BenefitsLink |
 |
 |
| February 10, 2009 |
| Here are the Web's best new links about compliance and cost aspects of plan operation, design and policy. |
Today's sponsor is Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA)
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| EBIA's In Person Seminar Series |
| EBIA's In Person seminars provide education on employee benefits topics to professionals, including TPAs, attorneys, benefits consultants, human resources managers, plan administrators, insurance professionals, and accountants. For information about CE credit, course materials, speakers, locations, and agenda details, and to register, please visit EBIA's In Person Seminars. |
[Guidance Overview]
IRS's 2008 Version of Form 8839 for Determining Adoption Credit and Employer-Provided Adoption Benefits Exclusion
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Employer-provided adoption benefits may be excluded from an employee's gross income if they are furnished pursuant to an adoption assistance program that meets the Code's requirements. Benefits under a qualified adoption assistance program may be funded by the employer directly, by employees through salary reductions under a cafeteria plan, or by a combination of both. Employees may also claim a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses, although both the credit and exclusion cannot be claimed for the same expense." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)
[Guidance Overview]
Towers Perrin Monthly Health & Welfare Regulatory Round-Up, January 2009 (PDF)
9 pages. Excerpt: "The Monthly Regulatory Round-Up is a high-level summary of legal and regulatory developments that occurred during January 2009 that may be relevant to large employers. Developments are sorted according to federal legislative developments, federal regulatory guidance, other developments (e.g., significant litigation, studies, select state law developments)." (Towers Perrin)
New Administration's Ability to Shape Retirement and Health Care Will Be Circumscribed by Current Economic Crisis
Excerpt: "'Given the current economic turmoil, a number of initiatives, including health care and pensions, will be pushed down the priority list,' says James Klein, President of the American Benefits Council in Washington. The current economic crisis makes it difficult to do anything, even if there is political interest in doing so, says Salisbury. One area getting a great deal of political interest is health care, and it is not just politicians who want the change. According to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, 71% of employers believe the best way to fix the U.S. health-care system is a complete overhaul, though two-thirds believe that system should be based primarily on the employer-delivery model (and only 45% of those employers expect major federal reforms will become law during the next presidential term)." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Delivering Care Anytime, Anywhere: Telehealth Alters the Medical Ecosystem
Excerpt: "Health plans, providers, and IT vendors are all using telehealth applications to increase quality of care, reduce costs, and increase access for the underserved. Sometimes referred to as e-health or telemedicine, telehealth encompasses a variety of formats, including: Live videoconferencing; Store-and-forward systems for transmitting digital images and other data; Remote patient monitoring through the use of home-based devices; and E-visits or 'virtual house calls.' . . . This iHealth Report -- a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of the California HealthCare Foundation -- examines emerging uses of telehealth and describes the market drivers and challenges that will impact its future growth." (California HealthCare Foundation)
Employer Brings Simplicity to Specialty Pharmacy Benefits
Excerpt: "There are really two main strategies with managing specialty pharmacy, said [Keith Bruhnsen, assistant director of benefits at the University of Michigan]. 'You want to get the best pricing out there in the market, and you want to manage for appropriate use. That means getting the right drug in the right amount at the right time for the patient.'Employers also need to decide which drugs will go on the medical side and which ones will go on the pharmacy side, he said. Organizations will most likely have specialty medications in both the medical benefit and pharmacy benefits." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Pharmacy Benefit Management Transparency Could Be Inevitable
Excerpt: "The pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry has come under intense scrutiny to become more transparent in its contracts with health plans and employers. Some PBMs have embraced transparency and see it as an inevitable shift in how pharmacy benefits are delivered. Others have stuck to their guns, maintaining that historical contracting practices enable better pricing deals than could be achieved in fully transparent contracting environments. So which is it: a passing fad or an inevitable change?" (Managed Healthcare Executive)
Kentucky Lawmakers Consider Retiree Health Care Mandate Delay
Excerpt: "A committee of the Kentucky state house has approved a measure doubling the amount of time local government agencies have to fully fund their retiree health-care costs. A Louisville Courier-Journal news report said state Representative Mike Cherry's bill would increase the time limit from five years to 10 to give cities, counties and school districts time to figure out how to pay for their retiree health costs." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
UnitedHealth and I.B.M. Test Health Care Plan: The 'Medical Home' Model
Excerpt: "An earlier trial of the model by UnitedHealth, in Florida, never got off the ground because doctors refused to participate. This time, however, the insurer is teaming up with seven doctors' groups to make another attempt, in Arizona, at the prodding of one of the state's big employers, I.B.M. UnitedHealth will try giving doctors more authority and money than usual in return for closely monitoring their patients' progress, even when patients go to specialists or require hospitalization. The insurer will also move away from paying doctors solely on the basis of how many services they provide, and will start rewarding them more for the overall quality of care patients receive." (The New York Times; free registration required)
COBRA Subsidy Revised, But Survives in Senate
Excerpt: "The federal government would pay 50% of COBRA health care premiums for up to 12 months for employees who are laid off from Sept. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2009, under a massive economic stimulus bill the Senate is expected to vote on Tuesday. Those COBRA premium provisions, agreed to over the weekend by a bipartisan panel of Senate negotiators, are a change from the provisions earlier approved by the Senate Finance Committee. Under that panel's measure, the government would have provided a 65% premium subsidy, but the subsidy would have ended after nine months." (Financial Week)
[Opinion]
