[Guidance Overview]
Grace Period Extension for Claims, Appeals, External Review Process (PDF)
5 pages. 'Although Technical Release 2011-01 extended some enforcement grace periods, non-grandfathered self-insured group health plan sponsors should review the new requirements and begin implementing an external review process." (Kelly, Hannaford & Battles P.A.)

The Most Complete, Current, Easy-to-Use HSA Resource Available! (advert.)

Health Savings Account Answer Book answers every HSA question... clarifies every HSA issue... in a format that's quick and easy to use. It tells you virtually everything you have to know to profit from HSAs.

[Guidance Overview]
IRS Guidance on Form W-2 Reporting for Costs of Employer-Provided Coverage
"Except as provided in the Notice's transitional relief . . ., virtually all employers that provide 'applicable employer-sponsored coverage' under a group health plan must comply with the new reporting requirement. This includes federal, state and local government entities, churches and other religious organizations, and employers that are not subject to the COBRA continuation requirements." (Littler Mendelson P.C.)

[Guidance Overview]
California Bill Offers Retroactive Relief from Having to Track Imputed State Income for Employees with Overage Dependents
"To correct employee wage statements, employees will need to file Form 540X with the Franchise Tax Board." (E Is for ERISA)

[Guidance Overview]
DOL Grants Certain Group Health Plans Relief by Extending Non-Enforcement Period for Internal Claims and Appeals Requirements (PDF)
"[B]ecause this extension is likely the final delay, employers should be working diligently to comply with them." (Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP)

Your Product + Our Readers = $$ (advert.)

Advertise your company's products and services in the BenefitsLink newsletter. Our subscribers care about employee benefit plan compliance, administration, costs and design. Contact Mary Hall for details.

Judge Rules Michigan Teacher Retirement Health Care Law Unconstitutional
"Teachers and other school employees who did not retire early last year must pay 3% of their pay for the insurance. In a teachers union lawsuit, [the Michigan Court of Claims Judge] ruled that because current teachers aren't guaranteed health care benefits when they retire, it's 'arbitrary and capricious' to make them pay for the benefits now." (Detroit Free Press)

High-Deductible Health Plans Cut Spending but Also Reduce Preventive Care
"Interestingly, the drop in preventive care occurred even though high-deductible plans waive the deductible for such care." (RAND)

Health Care Reform Update, April 4, 2011 (PDF)
"Read this week's update on health care reform legislation, regulations, and initiatives." (Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.)

Employer Guide Aims to Improve Employee Health and Reduce Costs
"The guide, launched April 1 by New York-based Pfizer Inc.; the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care in Kansas City, Missouri; and the Washington-based National Business Coalition on Health, is based on . . . a three-year value-based benefit project involving 15 Kansas City-area employers." (Workplace Management: free registration required)

Top 10 Issues for Health Plans in 2011
"This year's list changed quite significantly from a year ago when the list was dominated by the role of government." (MedTech Media)

Senate Votes to Repeal Health Care Law's 1099 Tax-Reporting Provision
"If enacted into law, the measure would mark the first successful effort to repeal part of the national health-care overhaul." (The Washington Post; free registration required)

Reform Report on Self-funded Health Plans Is Encouraging News for Proponents
"[T]he report, which reviewed 12,000 Forms 5500 (required for companies with 100 or more covered lives or hold assets in trust) in 2008 from self-funded health plans, found that self-funded plan sponsors were no more or less financially strong than sponsors of fully insured plans." (Thompson Publishing Group)

Medical Tourism: Growing Numbers of Americans to Seek Health Care Abroad
"Devon Herrick, a policy expert at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a think tank based in Dallas, identified other factors that make foreign hospitals less expensive: lower labor costs certainly, but also fewer third-party payments, price transparency, limited malpractice liability and fewer regulations." (The Washington Post; free registration required)

[Official Guidance]
Text of SEC Proposed Rule: Listing Standards for Compensation Committees (PDF)
"[T]he proposed rule would direct the exchanges to establish listing standards that, among other things, require each member of a listed issuer's compensation committee to be a member of the board of directors and to be 'independent,' as defined in the listing standards of the exchanges adopted in accordance with the proposed rule." (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)

[Guidance Overview]
SEC's Proposed Rule on Listing Standards for Compensation Committees
"[T]he SEC has proposed new Exchange Act Rule 10C-1 ('Proposed Rule 10C-1') for compensation committee listing standards and an amendment to Regulation S-K for disclosures of the use of compensation consultants ('S-K Amendment')" (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP)

[Guidance Overview]
New Rule Takes Aim at 'Flawed Compensation Practices'
"The rule takes aim at preventing what the agencies called 'flawed incentive compensation practices in the financial industry [that] were one of many factors contributing to the financial crisis that began in 2007.'" (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)

[Guidance Overview]
SEC's Proposed Rules Requiring Listing Standards for Compensation Committees and Compensation Consultants
"Once an exchange's new listing standards are in effect, a listed company must meet these standards in order for its shares to continue trading on that exchange." (Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati)

Executives Receiving Higher Bonuses So Far This Year, As the First Proxies Are Filed and Analyzed
"If 2010 is an indication, bonuses should continue to rise, based upon compensation targets and company and industry performance." (Human Resource Executive Online)

Judge Orders Columbus, Ind.-Based Hoosier Foot & Ankle, Owner To Restore $18,000 To Company 401(K) Plan Following Labor Department Investigation
(U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA))

EBRI Articles in Wall Street Journal Benefits Supplement
(Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI))

World Congress

Defined Benefits Administration Manager in IN for Buck Consultants, a Xerox Company

Operational Risk Manager in CA, OH for Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation

Junior Pension Administrator/Service Associate in CA for The Senex Group, Woodland Hills, California

Retirement Plan Administrative Assistant in FL for Matthews Benefit Group, Inc.

Director, Colleague Benefits in MI for Ilitch Holdings, Inc.

Director of Development Services in GA for McCamish Systems, An Infosys Company

Post Your Job on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com

View All Jobs

RSS Feed: All Jobs

"Retirement Plans - Mergers & Acquisitions: An Overview" Web Seminar
Nationwide on May 3, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius

3rd Annual Retiree Healthcare Congress
in Illinois on May 16, 2011 presented by Global Media Dynamics

AFTAP, Annual Funding Notices, and the Schedule SB Webcast
Nationwide on July 14, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

Back to School on Cash Balance/DC Combo Designs Webcast
Nationwide on September 20, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

DOL Enforcement and Penalties for Late and Incomplete 5500 Filings
Nationwide on May 10, 2011 presented by ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits

DOL: Audits, VFCP AND DFVCP Webcast
Nationwide on June 16, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

EFAST2 and PTINs Webcast
Nationwide on April 19, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

Ethics Webcast
Nationwide on June 7, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

Ethics Webcast
Nationwide on December 13, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

Fraud in Employee Benefit Plans
in California on May 12, 2011 presented by No. Calif. Chapter of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists (ISCEBS)

Investing in a Healthy Culture: Achieving Results via a Healthy Enterprise
in Illinois on April 28, 2011 presented by WEB - Chicago West

Plan Terminations Webcast
Nationwide on October 18, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators