuance of Over Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Prepaid Debit Cards To The Healthcare Market in Support of Pharmacies Across The Nation
3PEA International, Inc.
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
(Post a Job | View All Jobs)
Consulting/Marketing Manager
for Associated Pension Consultants
in CA
Actuarial Specialist
for Kravitz - Louis Kravitz & Associates
in ANY STATE, CA
Sr New Business Defined Contribution Analyst
for Standard Insurance Company
in OR
HRIS/Benefits Specialist
for The Urban Institute
in DC
Compensation & Benefits Professional/Paralegal
for The Hartford Financial Services Group
in CT
Domain Effectiveness Managers - Defined Contribution (401k) & Health and Benefits
for Mercer HR Services
in MA
Associate Legal Counsel
for T. Rowe Price
in MD
Quality Assurance Manager
for Mercer HR Services
in MA
401(k) Enrollers/Independent Contractors - Part Time
for Transamerica Retirement Services
in AZ, CA, DC, FL, IL, KS, MO, NV, TX
Pension Administrator
for Retirement Planners
in VA
Employee Benefit Attorney With at Least 2 Years Experience
for Chang, Ruthenberg & Long PC
in CA
Employee Benefit Attorney With at Least 5 Years Experience
for Chang, Ruthenberg & Long PC
in CA
Employee Benefit Attorney With ESOP Experience
for Chang, Ruthenberg & Long PC
in CA
Assistant Actuary
for Standard Insurance Company
in OR
Actuarial Asst
for Standard Insurance Company
in OR
ERISA Attorney - Part Time
for Howard Simon & Associates
in IL
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- Employee Benefits Library
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