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| July 28, 2008 |
| Here are the Web's best new links about compliance and cost aspects of plan operation, design and policy. |
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[Guidance Overview] Proposed Mental Health Parity Bill Chart, Updated July 25, 2008 (PDF)
5 pages. (American Benefits Council)
[Guidance Overview] Successor Liability Is Alive and Well in the ERISA Context
Excerpt: "Reaffirming the vitality of the 'successor liability' theory, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently held that the purchaser of the business assets of an employer was liable for the unpaid medical claims of the employees. Schilling v. _________, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45233 (S.D. Ohio June 9, 2008). The case is a good example of why in corporate transactions ERISA and other benefits need to be identified, quantified and addressed in a heads-up manner." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com)
Extending Health Insurance for Dependent Children
Excerpt: "Children are generally dropped from their parents' health insurance when they turn 18 or 19 or graduate from college. But 16 states now require insurers to cover dependent children on their parents' policies until the children are in their mid-twenties -- and sometimes up to age 30." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
Risk Retention Groups Provide an Option to Employers Faced with Rising Healthcare Costs (PDF)
2 pages. (Risk Retention Reporter via Milliman)
How Cafeteria Plans Enhance City Employee Benefits while Saving Taxpayer Money (PDF)
Excerpt: "Conclusion. Taking full advantage of the city's cafeteria plan can benefit the city and its employees. Raising employees' net income while reducing city expenses maximizes the city's use of taxpayer dollars and the value of each city job." (Council for Affordable Health Insurance)
Health Insurers to Cover In-Store Clinic Visits in Massachusetts
Excerpt: "Some of the state's largest health insurers will cover visits to health clinics expected to open in some pharmacies later this year. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan have signed contracts with CVS Caremark Corp., which plans to open as many as 28 MinuteClinics in Massachusetts stores." (AP via Boston Herald)
'Wellness' a Healthy Investment for Company
Excerpt: "Lincoln Industries has three full-time employees devoted to 'wellness' and offers on-site massages and pre-shift stretching. Most unusual of all: The company requires all employees to undergo quarterly checkups measuring weight, body fat and flexibility. It also conducts annual blood, vision and hearing tests." (CNN)
Health Net Settlement at $215 Million May Set Class Action Record
Excerpt: "The class action against Health Net, based upon claims of ERISA and RICO violations pertaining to out of network reimbursements, has formally ended. An agreement reached between the parties late last years has now been approved by district court judge Faith Hochberg. Health Net has agreed to pay $215 million, but denies any wrongdoing." (Health Plan Law blog by Attorney Roy F. Harmon III)
Hearing on Promoting the Adoption and Use of Health Information Technology, Thursday, July 24, 2008
The target page presents the witness list with links to their testimony. (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health)
Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2007 (PDF)
24 pages. Excerpt: "Three types of measures of lack of health insurance coverage are provided: current (uninsured at the time of the interview), intermittent (uninsured at least part of the year prior to the interview, which also includes persons uninsured for more than a year), and long term (uninsured for more than a year at the time of the interview)." (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics)
Pennsylvania Gov. Signs Law Requiring Private Health Insurers To Cover Treatment for Autism
Excerpt: "A bill recently signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) will require private health insurance companies in the state to provide diagnosis and treatment coverage of up to $36,000 per year for residents under age 21 with autism spectrum disorder, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The law, which is scheduled to take effect in July 2009, also requires insurers to provide coverage for applied behavioral analysis therapy that experts say is a key element in treatment of the disorder." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
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Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Teleworkers Say It's A Gas-Saver
Excerpt: "Although the spike in gas prices might be driving the increase, advocates for telecommuting say it's a matter of time before the trend catches fire. For a generation that came of age texting and instant-messaging, driving two hours to sit at a cubicle outside the boss's office doesn't make sense if there's an office down the street. And as that generation replaces an older set of supervisors, businesses will become more open to the idea of remote offices, teleworkers say." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
Working Long Hours, and Paying the Price
Excerpt: "[L]ong days at work take a serious toll. For starters, it is very hard for employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle when work and commuting consume 60 or more hours a week. It is probably not a coincidence that obesity has become more prevalent as work hours have expanded for some. Too many hours at the office can also wind up being counterproductive. Employees who are overtired or preoccupied with neglected personal issues are unlikely to perform at their peak. They fall behind, spend more unproductive time at work to catch up, and so on." (The New York Times; free registration required)
GM to Offer an Extra Employee Discount Through July
Excerpt: "The discount offers a substantial savings. A Buick Lucerne with a sticker price of $34,200 would carry an employee price of $29,758.03 after cash incentives, says a GM spokesman." (Workforce Management; free registration required)
Newly Posted Events
The DOL's New Proposed Fee Disclosure Regulations
Nationwide on August 13, 2008
presented by Qualified Pension Consulting, Inc.
Newly Posted Press Releases
CFDD Launches Unique Training Program For Retirement Plan Wholesalers
Center for Due Diligence
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
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in IL
Director of Retirement Product Marketing
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Handy Links:
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- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
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