[Guidance Overview]
Health Care Reform: One Year Later (Part 1)
"[In this article we] summarize the state of compliance by employers, offer a roundup of regulatory guidance and highlight a few of the key changes that have been made to the law."
(Verrill Dana, LLP)
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[Guidance Overview]
Extension of Claims Regulations Enforcement Grace Period under Health Care Reform
"I recently analyzed these rules applicable to claims appeals and external review as a part of an upcoming law review article on the subject. The regulations attempt to alter not only claims appeals, but also to affect the judicial standard of review in a number of respects. In other words, the implementation of these rules bears careful observation by plan fiduciaries."
(Roy Harmon III / Health Plan Law)
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[Guidance Overview]
Plan Administrator's Business Practices Testimony Prevails in COBRA Case
"The result in Brooks v. AAA Cooper Transp. is typical of cases of its kind. The opinion contains a concise presentation of a defense to a claim that the plan administrator failed to send a COBRA notice upon termination of employment."
(Roy Harmon III / Health Plan Law)
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Long-Term Care Insurance: A Piece of the Retirement & Estate Planning Puzzle (PDF)
"Specifically, the study measures attitudes towards and knowledge of long-term care insurance among Americans. The survey also explores concerns about needing extended care services, confidence in being able to pay for such services in the future, perceived methods of funding the expenses associated with long-term care, and the misperceptions about and barriers to purchasing long-term care insurance."
(The Prudential Insurance Company of America)
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Benchmarking Preventive Care Utilization (PDF)
"Although there is no way to tell exactly how the PPACA requirements will affect preventive care trends, it is safe to say that use of preventive services overall is likely to increase. This paper discusses existing preventive care utilization rates and compares them to a calculation of the recommended utilization rates."
(Milliman, Inc.)
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Are Unions Getting a 'Disproportionate' Break from the Health Care Law?
"'Of the waivers approved, 41 percent were to self-insured employer plans, 31 percent to HRAs [employer-funded group health plans that reimburse for expenses], 23 percent to Taft-Hartley plans -- these are employer plans governed by collective bargaining agreements -- 3 percent to health insurance issuers,' . . . . 'Only 2 percent of waivers have been granted to union plans.'"
(The Washington Post; free registration required)
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[Opinion]
Health Insurers Initiating a Takeover of Health Care?
"Where are they investing? In less-regulated companies that could yield strong profits and make the main business - insurance - more lucrative. The purchases also could increase insurers' control over more parts of the health system."
(Kaiser Health News via Physicians for a National Health Program)
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Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
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How to Recruit, Retain & Retire Key Employees: Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan Survey Results
"Recent press reports suggest employers fear they may lose key employees and executives due to talent competition in an improving job market. One way employers may address this issue is by offering nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans -- but the question is how much employers view this benefit as an effective way to reduce potential talent loss and recruit new talent from other employers."
(Principal Financial Group)
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G.ay Spouses and Federal Government Benefits
"While the Obama administration's position on the Defense of Marriage Act is evolving, federal employees who have been victimized by the law remain where they always have been -- stuck without benefits for their same se.x spouses."
(The Washington Post; free registration required)
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Employee Benefits Update, March 2011 (PDF)
The five-page newsletter presents select compliance deadlines and reminders; retirement plan developments; and, health and welfare plan developments.
(Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.)
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