American Benefits Council letter to Senate Leadership Regarding COBRA Provisions in Stimulus Package (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "We are particularly concerned about - and would respectfully request that you not add to the Senate bill - provisions contained in the House economic stimulus bill which authorize an indefinite period of COBRA coverage for those who lose employment (voluntarily or involuntarily) and are 55 or older OR who have ten or more years of service with their employer." (American Benefits Council)
ALM (Sponsor)
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| Complete Benefits Law Guidance from Law Journal Press |
| The nation's workforce and health care system are constantly evolving and so are the legal issues. Law Journal Press helps you handle any benefits law question with up-to-date, authoritative books on all aspects of the field. Get legal and practical advice from leading experts on everything from COBRA to ERISA, "contingent" employees to family and medical leave, and more. Browse our product listings for detailed information and special offers. |
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
[Guidance Overview]
Treasury Department Releases New Executive Compensation Guidelines Under TARP
Excerpt: "On February 4, 2009, the Treasury Department issued a new set of executive compensation guidelines for financial institutions and other companies participating in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The guidelines impose substantial new restrictions on executive compensation programs for both senior and lower level executives of such institutions. In general, the new requirements apply prospectively only although certain certification requirements will apply to institutions that are currently participating in TARP. The new guidelines leave many questions unanswered, including their effect on advance TARP guidance previously issued by Treasury in the final days of the Bush administration, which has neither been formally published nor withdrawn and remains subject to an Obama administration hold order." (McGuireWoods LLP)
Senate Finance Committee Summary of Senate Stimulus Package (PDF)
11 pages. Excerpt: "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Summary of Finance Provisions as Amended on the Floor through 2/7, Plus Expected Elements of the Collins-Nelson Amendment" (Senate Finance Committee via American Benefits Council)
Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2006
Excerpt: "This report provides a broad income picture of a cross section of the population aged 55 or older, with special emphasis on income of the population aged 65 or older. The tabulations focus on the major sources and amounts of income in 2006, both separately and combined, for those age groups." (U.S. Social Security Administration)
Underwater Options Exchange Should Exclude Executives, Maintain Value
Excerpt: "A new analysis from Aon Consulting's Radford Surveys + Consulting found exclusion of board and named executive officers (NEOs) and a value-neutral exchange rate were design features of underwater stock option exchange proposals that figured most prominently in gaining approval." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Newly Posted Events
2009 Form 5500 and Electronic Filing Webcast
Nationwide on February 19, 2009
presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Automatic Enrollment
Nationwide on June 4, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Back-to-Basic Series 1 - Qualified Plans Foundations eSeminar
Nationwide on March 19, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Back-to-Basics
in Illinois on June 9, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Back-to-Basics
in New York on September 22, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Back-to-Basics Series 2 - 401(k) Plans
Nationwide on May 14, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Back-to-Basics: The Combined Series
Nationwide on March 19, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
CODA Rules, Deferrals, Catch-ups and Matching
Nationwide on May 14, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Controlled Groups
Nationwide on March 26, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Defined Contribution Plan Design Alternatives for Small Employers
Nationwide on April 23, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Form 5500 - Getting Ready for Plan Year 2009
Nationwide on April 2, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Form 5500 Update
Nationwide on March 31, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Fourth Quarter Update
Nationwide on November 17, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Fourth Quarter Update
Nationwide on November 18, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Overview of Types of Plans, Documents & Guidance
Nationwide on March 19, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Retirement Plan Insights
in Pennsylvania on May 19, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Retirement Plan Insights
in Illinois on June 9, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Retirement Plan Insights
in Massachusetts on August 4, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Retirement Plan Insights
in Nevada on November 10, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Retirement Plan Insights
in Maryland on November 23, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Second Quarter Update
Nationwide on May 5, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Second Quarter Update
Nationwide on May 6, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Third Quarter Update
Nationwide on August 18, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Third Quarter Update
Nationwide on August 19, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Top-Heavy Rules, Keys, Attributions, HCEs
Nationwide on April 16, 2009
presented by McKay Hochman Co.
Newly Posted Press Releases
The 2009 EBRI Lillywhite Award: Two Recognized for Lifetime Contributions to Economic Security
Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)
Shareholders Demand Executive Exclusion, Value Neutrality in Underwater Stock Option Exchange Proposals, According to Aon Consulting's Radford Research
Aon Consulting
Senior Staff Promotions Announced at Millennium Trust
Millennium Trust Company, LLC
Webinars on IRAs, HSAs and Coverdell ESAs
Collin W. Fritz & Associates, Ltd.
The Online 401k Partners With Three New Payroll Companies
The Online 401(k)
Moran & Associates, Inc. / G. Russell Knobel & Associates, Inc. Is Certified To Industry Best Practices
Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
(Post a Job | View All Jobs |
RSS Feed )
DC Plan Administrator/Document Specialist
for National Actuarial Pension Services, Inc.
in TX
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
Subscribe to the BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter, Too!
Sign-up form is at https://benefitslink.com/newsletter (free).
This newsletter is sent to you each workday except federal holidays.
This email has been published by:
BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H
Winter Park FL 32789
(407) 644-4146
Fax: (407) 644-2151
David Rhett Baker, J.D., Editor
Copyright 2009 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you can forward this email in full (including this boilerplate part) or otherwise reprint this email in full (including this boilerplate part) without obtaining our permission.
Anyone can receive these emails; just have them sign up at this web page: https://benefitslink.com/newsletter/
Other useful links: