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April 21, 2009 |
| Here are the Web's best new links about compliance and cost aspects of plan operation, design and policy. |
Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA) (Advert.)
Let EBIA Help With Your Domestic Partner Benefits Domestic partner benefits are becoming an expected part of many employers’ benefit programs. In Employee Benefits for Domestic Partners: Design, Taxation, and Administration (available as a softcover book or on Checkpoint), EBIA analyzes and explains the myriad issues presented by domestic partner benefits, along with examples, source material, and sample documents. For more information, including a table of contents, please visit www.ebia.com/OtherOfferings/Books/DomesticPartners. |
[Guidance Overview]
Minnesota Posts Employer Opt-Out for Cafeteria Plan Mandate
Excerpt: "Minnesota employers can use a new form to opt out of the state's mandate to offer employees a cafeteria plan option. Starting July 1, most employers with 11 or more full-time equivalent Minnesota employees that don't offer employee health benefits must establish a cafeteria plan. Employers don't have to offer or contribute to health insurance, but they generally must provide a premium-only plan so workers can purchase coverage with pretax contributions. Employers may opt out by certifying that they understand the advantages of Section 125 plans and have chosen not to offer one." (Mercer LLC)
[Guidance Overview]
Government Guidance Clarification of Some COBRA Premium Subsidy Issues
Excerpt: "For purposes of COBRA administration, the IRS now defines involuntary termination as 'a severance from employment due to the independent exercise of the unilateral authority of the employer to terminate employment, other than due to the employee's implicit or explicit request, where the employee was willing and able to continue performing services.' The IRS further went on to indicate when an involuntary termination has occurred and when it has not in the following situations [noted in a chart]." (Michael Best & Friedrich LLP)
[Guidance Overview]
Summary of Health Privacy Provisions in the 2009 Economic Stimulus Legislation (PDF)
Excerpt: "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . . . included provisions making significant improvement in the privacy and security standards for health information. The provisions on privacy and security (generally in ARRA's Title XIII, Subtitle D and some parts of Subtitle A) can be grouped into four broad categories: Substantive changes to HIPAA statute and privacy and security regulations; Changes in HIPAA enforcement; Provisions to address health information held by entities not covered by HIPAA (as either covered entities or business associates); Miscellaneous: Administration/Studies/Reports/Educational Initiatives[.]" (Center for Democracy and Technology)
[Guidance Overview]
HHS's First HITECH HIPAA Guidance
Excerpt: "On April 17, 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its first guidance under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The HITECH Act amends the privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This new guidance provides key information to health care providers, health plans, health care clearinghouses and their business associates about the security of protected health information." (Faegre & Benson)
[Guidance Overview]
PHR Vendors and Related Entities Face the FTC'S New Health Breach Notification Rule (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "In general, the Proposed Rule is substantively similar to the provisions of Section 13407 of ARRA. The FTC is using this opportunity, however, to shed additional light on certain definitions and aspects of the Health Breach Notification Rule. This advisory highlights the key provisions of the Proposed Rule, including those sections where the FTC is seeking public comment." (Alston & Bird LLP)
[Guidance Overview]
Paychex Answers Small Business Questions on Stimulus Act Concerns
Excerpt: "New tax withholding tables and COBRA changes as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 raise questions for small business owners on how to make changes required under the new law. Payroll tax experts from Paychex, Inc. have identified six top questions about the law from the company's small business clients." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Recession Changing Health Benefits Design and Usage
Excerpt: "Employers and employees are making changes to the way health care plans are designed and used as a result of the recession, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans released Friday, April 17. Employers are looking to cut costs and employees are looking to save money while they still have the benefits available to them, according to the Brookfield, Wisconsin-based IFEBP, which surveyed plan sponsors across a number of employee benefit sectors, including corporate plans, public/governmental plans and multiemployer benefit plans, or labor unions." (Workforce Management; free registration required)
Can You Get What You Pay For? Pay-for-Performance and the Quality of Healthcare Providers
Excerpt: "Despite the popularity of pay-for-performance (P4P) among health policymakers and private insurers as a tool for improving quality of care, there is little empirical basis for its effectiveness. We use data from published performance reports of physician medical groups contracting with a large network HMO to compare clinical quality before and after the implementation of P4P, relative to a control group. We consider the effect of P4P on both rewarded and unrewarded dimensions of quality. In the end, we fail to find evidence that a large P4P initiative either resulted in major improvement in quality or notable disruption in care." (National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve fulltext)
Mayo Clinic Launches Site for Storing Health Information with Microsoft Technology
Excerpt: "The Mayo Clinic has combined its medical expertise with Microsoft Corp.'s technology in a free Web site launching Tuesday that will let people store personal health and medical information. The Mayo Clinic Health Manager, as the site is called, is one of many emerging services for so-called personal health records." (AP via Star Tribune)
Benefits Card Increases Appeal of Tax-Favored Accounts
Excerpt: "Health care consumers report the availability of benefits cards positively influenced their decision to sign up for tax-favored accounts including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), or Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), according to the results of the Evolution Benefits Consumer Experience Survey." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
More U.S. Workers Are Making Greater Use of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits, Survey Finds
Excerpt: "U.S. workers are making more use of their employer-sponsored health insurance benefits because of concerns that employers could cut benefits or increase costs during the economic recession, according to a survey released Friday by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's 'Dollars & Sense' blog reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com (Advert.)
EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com is where the best employers find the best candidates!
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Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Same-Sex Rights Approved by Washington HouseExcerpt: "After emotional debate, state lawmakers on Wednesday approved an 'everything but marriage' bill granting same-sex domestic partners most of the rights and responsibilities of spouses. The bill, which passed 62-35, now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who said she'll sign it into law. . . . Senate Bill 5688 expands on previous rights and protections lawmakers have approved for domestic partners. The new changes include labor and employment rights, pensions and insurance matters." (The Spokesman-Review)
[Opinion]
BusinessEurope, Nippon Keidandren, FEI Comment to IASB on Employee Benefits
Excerpt: "On April 20, 2009 a joint comment letter was filed by BusinessEurope, Nippon Keidanren and the Committees on Corporate Reporting (CCR) and Benefits Finance (CBF) of Financial Executives International in response to the International Accounting Standards Board's current deliberations on the IASB's Discussion Paper entitled: Preliminary Views on Amendments to IAS 19, Employee Benefits." (Financial Executives International)
Webcasts and Conferences
(Click to post your webcast or conference)Complying With the New COBRA Subsidy: Advanced Administration Issues
Nationwide on April 16, 2009
presented by EBIA / Thomson Reuters
Press Releases
(Click to post your press release)60 Minutes 401(k) Exposé Shows Need for New Retirement Income System
Pension Rights Center
Prudential Retirement Sweeps Top Honors for Retirement Plan Communications
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Benefit Informatics Online Solutions is added to MEDInnovation® to Help Employer Health Plans Control Costs and Manage Risk
Benefit Informatics
RelayHealth Launches FastTrack5010 at WEDI National Conference
RelayHealth
New Web Service Provides Advice for 401k Participants
401kAdvisory
Employee Benefits Jobs
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Benefits Analyst II
for Milliman
in WA
Implementation Specialist
for ExpertPlan, Inc.
in NJ
Defined Contribution Plan Recordkeeper
for Huntington National Bank
in MI
Client Consultant Manager, Core/Large Market
for Prudential Financial
in IA
Government Reporting Specialist
for New York Life Retirement Plan Services
in MA
Pension Analyst
for Long Island Employee Benefits Group, Ltd.
in NY
EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com (Sponsor)
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