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| August 31, 2007 |
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Official Guidance; News
Federal Employees Who Took Military Leave for Reserve Activities May Be Entitled to Annual Leave or Back PayExcerpt: "In a major decision issued Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the Merit Systems Protection Board has the authority to order relief for violations of the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, even for service prior to the law's enactment. This means that federal employee reservists now can seek credit for improperly charged leave dating back to 1980." (GovExec.com)
Ohio Lawmaker Has No Standing in Same-Sex Benefits Suit
Excerpt: "An Ohio legislator cannot sue Miami University over its policy to offer health benefits to same-sex couples, the state's 12th District Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Schools Dodging San Francisco Sick Leave Laws
Excerpt: "While some of The City's business owners have grumbled about the costs imposed by San Francisco's two new health care laws, one of The City's larger employers -- the school district -- says it's not obligated to comply due to its status as a state agency." (The Examiner)
Medical Industry Cracking Down on Insurers' Flawed Provider Lists
Excerpt: "Health insurers' provider directories will face increased scrutiny with the American Medical Association keeping track of complaints of inaccurate listings." (Business Courier (Cincinnati) via bizjournals.com; free registration required)
AFL-CIO Announces Campaign To Expand Health Insurance to All U.S. Residents by End of 2009
Excerpt: "The AFL-CIO on [August 29] at events in several cities nationwide announced a campaign that seeks to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents by the end of 2009, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. The campaign seeks to help elect presidential and congressional candidates that support such proposals." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
AFL-CIO Launches Campaign for America's Health Care
Excerpt: "It's a simple proposition and poll after poll shows most people agree that: In America, No One Should Go Without Health Care. Today, as new figures from the federal government show there are 2.2 million more Americans, including children without health care coverage -- a record 47 million with no coverage -- the AFL-CIO launched a mobilization drive to fix our broken health care system." (AFL-CIO)
Summary/Analysis of Official Guidance
FASB Kicks Off Phase Two of Postretirement Benefit Accounting ReformExcerpt: "At its first public meeting on the second phase of its review of accounting rules for postretirement benefits, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) outlined three areas of focus. The most significant will be new rules for how plan sponsors determine postretirement benefit costs and classify these costs on their income statement." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide)
Overview: Federal Judge Orders Wal-Mart to Offer Health Insurance to Workers' Stepchildren
Excerpt: "The stepchildren of working parents in New York state are dependent children for the purposes of qualifying for coverage under federally regulated group health insurance plans, a federal judge has ruled." (New York Law Journal via Law.com)
Overview: Court Decision Affirms Employers' Ability to Coordinate Retiree Health Benefits with Medicare (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "This decision clears the way for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ('EEOC') to finalize the proposed rules it issued in 2003 to exempt from the prohibitions of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ('ADEA') the practice of reducing or eliminating employer-sponsored retiree health benefits when retirees become eligible for benefits under Medicare or a state-sponsored program." (Dow Lohnes PLLC)
Overview: IRS Proposes New Regulations for Cafeteria Plans
Excerpt: "The Internal Revenue Service recently proposed a consolidated set of new regulations for cafeteria plans (frequently called flexible spending or Section 125 plans) that will provide a detailed compliance roadmap for its auditors." (Faegre & Benson LLP)
Overview: IRS Proposed Regs Regarding Payment of Insurance Premiums by Qualified Plans
Excerpt: "The IRS has released proposed regulations concerning the tax treatment of payments made by qualified plans for medical or accident insurance under Code Sec. 402(a)." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)
Trends; Surveys; Research
Aetna's Behavioral Health Program Saves $136 Per Member Per MonthExcerpt: "From Spencer's Benefits Reports: Participants in Aetna's Medical/Psychiatric High Risk Case Management Program (Med Psych) had lower medical costs compared to members with severe health conditions not enrolled in the program. Aetna found that the Med Psych members experienced a total cost savings of $136 per member per month, or approximately $1,600 annually. The study examined claims data from 2,737 Aetna HMO participants and 1,834 Aetna PPO members." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)
For Some, Job Benefits Ease Hassles of Adoption
Excerpt: "Adopting a child from overseas has never been easy. But new restrictions on overseas adoptions have made the adoption process much tougher, causing added stress and job disruptions for would-be parents." (The Wall Street Journal Online via CareerJournal.com)
Chart: Leave Benefits in 2007
Excerpt: "Paid leave was the most commonly provided employee benefit in the private sector in March 2007." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
At I.B.M., a Vacation Anytime, or Maybe None
