Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter |
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| September 30, 2009 \ Compliance \ Costs \ Administration \ Design \ Policy | ||
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[Guidance Overview]
Balance Billing Practices May Constitute Breach of Contract
Excerpt: "This district court opinion holds interest for health care providers and benefit fiduciaries alike. As against a motion to dismiss, the district court holds that the plaintiffs have stated a cause of action against the health care provider for balance billing, i.e., billing the balance 'owed' after their health plan paid the PPO discounted rate." (Attorney Roy F Harmon III in the Health Plan Law blog)
Health Care Reform Can Benefit Small Businesses And Their Workers
Excerpt: "Rising health insurance costs, lack of affordable insurance options, and the floundering economy have led to a drop in the proportion of small businesses' workers who were offered and were eligible for health insurance benefits, according to a recent Commonwealth Fund report. Consequently, small businesses and their employees and their families are the most likely to benefit under the health care reform proposals from the House Tri-Committee and the Senate Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee bills." (Wolters Kluwer)
Xerox Retirees File Suit for Benefits
Excerpt: "Angered over the prospect of losing lifetime healthcare benefits, former employees have filed a civil lawsuit against Xerox Corp. seeking to have their [supplemental healthcare] benefits package restored." (Buffalo BusinessFirst)
Health Care Benefits Access And Participation Rates
Excerpt: "In March 2009, 74 percent of civilian workers had access to medical care benefit plans through their employers; 56 percent of civilian workers participated in such plans." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Federal Employees' Share of Health Coverage Costs to Increase in 2010
Premiums paid by employees under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program will increase by an average of 8.8 percent in 2010. (Washington Post; free registration required)
Senators Reject Pair of Public Option Proposals
Excerpt: "Proponents of a public plan said it was needed to compete with private insurers, and they said consumers would benefit from the competition, getting lower prices and better benefits." (New York Times; free registration required)
Opal Events (Advert.)
The Future of Medicare Advantage under the New Administration Opal Events brings together the best and brightest of the Medicare Advantage community to discuss the problems and solutions facing the managed care industry today. Topics to be covered include: logistics of transitioning members from PFFS to a network; MIPPA interpretations; risk-adjusted reimbursement issues; compliance specific to Part D; and HR6331. |
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2009Includes updated (March 2009) tables on Retirement benefits; Health care benefits; Life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance benefits; Holiday, vacation, sick, and other leave benefits; Other benefits. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor)
Changes in Change-in-Control Practices (PDF)
12 pages. Excerpt: "Our research found that the largest corporations in the United States have begun to restrict their change-in-control arrangements in response to corporate governance reform pressures from shareholder activist groups. The most significant changes made by companies over the past three years were: 11% eliminated the excise tax gross-up altogether and 8% moved from a full gross-up to a modified gross-up; 9% moved from single-trigger vesting to double-trigger vesting of their equity awards; 8% raised the acquisition threshold percentage, typically to 30%; and 7% reduced the severance multiples for the CEO and other proxy officers, typically from 3X to 2X." (Frederick W. Cook & Co., Inc.)
Webcasts and Conferences
Practical Tips for Plan Correctionsin California on October 20, 2009
presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference, San Diego Chapter
Wellness Programs Checkup: A Clean Bill of Health for 2010
Nationwide on October 29, 2009
presented by EBIA / Thomson Reuters
(Click to post your webcast or conference)
Press Releases
Hewitt Associates’ Data Reveals U.S. Health Care Cost Increases to Remain Stable for Third Consecutive YearHewitt Associates LLC
PBGC Protects Wadley Regional Medical Center Pension Plan
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)
U.S. Labor Department Obtains Judgment With NFL Player And His Company, Restoring More Than $400,000 In Pension Assets
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Virginia’s Largest School District Appoints Great-West Retirement Services As A Provider For Its 403(b) Plan
Great-West Retirement Services
Nationwide Financial Selects Arvia to Lead Retirement Plans Business
Nationwide Financial
Employers and Employees Take Wait-and-See Approach to Retirement, Says Aon Consulting
Aon Consulting
Only 27% of Multiemployer Defined Benefit Plans Certify Their Funding Status As Safe
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
New Book: Automatic: Changing the Way America Saves
Brookings Institution
Bank of America Names Sieg to Head of Retirement Group
Bank of America
Alliance Benefit Group Carolinas, LLC Unveils Revamped Website
Alliance Benefit Group Carolinas, LLC
Consumer Watchdog Tells Blue Dog Democrats Not To Be Insurance Company Lapdogs
Consumer Watchdog
Boston College Launches New Center for Financial Literacy
Boston College
(Click to post your press release)
Employee Benefits Jobs
Associate Attorneyfor Findley Davies, Inc.
in OH
Senior Manager – Retirement Plan Services
for Well-Established Employee Benefits Consulting Firm
in PA
Group LTC Regional Sales Director
for Prudential Financial
in ANY STATE
ERISA/Pension Investment Lawyer
for Small Washington, DC plaintiff’s class action firm
in DC
Valuations Specialist
for Rapidly Expanding Third Party Administration Firm
in CA
Director of Sponsor Marketing
for Financial Engines
in MA
(Click to post your job opening | View all jobs |
RSS feed of all jobs )
EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com (Sponsor)
(Click on banner to learn more.)
| Where the best employers find the best candidates! |
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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