[Guidance Overview]
Taking Advantage of the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program: Apply Soon
"One of the most critical decisions in the ERRP process is choosing a 'data aggregator,' the entity charged with aggregating the plan's incurred claims to determine which individuals' claims are eligible for reimbursement under the program."
(The Segal Group, Inc.)
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Do You Know Your TCO? (advert.)
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) measures all costs of software ownership including hardware, maintenance, and installation of software updates etc. Reduce your TCO by investing in ftwilliam.com. Sign up for our free online demo or call 800.596.0714.
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[Guidance Overview]
IRS Treats Breast Pumps and Lactation Supplies as Medical Care Expenses
"The IRS now concludes that breast pumps and supplies, like obstetric care, affect a structure or function of the lactating woman's body and are, therefore, medical care expenses. The IRS will revise Publication 502 (Medical and Dental Expenses) to include this information."
(The Segal Group, Inc.)
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[Guidance Overview]
Does Travel Time Count as FMLA Leave?
"Q. One of our employees has asked for leave to care for a family member in another state. Does the travel time to and from the family member count as part of the FMLA leave?"
(Franczek Radelet P.C.)
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Complete Benefits Law Guidance from Law Journal Press (advert.)
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.
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Third-Party Administrators and Some Plan Sponsors Want More Transparent Fees for Health Plans
"Representatives from NCCMP testified that 'under the current ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements, commissions are subject to disclosure through retrospective reporting to plan sponsors. However, the current requirements do not provide the level of transparency needed for plan representatives to make informed decisions in advance of awarding the business.'"
(Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
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Employers Weigh Next Step in Health Care: Reform Could Lead Some to Dump Coverage
"Nothing requires employers to provide health benefits now - there's not even a penalty. Companies provide benefits to compete for the workers they need to make money. . . . What will change under the law is individuals would be able to buy health insurance through online marketplaces, or exchanges, and health insurers would be required to cover people with pre-existing health problems after 2014."
(Journal Sentinel)
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New Jersey Governor Wants State Workers to Pay More for Benefits
"Christie . . . wants workers to pay more for their health care. Raising their co-payments and premiums will save the state $323 mil.lion. By 2014, the governor would require them to pay for 30% of their medical benefits, up from 8% now."
(Cable News Network)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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Does Tax Policy Affect Executive Compensation? Evidence from Postwar Tax Reforms
"[The authors] explore several potential explanations for the conflicting impressions given by the long-run and short-run correlations between taxes and pay, including changes in social norms and concerns about pay equality."
(National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve fulltext)
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SSA's Annual Statistical Supplement, 2010
This data resource covers the nation's social insurance and welfare programs: Social Security; Supplemental Security Income; Medicare; Medicaid; Unemployment Insurance; Workers' Compensation; Temporary Disability Insurance; Black Lung Benefits; and, Veterans' Benefits.
(U.S. Social Security Administration)
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Profiles of Significant Collective Bargaining Disputes of 2010
"This article presents the most recent labor statistics available on major work stoppages and discusses the collective bargaining issues surrounding three significant work stoppages that occurred in the United States in 2010."
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
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What the G.ay Marriage News Means for You
"[I]t is up to the courts to decide. Only then will it become possible for, say, a legally married same-s.ex couple to get health insurance through their spouse's employer without having to pay extra taxes that a heterosexual spouse does not have to pay."
(The New York Times; free registration required)
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Department of Justice Will No Longer Defend DOMA
"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that President Obama has made the determination that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), . . . as applied to same-s.ex couples who are legally married under state law, violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment."
(PLANSPONSOR.COM)
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[Opinion]
Wisconsin's Attack on Unions Is Misguided, But That Doesn't Mean the Status Quo Is Sustainable
"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's claim that public employee unions must be crushed in order to balance the state's budget is deeply disingenuous. Though it's true that raising workers' pension and healthcare contributions would help reduce the state's $3.6-bil.lion shortfall, that's no reason to take away collective bargaining rights on such benefits in perpetuity."
(Los Angeles Times)
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Press Releases
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