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September 21, 2009 \ Compliance \ Costs \ Administration \ Design \ Policy

Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA) (Advert.)

EBIA's Recorded Web Seminars - Quality and Convenience! (clickable image)

EBIA's Recorded Web Seminars - Quality and Convenience!

We know that employee benefits professionals have many demands on their time. To help ease the time-crunch, EBIA's recorded web seminars are available 24/7--any time and any place you have an internet connection. What's more, when you purchase a recorded web seminar from EBIA, you and your co-workers can view it as many times as you wish for 60 days after purchase! Visit our website and you can search for seminars by topic, experience level, or key word.


[Guidance Overview]
OPM Proposal of Long-Term Care and Leave Benefits for Domestic Partners of Federal Employees

Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: As noted in the preamble to the proposed regulations, a majority of Fortune 500 companies, thousands of smaller companies, many colleges and universities, and other public-sector entities already provide same-s.ex domestic partners with a variety of benefits available to other family members. Although these OPM proposals do not affect other employers, they should be of general interest both to employers who currently provide domestic partner benefits and to those who are contemplating adding those benefits." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)


[Guidance Overview]
CMS's Proposed Changes in Disclosure to CMS Form Instructions and Revises Guidance on Disclosure to Part D Eligible Individuals

Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: The changes to the creditable coverage disclosure items . . . are merely clarifying, not substantive. But those who are responsible for providing the required disclosures to CMS and to Medicare Part D eligible individuals should pay attention to these changes. The deletion of the mail-order provision is welcome. Since plans are not required to offer mail-order prescription drug coverage to meet the safe harbor, CMS may have dropped that provision just to avoid confusion. Having clarity in the safe harbor requirements is important: Plans that do not meet those requirements must make an actuarial determination of whether their prescription drug coverage is creditable." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)


Acne, Pregnancy, Toenail Fungus Among Disqualifying Conditions for Health Insurance
Excerpt: "A proposal to make preexisting health conditions irrelevant in the sale of insurance policies could help not just the seriously ill, but also people who might consider themselves healthy, documents released Friday by a California-based advocacy group illustrate. Health insurers have issued guidelines saying they could deny coverage to people suffering from such conditions as acne, hemorrhoids and bunions." (The Washington Post via Consumer Watchdog)


LightenUp: A Worksite Approach to Promoting Healthy Weight Management
Excerpt: "LightenUP is a groundbreaking five-year health study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to identify innovations. The Dow Chemical Company employees were provided greater access to healthy foods, health education materials, leadership training, physical activity and weight-management programs, health assessments and individual consultations, and online behavioral change programs." (National Business Group on Health)


Critical Issues in Health Reform: Merging the Small Group and Individual Markets (PDF)
5 pages. Excerpt: "There are many considerations that should go into merging the individual and small group markets. First and foremost is existing market differences that may cause significant disruption (e.g., unexpectedly large rate increases and/or mandated benefit changes) for current participants. Additional considerations include issues associated with the purchase decision, plan portability, and the taxation of benefits. In order to make informed decisions on merging the two markets, policymakers should examine the major differences between the two markets as they exist today." (American Academy of Actuaries)


Critical Issues in Health Reform: Administrative Expenses (PDF)
5 pages. Excerpt: "To better assess the potential for administrative cost savings under health reform options, it is important to understand the nature of the administrative functions and costs that are currently performed by health insurers. This paper discusses these various functions as well as how they can vary by different health insurance products and markets." (American Academy of Actuaries)


A Proposed Tax on the Cadillac Health Insurance Plans May Also Hit the Chevys
Excerpt: "The tax is meant to raise more than a quarter of the $774 billion needed to pay for the Baucus plan. But just as much, the tax is intended to discourage the overly generous coverage that many experts say has helped propel the country's reckless spending on medical care. As it turns out, though, many smaller fish would get caught in Mr. Baucus's tax net. The supposedly Cadillac insurance policies include ones that cover many of the nation's firefighters and coal miners, older employees at small businesses -- a whole gamut that runs from union shops to Main Street entrepreneurs." (The New York Times; free registration required)


U.S. Employers Will Defray Health Reform Costs, According to Study
Excerpt: " If U.S. health reform efforts lead to higher costs for employers, employees may end up bearing the brunt, according to a new survey. Employers will not absorb higher costs, choosing instead either to reduce benefits, lower salaries or cut jobs, the survey from professional services firm Towers Perrin said on Thursday. Eighty-seven percent of employers said they were very likely or likely to cut benefits if reform leads to higher costs. Only 11 percent said they would accept lower profits." (Reuters)


[Opinion]
Tax Offsets in Baucus Health Plan Are Sound But Can Be Improved

Excerpt: "The health reform proposal by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus would place a 35-percent excise tax on the value of health plans in excess of $8,000 for singles and $21,000 for families, starting in 2013; these thresholds would be indexed for inflation in later years. The excise tax is a sound way to help pay for health reform, but it has some shortcomings that can and should be addressed. Policymakers should modify the proposal to avoid unfairly affecting firms with older -- and hence less healthy -- workforces and to keep the 'reach' of the tax from expanding too much." (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)



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Webcasts and Conferences

Hospital And Physician Managed Care Contracting Update – Reimbursement Models, Negotiation Trends, And Issues
Nationwide on October 15, 2009
presented by MCOL

(Click to post your webcast or conference)

Press Releases

TIAA-CREF Institute Survey Shows Income Strategies, Advice and Healthcare Are Retirement Priorities
TIAA-CREF Institute

Minority Owned Firm Enters Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Market
Retirement Plan Advisors

(Click to post your press release)

Employee Benefits Jobs

Corporate Director, Pension Administration
for Catholic Healthcare Partners
in OH

Project Management Specialist
for Prudential Financial
in CT

(Click to post your job opening | View all jobs | RSS feed for jobs RSS feed of all jobs )


EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com (Sponsor)

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Where the best employers find the best candidates!

Where the best employers find the best candidates!


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