Excerpt: "It's every worker's dream: take as much vacation time as you want, on short notice, and don't worry about your boss calling you on it. Cut out early, make it a long weekend, string two weeks together -- as you like. No need to call in sick on a Friday so you can disappear for a fishing trip. Just go; nobody's keeping track. That is essentially what goes on at I.B.M. . . . ." (The New York Times; free registration required)
A Wellness Program Can Help Your Company Save Money on Health Care Costs
Excerpt: "Wellness programs run the gamut from employer-sponsored group fitness activities and healthy cafeteria food to formal activities linked to an insurance plan. Destiny Health . . . has offered a wellness program bundled into its high-deductible insurance plan since 2001. UnitedHealth Group is testing a high-deductible plan paired with a wellness program for companies with 100 to 1,000 employees and plans to offer it to smaller companies in 2008." (BusinessWeek)
HSAs Do Not Benefit Lower-Income Individuals, Have Not Led To Reduced Health Care Costs, Report Finds
Excerpt: "Health savings accounts linked with high-deductible health plans do not benefit lower-income individuals and have not led to reduced health care costs, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Bell Policy Center, the Denver Post reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Wellness Programs Can Be Difficult to Sell to Upper Management Because ROI Numbers Can Be Vague
Excerpt: "Wellness programs are continuing to grow in popularity -- as a method of curbing rising health care costs and as a feature to compliment newly adopted consumer-driven health plans. Now, advisers, the people known for analyzing hard numbers and assessing ROI, are jumping on the wellness bandwagon en masse." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 - August 2007
Excerpt: "This August 2007 tracking poll finds that health care remains the top domestic issue that the public wants presidential candidates to address in the campaign, trailing only Iraq on the public's overall priority list." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Policy; Opinion; Advocacy
Opinion: Another Bogus Report Card for U.S. Medical CareExcerpt: "In May, the Commonwealth Fund issued its latest comparison of the U.S. medical system with five other wealthy nations' systems: Australia, Can.ada, Germany, New Zealand and Great Britain. Predictably, the study begins: 'Despite having the most costly health system in the world, the United States consistently underperforms.' I was immediately suspicious, considering the loaded study by the World Health Organization seven years ago." (John Stossel via Townhall.com)
Opinion: 'Profit Equation' - Health Care Reform Plan Should Not Be Financially Motivated
Excerpt: "The pursuit of profit has always been the principal motivating driver that sustains the American economy. Few would argue this because it strives to provide an economic lifestyle essential to America's work force, small businesses and large corporations and the overall viability of local, state and federal government. However, the delivery of basic health care to all Americans should be removed from the 'profit equation' at least as we relate it to the corporate bottom line." (The Charleston Gazette via Physicians for a National Health Program)
Opinion: Presidential Candidate Kucinich Is Right on Health Care
Excerpt: "[I]n a recent visit to the Globe, he accused the other Democratic candidates of faking it on healthcare reform. 'One of the greatest hoaxes of this campaign -- everyone's for universal healthcare,' Kucinich said. 'It's like a mantra. But when you get into the details, you find out that all the other candidates are talking about maintaining the existing for-profit system.'" (The Boston Globe via Physicians for a National Health Program)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Pension Fund Earmarks $700 Million Toward Health Care Technology
Excerpt: "Executives at the California Public Employees Retirement System - the nation's largest public pension - growing weary of the lack of technological innovation and ingenuity in health care, recently pledged $700 million of its coffers, in partnership with Health Evolution Partners, to invest in a new equity fund to bring fledgling health care products and services to market." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Newly Posted Events
Black Space vs. White Space - The New Revenue Cycle Battleground
in California on September 20, 2007
presented by Healthcare Web Summit
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Minnesota on September 19, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in District of Columbia on September 19, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Michigan on September 20, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Texas on September 20, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Washington on September 25, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in New York on September 26, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Massachusetts on September 27, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Kansas on September 27, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in North Carolina on September 27, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Illinois on September 28, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Code Section 409A Workshop
in Georgia on September 28, 2007
presented by SunGard Relius
Newly Posted Press Releases
Newkirk Announces Finalized 403(b) Regulations Education Solution
Newkirk Products, Inc.
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
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Corporate Retirement Plan Producers
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Pension Administrator
for R-Tech Consultants, Inc.
in CA
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