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Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter
January 19, 2010 
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Employee Benefits Producer Training Program
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[Guidance Overview]
Towers Watson Monthly Health & Welfare Regulatory Round-Up, December 2009 (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "The Monthly Regulatory Round-Up is a high-level summary of legal and regulatory developments that occurred during December 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 Watson)
Study Reveals Declining Employer Satisfaction with Health Insurers
Excerpt: "Employers in the United States have become less satisfied with their health insurers, according to a study released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute. Hit hard by the recession, employers of all sizes are taking a critical look at their health benefits strategy and the value they derive from it. They are looking to their health plan providers for information, technology and strategies to help reduce waste in healthcare spending and better engage employees in managing their health." (The Medical News)
Rising Drug Costs Can Be Contained with the Right Strategies and Policies, Say Experts
Excerpt: "[E]mployers need to provide benefit coverage for drugs that are available over the counter. Some drugs are just as effective, and, in most cases, are less expensive, such as heartburn medication. A leading prescription drug for heartburn may cost $3 a pill, but there are several OTC drugs available for a fraction of the price, as well as 'generic' versions (store brand) of the OTC drugs that are even less costly and just as effective." (Human Resource Executive Online)
State Health Care Reform Update
Excerpt: "For the last few years, states have been leading the way toward more comprehensive health care coverage to ensure that more people have or can obtain health insurance. Because of the potential impact of this ongoing activity on employer-provided health insurance benefits, Spencer's Benefits Reports provides regular updates about state health care reform." (Wolters Kluwer)
Federal Employee Health Plan Left Out of Excise Tax Compromise
Excerpt: "The deal, posted on the Web sites of the AFL-CIO and the National Education Association, would raise the premium threshold level at which a 40 percent tax kicks in, and exempt dental and vision coverage from the tax; both provisions apply to federal and civilian workers. But a proposed delay in when the tax takes effect -- from 2013 to 2018 -- does not apply to most federal employees' health care plans." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
[Opinion]
Health Plan Sues Accident Victim to Recover Entire Settlement Recovery
Excerpt: "If you receive health insurance benefits under an ERISA health plan, you may be forced to repay 100% of these benefits back out of the settlement recovery. It's as if your health plan benefits are really just a 'loan' instead of insurance. It does not matter that the employee has often paid for these benefits through payroll deductions and other payments. Clearly, Congress needs to act. The ERISA laws should be amended to permit the innocent accident victim to keep the benefits in certain cases, or at least force the health plan to share in the legal costs incurred by the victim by having to hire an attorney and incur costs to recover a settlement." (BEST News)
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Executive Compensation; Benefits in General
[Official Guidance]Final SEC Regs: Shareholder Approval of Executive Compensation of TARP Recipients (PDF)
7 pages; effective date is February 18, 2010. Excerpt: "[T]he Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 requires companies that have received financial assistance under the Troubled Asset Relief Program ('TARP') to permit a separate shareholder advisory vote to approve the compensation of executives, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Commission, during the period in which any obligation arising from financial assistance provided under the TARP remains outstanding. The amendments are intended to help implement this requirement by specifying and clarifying it in the context of the Federal proxy rules." (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)
[Guidance Overview]
IRS Relief and Voluntary Correction Program for Certain Section 409A Document Failures
The document includes an appendix titled: Document Failures, Corrections, and Relief. (Proskauer Rose LLP)
[Guidance Overview]
Towers Watson Monthly Regulatory Round-Up on Executive Compensation, December 2009 (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "The Monthly Regulatory Round-Up is a high-level summary of legal and regulatory developments that occurred during December 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)
Press Releases
Hewitt Associates Enhances Absence Management Offer by Adding Participant Advocacy ServicesHewitt Associates LLC
ERIC Calls for Major-Employer Priorities for Final Health Care Bill
ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee)
Actuarial Consultants, Inc. (ACI) Adds Jeff Esmond As Consulting Administrator To Hawaii Office
Actuarial Consultants, Inc.
The SPARK Institute Releases Final 5500 Guidelines For Multiple Vendor 403(b) Plans
The SPARK Institute
FutureOffice Network Announces the Launch of a New Website Available for Group Insurance Brokers and Accountants
FutureOffice Network
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Newly Posted Employee Benefits Jobs
401(k) ERISA-Plan Consultantfor 401(k) Advisors
in CA
Plan Administrator
for Retirement, LLC
in OK
Product Manager, Investments
for Prudential
in CT
OmniPay Project Manager
for JPMorgan, Benefits Payment Services group
in LOCATION OTHER THAN U.S., OH
Marketing Specialist
for Prudential
in NJ
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